DJ Wendy Hunt: When I was a child, I got one of those little record players housed in a portable box with a handle that looked like a small piece of luggage. When opened, the inside of the top had a speaker in it. I begged my parents to get me another one so I could be a real DJ. I spent hours in my bedroom pretending I was a radio DJ playing at least 3 songs in a row before a commercial or news break so I could see how smoothly I could transition from song to song. Little did I know that that was the beginning of my career.
RS: Who was the first DJ you saw spin?
WH: Jimmy Stuard, my mentor.
RS: What's the first record you bought?
WH: It was a 45 called "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis.
RS: How do you feel women DJs are treated as compared to male DJs. Has that changed over time?
WH: Being familiar with most of what goes on "behind the scenes", I know that there are times when DJ's are hired based on looks, musculature, whether or not they "put out", penis size, etc. If they know how to put 2 records together, it's a plus but, oftentimes, it doesn't matter. Being a lesbian DJ who plays for gay men, this automatically takes me out of the running. No one who's doing the hiring would ever admit to that but it's something that all DJ's know and have to live with. This has not changed over time and probably never will. It's not the norm but still is unfair to both female and male DJ's.
RS: Do you feel like you were ever treated differently as a DJ because you were a woman?
WH: Once I got the gig, remembering what I said in the previous question, the answer is a resounding NO!! I've always been treated with the utmost respect since my first job in 1975. The nightclub business can be very sleezy and I've had some unfortunate experiences but it was never because I was a woman.
RS: What was it like to DJ 28 years ago vs now?
WH: I don't even know where to start!! We used only 45's and album cuts as there were no 12" records until late 1976/early 1977 (the first 12" was "10 Percent" by Double Exposure on Salsoul Records). We had no variable speed turntables. I used to carefully put a small cocktail glass with 2 heavy fuses in it onto the record to slow it down and gently push the record a little bit on the label to speed it up. There were no CD's or computers. When we made a tape, it was on reel to reel. I worked in a teensy little booth sitting down. I could go on and on but those are the first things that come to mind. Now, technology has advanced to the point where a DJ can mix right from his/her laptop computer, if so desired.
RS: Tell us about how you used to mix with no intros and outros that faded.
WH: With lots and lots of practice!! I used to go into the club for 6-8 hours during the day and practice until I could do a 2-4 beat mix in my sleep. In the case of no intros, it was catching a beat before the fade, which, generally lasted no more than 3-4 seconds. You had to be very quick because the songs were usually only 3 or 4 minutes long. To make a really smooth transition, you had to make sure that the 2 songs had some sort musical similarity (as in the same key) as well as a boost in energy while you built and worked the room thru a musical journey. Oftentimes, songs would have a cold ending which would enable you to either change the tempo and energy level or continue the build effortlessly. Cold endings were a bonus... it almost felt like cheating! Before 12"s, most mixes were only 2-8 beats long. That's it. If you wanted it to flow flawlessly, it took LOTS of practice. I'm a perfectionist and spent lots of time in empty bars practicing.
