Zeke Thomas, the son of legendary NBA Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas, told Out recently that his parents “always knew” he was gay. As the child of an accepting parental unit, he says he was never pressured into playing sports and instead, was taught to pursue his dreams.
Now an adult, Thomas is working his way up the ladder as a professional DJ, playing high-profile club bashes from New York to Miami. He reminisced about a time that a former manager told him he “could never be a big DJ and be openly gay,” but in February, he’ll serve as the official DJ for the annual NBA All-Star game in New Orleans.
Since when do you have to stay in the closet to “be a big DJ”?! We have no idea who the nutjob that said that was, but we do know he’s dead wrong.
Get familiar with Zeke Thomas and check out four more high-profile gay DJs available for hire:
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Zeke Thomas
Thomas spins an eclectic set of different genres, mostly consisting of a blend of House, Hip-hop, classic and current R&B, Pop, Motown, and Rock. Cosmopolitan once called him “insanely cute and overwhelmingly talented.” We tend to agree.
We recommend:
Junior Vasquez
The 64-year-old remixer/producer has been at the forefront of New York’s club scene for more than four decades, but is probably best known for his public falling out with Madonna after releasing a track that remixed an angry voicemail she left him. He rose to prominence throughout the ’90s after opening the legendary Sound Factory and has worked with Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Prince, among others.
We recommend:
Hector Fonseca
As one of the more visually pleasing DJs for hire, Fonseca got his start as a fashion model and rose to fame through word of mouth in the early ’90s New York club scene. His ability to remix radio hits into club anthems has made him one of the most requested remixers in the industry and has twice landed him on the Billboard Top 10. As a young man, he was mentored by the legendary Peter Rauhofer, who passed away last May.
We recommend:
https://soundcloud.com/hector-fonseca-music/rihanna-where-have-you-been
https://soundcloud.com/hector-fonseca-music/beyonce-best-thing-i-never-had
https://soundcloud.com/hector-fonseca-music/rihanna-diamonds-hector
Perhaps best known for her short-lived relationship with The Real Hosuewives of New Jersey‘s Kim Zolciak, DJ Tracy Young has long been a favorite of celebrities for their swanky parities. She has spun at private events for P. Diddy, Cher, Ricky Martin, and Russel Simmons, and rocked the stage during Kyle Minogue’s 2011 North American Tour.
We recommend:
https://soundcloud.com/hollywoodrecpromo/demi-lovato-neon-lights-tracy
https://soundcloud.com/tracyyoung/hold-it-against-me-tracy
Tony Moran
Primarily a pop remix producer, DJ Tony Moran helped usher in the “freestyle” era during the late ’80s and early ’90s and is the only openly gay DJ to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard charts twice—once with “Walk Away” featuring Kristine W and another with “Keep Your Body Working” featuring Martha Wash, both in 2007. He’s worked with major superstars like Madonna, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey.
https://soundcloud.com/jads-antunes/rihanna-russian-roulette-tony
https://soundcloud.com/gabix1210/mariah-carey-touch-my-body
KDub
I swear Tony Moran gets sexier every year. Amazing. Great producer/DJ too. Now, how exactly did Zeke Thomas wind up in this list of legends and well-knowns?
boring
Fun fact: if you’re playing Demi Lovato, you are not “rocking” anything.
elbertdijkgraaf
“High profile dj’s”? Yeah they are definitely one of the hottest dj’s on Resident Advisor…
JayHobeSound
We were still dancing to Tony Moran as the sun came up on Atlantis cruise a couple times. He is a great talent as well as a very kind person.
Stache1
@KDub: Duh. Didn’t you read this from Cosmopolitan ..“insanely cute”.
Spike
At least the left Paris Hilton off the list. Should have included Tom Daley.
tmtm69
Not sure who Zeke is but much respect to him. How can you guys forget DJ Paulo Gois? He’s truly amazing and packs the room everytime.
QueertyFan
While I’ve not heard of Zeke, but I’, sure he’s a nice guy, you’ve left off massive Gay Dj’s who’ve been around for as long if not longer than many on the list except maybe Junior. No diss of any kind intended to those on the list. But come on. Where is Ralphi Rosario or Abel of Rosable or Peter Rauhofer? Then there is Danny Tenaglia, Andy Weston (aka Andy Almighty of 7th heaven and Almighty), Susan Morabito, DJ Paulo, Wayne G, Matt Consola, Phil B, HiFi Sean, Jose Spinnin Cortes, Barry Harris of Thunderpuss (arguably the biggest remix team of the 90’s and early 2000’s – they broke Whitney Houston on the dance floor), and Manny Lehman just to mention a very small handful who still play (except Peter & Barry) the massive parties of the US, Canada, Latin America and UK dance scenes as well as remix many of the biggest hits today. I’m perplexed that your list would just do 4 staples and introduce a new person.
Jinky
I second the Danny Tenaglia suggestion. Why does every list of gay DJs always feature just the ones playing god-awful circuit crap rather than the true trendsetters who have crossed over to play some of the most prestigious events in the world? And the music samples above just prove my point – how many high profile straight DJs are dropping Madonna, Britney, Rihanna or Mariah Carey songs in their sets?