Denise Briggs, Full Interview

Collection: Queens Memory Collection at the Archives at Queens Library: Denise Briggs, "DJ Lady Love"

Date: Time Period: 1970 - 2016; 2016-04-24; Interview recorded: April 24, 2016 Material: Digital audio recording made using a digital recorder and Adobe Soundbooth. Dimension: Total running time: 0:54:03

Creator: Denise Briggs, "DJ Lady Love" Identifier: aql:19836 qmp-db-full-000004

Description: Denise Briggs was born in Fordham Hospital in Bronx, NY. After moving around she ended up in St. Albans, Queens. At a young age she loved reading and listening to music. She would play 45’s for her family when she was asked, and ended up performing for her friends in various parks. She attended parties because she loved to listen to music and watching how the DJ’s used their turntables. She had her son at age 16. When she was 18, she left her son with her mother because she wanted to be DJ - she was “going to become one no matter what”. After that she started to network with others in the DJ community in Queens and the Bronx and learn from them. Denise has deejayed with some of the greats of Hip-hop like Grand Master Flash, and Kurtis Blow . She walked away from DJ’ing when she was 22 or 23 in 1981 (“and hip hop started blowing up in 1982, 83, 84”), because she was having trouble getting paid - and at that time it was hard being the only woman in a crowd of “dudes”. She eventually came back to Dj’ing, and has since received some awards for her work.

Title : Denise Briggs, Full Interview

Collection : aql:20455; aql:19949

Creator : Denise Briggs, "DJ Lady Love"

Date : Time Period: 1970 - 2016; 2016-04-24; Interview recorded: April 24, 2016

Summary/Description : Denise Briggs was born in Fordham Hospital in Bronx, NY. After moving around she ended up in St. Albans, Queens. At a young age she loved reading and listening to music. She would play 45’s for her family when she was asked, and ended up performing for her friends in various parks. She attended parties because she loved to listen to music and watching how the DJ’s used their turntables. She had her son at age 16. When she was 18, she left her son with her mother because she wanted to be DJ - she was “going to become one no matter what”. After that she started to network with others in the DJ community in Queens and the Bronx and learn from them. Denise has deejayed with some of the greats of Hip-hop like Grand Master Flash, and Kurtis Blow . She walked away from DJ’ing when she was 22 or 23 in 1981 (“and hip hop started blowing up in 1982, 83, 84”), because she was having trouble getting paid - and at that time it was hard being the only woman in a crowd of “dudes”. She eventually came back to Dj’ing, and has since received some awards for her work.

Subject : Hip-hop; Dance parties; Disc jockeys; Beale, Duerwood "DJ Woody Wood"; Mr. Magic; Grandmaster Flash; DJ Divine and the Infinity Machine (musical group)

Relation : Queens Memory Collection at the Archives at Queens Library: Denise Briggs, "DJ Lady Love"

Rights : Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.

Coverage : Locations discussed: Jamaica, Queens, NY Jamaica (New York, N.Y.) Bronx (New York, N.Y.) Queens (New York, N.Y.)

Type : Oral history

Format : Digital audio recording made using a digital recorder and Adobe Soundbooth.; Total running time: 0:54:03

Identifier : aql:19836 qmp-db-full-000004

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Subject:
Hip-hop; Dance parties; Disc jockeys; Beale, Duerwood "DJ Woody Wood"; Mr. Magic; Grandmaster Flash; DJ Divine and the Infinity Machine (musical group)