Early Years
Benitez's mother moved from Puerto Rico in the early 1950s to the South Bronx section of New York. She raised two children as a single mother, Benitez being the first child. Born in New York City, he grew up enjoying listening to music, usually playing his sister's record collection. His sister, Debbie, nicknamed him Jellybean as his initials are J.B. and from the saying "Do you know what I mean, Jellybean?" Benitez attended De Witt Clinton and John F. Kennedy High Schools but dropped out before graduating.
When he relocated to Manhattan in 1975, Benitez was exposed to disco nightclubs, which sparked his interest in DJing. He was soon performing at a nightclub called Experiment 4 & Electric Circus and in 1980 Benitez enrolled and attended Bronx Community College, where he studied Marketing and Sales Promotions. Benitez was soon an in-demand DJ, which led to work at Electric Circus, Hurrah, Xenon, Paradise Garage and Studio 54. In 1981, he was hired as the resident DJ of the club, Funhouse. Benitez also hosted a weekend dance radio show at WKTU.
Read more about this topic: John Benitez
Famous quotes related to early years:
“Parents ... are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don’t fulfil the promise of their early years.”
—Anthony Powell (b. 1905)
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)