American television personality and DJ Audrina Patridge was born in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. Long before Patridge rose to fame as one of the cast members of the television series The Hills, she grew up in Yorba Linda, launching a career as a model and actress at a very young age. Patridge’s first gig, in the MTV reality series The Hills, has launched a career which has since brought Audrina to the big screen, and now most recently, also into the club scene as a celebrity DJ.
Following The Hills, Audrina Patridge appeared in a handful of films, including Sorority Row (2009), Honey 2 (2011), and Scary Movie 5 (2013), but her biggest career boost came after her appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, paired with Tony Dovolani. The couple finished the show in seventh place, but Audrina became a fan favorite on the show, giving her career a bit of a boost.
Most recently, Audrina Patridge has joined the circle of ever-growing celebrities DJ’s, performing at some of the worlds most famous clubs in locations such as Aruba, Las Vegas, and Miami. Her reputation as a DJ continues to grow positively, and she is scheduled to appear at a number of events throughout the remainder of 2015 and into 2016. When she’s not DJ-ing, Audrina Patridge hosts 1st Look, the NBC late night travel series which explores regional cuisine, culture, and nightlife in a variety of areas.
American industrial designer and television personality Adam Savage was born Adam Whitney Savage in 1967 in New York City. Long before Savage rose to fame for his role in the hit television series MythBusters, he grew up in Sleepy Hollow, inspired by the creativity of his father, who was a filmmaker and animator who contributed work to a number of television shows and films. Adam started his acting career while still in elementary school, appearing on such programs as Sesame Street.
By the time he was in his late teens, Adam Savage’s love of acting had given way to his love of designing. Although still very much immersed in the television and theater of New York, Savage turned instead to graphic design, animation, and eventually special effects. In 2006, Adam began co-hosting MythBusters for the Discovery Channel. The role has made him a household name, although he also hosts the network’s show Unchained Reaction. In addition, Adam Savage has contributed special effects and designs to such notable films as the Matrix Reloaded and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
Today, Adam Savage can still be seen in his television hosting roles, and he also co-hosts a weekly podcast, Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project. The popular podcast began in the summer of 2012 and continues to this day, with each episode featuring a conversation between Adam and his guests, as they explore a variety of topics related to film, science, and popular culture.
American producer, actor, and DJ Elijah Wood was born in 1981 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wood grew up modeling and appearing in local school plays; his natural talent for acting quickly became apparent, and after a number of small roles in commercials and stage productions, he first appeared on the big screen in a small role in the smash hit Back to the Future Part II. By the time he was fifteen, Wood had starred in a number of films, including: Radio Flyer (1992), The Good Son (1993), and Flipper (1996.) Wood also developed a growing interest in music, which would eventually lead to his interest in DJ-ing.
As he reached his late teens and early twenties, Elijah Wood began to appear in a number of more mature roles, including The Ice Storm (1997) and Deep Impact (1998.) But the role which made him a household name arriving in 2001, when Peter Jackson cast him in the role of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings. Since that time, Elijah Wood has gone on to star in a number of high-profile films, including both subsequent installments of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, plus films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Everything is Illuminated (2005.) He has also voiced the main character for the films Happy Feet (2006) and Happy Feet Two (2011.)
In 2005, Elijah Wood launched his own record label, Simian Records, and since that time the label has signed a handful of up and coming bands. In addition to the record label, Elijah Wood has recently forayed into DJ-ing; after meeting already existing DJ Zach Cowie through mutual friends, the two found their tastes and interests in music to be much in alignment. The duo formed the DJ team Wooden Wisdom, and since their formation they’ve been in great demand for a number of high-profile events. Wooden Wisdom recently launched a 2015 tour which has brought them to audiences in Miami, Toronto, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and across the ocean to Italy and Copenhagen.
Elijah Woods is slated for a number of film roles in the coming years, but he also plans to continue with Wooden Wisdom and his side projects in the music industry.
Donald “DJ” Qualls was born in 1978 in Nashville, Tennessee. Qualls grew up in Manchester and attended the University of London to pursue a degree in English Language & Literature. After returning to Tennessee, he began to pursue a career in acting, joining a local theater company and auditioning for various small roles in television and film.
A meeting with Ivan Reitman in 2000 led to his breakthrough role as Kyle Edwards in the film Road Trip. The role led to a number of modeling gigs for DJ, but also roles in: Cherry Falls (2000), Big Trouble (2002), and The New Guy (2002.) Television roles during this time include: Lost (2005), Criminal Minds (2005), and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2006.) DJ Qualls’ career has grown over the years, brining him roles in such high profile films as: Hustle & Flow (2005), Delta Farce (2007), All About Steve (2009), Last day of Summer (2010), Amigo (2010), and Pawn Shop (2013.) Qualls also has a recurring role on the television series Supernatural, and appears in the SyFy channel’s series Z Nation, in the role of Citizen Z.
DJ Qualls continues to appear on television and in film. He continues to appear as Citizen Z on Z Nation, and recently appeared in the film November Rule, which released in 2015.
The DJ and television personality known as DJ Pauly D was born Paul DelVecchio in 1980 in Providence, Rhode Island. Pauly rose to prominence first as a cast member of the hit reality series Jersey Shore, and for being the only housemate on the MTV show to launch his own spin-off series from it.
The series, The Pauly D Project, follows the rise of Pauly’s DJ-ing career after signing a three-album deal with G-Note Records, but even prior to it debut Pauly had released a number of singles and earned nominations for America’s Best DJ. In 2011, DJ Pauly D opened for Britney Spears on tour, and in 2012 he released his debut single, “Back to Love,” featuring Jay Sean.
DJ Pauly D is currently featured on the E! Network’s reality series Famously Single. His debut album is expected to drop in the coming year.
Basketball player Dennis Rodman was born in 1961 in Trenton, New Jersey. Rodman’s father left the family when Dennis was fairly young, and his mother struggled as a single parent trying to make ends meet. The family moved to Dallas, Texas, where Rodman and his two sisters spent their formative years. By his own accounts, Rodman’s teenage years were not easy; his talents on the court had yet to surface and his small stature at the time led to meager opportunities following his graduation from high school.
A sudden growth spurt in his late teens sparked Dennis’s desire to try basketball again, this time as a student at Cooke County College in Gainesville, Texas, for one semester, and then at Southeastern Oklaholma State University, where he excelled as a three-time NAIA All-American. His talents eventually caught the attention of the Detroit Pistons, starting a career on the court first at the small forward position and then later as a power forward. Rodman would go on to play for the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks before retiring.
Off the court, Dennis Rodman established a reputation as the “bad boy” of the NBA, with multi-colored hair, tattoos, and piercings. In recent years, Rodman has also appeared in a number of films and on a few television shows, including the reality shows Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice and Celebrity Mole, on which he won the main prize in 2004. Most recently, Dennis Rodman began writing and blogging for OPEN Sports; he has also authored five books, the most notorious of which is his biography, Bad as I Wanna Be (1996.)
Connor Anthony Kidman Cruise was born in January of 1995 and adopted into the family of famous couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Connor’s foray into the entertainment industry initially began as he followed in his parents’ footsteps. First, Connor appeared in the role of Young Ben in the film Seven Pounds in 2008. Then, he appeared in Red Dawn, as the character of Daryl Jenkins, in 2012. But in recent years, the young Cruise has embarked on a career in a different genre of entertainment; he’s started to make a name for himself in the music industry, as a talented up-and-coming DJ.
Connor Cruise began experimenting with mixing as a young teenager, and although he is certainly still quite young, he recently made one of his first public appearances at the Live Your Life event which took place in New York’s Times Square in the fall of 2012. The event was a huge draw, and Cruise’s performance received acclaim from attendees and his fellow-DJ’s, who noted that the young artist is already demonstrating great potential.
Connor Cruise has plans for additional public appearances in the near future, and it is likely that his acting career will be placed on hold for awhile as he continues to pursue a career as a DJ full-time.
George Alan O’Dowd was born in Kent in 1961, and grew up in the London area. As Boy George, the front man for the 1980’s group Culture Club, he was an iconic, flamboyant, androgynous singer whose characteristic voice and presentation rocketed them to success, but also posed a challenge when the music scene shifted in the latter part of the decade.
Culture Club and Boy George enjoyed tremendous success with their debut album, Kissing to Be Clever, on the strength of its chart-topping hit, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” Colour By Numbers was equally successful, with the hit singles “Karma Chameleon,” “Miss Me Blind,” and “It’s a Miracle.”
By the late 1980’s, Culture Club’s popularity was fading, and in 1987, Boy George emerged as a solo artist. He released a series of albums, which enjoyed moderate success: Sold (1987), Tense Nervous Headache (1988), Boyfriend (1989), High Hat (1989), and The Martyr Mantras (1991.) However, unable to match the superstardom he’d enjoyed with Culture Club, Boy George shifted gears and in the 1990’s, and established a reputation for himself as a DJ. He also accepted a role in the musical Taboo, based on his own life, and even earned a Tony nomination for the score.
A unique collection of Boy George’s rare acoustic works, U Can Never B2 Straight, was released in 2002, to critical acclaim. In the new millennium, Boy George has embarked on a variety of endeavors, including hosting a weekly radio show in London, penning the foreword to a book on feng shui, releasing a variety of tracks through his website, writing music for other artists, establishing his own fashion line (B-Rude), and releasing a series of dance/electronica collaborations. Boy George even served as a guest DJ at The Court Hotel in Perth, Australia and performed in Dubai at the launch party for the Palazzo Versace in 2007.
Today, Boy George continues to perform and record. In 2009, he signed a new record deal and released Ordinary Alien – The Kinky Roland Files, in the following year. The album This is What I Do followed in 2013. In 2016, Boy George joined the mentoring cast of The Voice UK, and then later also The Voice Australia as a coach. Most recently, Boy George competed on The Celebrity Apprentice, coming in second place.
Bjork began her music career as the lead singer for the group Sugarcubes out of Iceland. However, when the group disbanded in 1992, Bjork found herself with a career far more successful than she’d enjoyed with the band. She shifted her musical style to reflect a more club and dance sound, and the new formula was an instant success. Not only did her first album, Debut, establish her solo career in 1993, but it also made her one of the 1990’s most notable stars and iconic celebrities. A string of hit singles followed, including “Big Time Sensuality” and “Venus as a Boy,” and by the end of the year Debut had gone platinum in the UK.
Her first single off her next album, “Army of Me,” was released in 1995, shortly before the album itself dropped. Post was equally successful and earned Bjork gold status in the United States, and yielded her additional BRIT awards. “Isobel,” “Hyperballad,” and “It’s Oh So Quiet” were notable singles released from Post. Telegram (1997) and Homogenic (1997) followed, and in the new millennium Bjork also expanded her endeavors to include acting. She earned the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for Dancer in the Dark, and the critics equally acclaimed her score for the film.
Bjork followed up with Vespertine (2001), a Greatest Hits collection (2002), Medulla (2004), and the soundtrack to the film Drawing Restraint 9 (2005) before releasing Volta in 2007. Volta, which was created with the assistance of notable producer Timbaland and artists such as the poet Sjon, kora master Toumani Diabate, and singer Antony Hegarty, features far more cross-cultural elements than Bjork’s previous albums. Both Volta and its first single, “Earth Intruders,” became Bjork’s highest charting works to date, reaching into the Top Ten. “Innocence, “”Declare Independence,” and “Wanderlust” fared equally well.
Bjork continues to perform, record, tour, and perform. So far in her career, she has had thirty top forty singles and sold approximately thirty million records worldwide. Bjork ranks on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Music and Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Her awards this far include five BRIT Awards and multiple award nominations, including fourteen Grammy Award nominations, two Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination. Bjork released her latest album, Utopia, in 2017.
The American guitarist, producer, and DJ known as Benji Madden was born in 1979 in Waldorf, Maryland. Benji grew up with his twin brother, Joel, in a family of four children. Joel and Benji were close during their formative years, and tried a number of business ventures together as young men, including a clothing line that eventually dissolved. In 1996, the brothers formed the band Good Charlotte, which would become their first successful collaboration together.
As Good Charlotte, Benji and Joel enjoyed a number of alternative and punk rock hits between 2000 and 2010, including: “Little Things,” “Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous,” “The Anthem,” “Girls & Boys,” “The Young & the Hopeless,” “I Just Wanna Live,” “Predictable,” and “Sex on the Radio.” During this time, both Benji and Joel also served as songwriters for a number of other artists, including Hillary Duff, and collaborated with other artists in writing and recording, sometime providing backup vocals.
It was around this time, in the late 2000’s, that the duo reinvented themselves as a DJ duo, the Madden Brothers. Benji and Joel were already immersed in the Hollywood scene and had been playing gigs, joining the rising ranks of the celebrity DJ scene. As the Madden Brothers, Benji and Joel have released two albums – Before: Volume One (2011) and Greetings from California (2014.)
Joel is married to Nicole Richie and Benji is married to Cameron Diaz. Both men live in the Los Angeles area but perform regularly around the globe. Joel has also recently joined the television competition The Voice as a coach; Benji is scheduled to join the show as well in the coming year. Most recently, Benji also contributed his writing talents to the single “Breakdown,” recorded by Tonight Alive.
