Steven Howlett, aka DJ Froggy, was an English DJ who worked as a 'beatmixer DJ' on the British club music scene in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
24 Facts About DJ Froggy
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DJ Froggy was a member of the Soul Mafia group of DJs which included Robbie Vincent, Greg Edwards, Jeff Young and Chris Hill.
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DJ Froggy's father worked as a mechanical engineer at the electrical equipment manufacturer Plessey in Ilford.
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DJ Froggy's mother died in 1956 when he was only 7 years old.
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DJ Froggy undertook his apprenticeship as an engineer at 15 and took the City and Guilds qualification, and was responsible for chairing the Apprentice Association.
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DJ Froggy put on his own shows using a sound system built by himself.
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DJ Froggy became known as 'Froggy' for his habit of jumping up and down in time to the music.
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DJ Froggy was taken on by popular music act manager George Cooper in 1972, and offered the DJ accompaniment for bands including acts such as Sweet, Slade and T Rex, quite often at big venues such as Scunthorpe Baths.
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DJ Froggy met up with BBC Radio 1 DJ Emperor Rosko, who came to fame through pirate radio in the 1960s.
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Mathias and DJ Froggy then decided to co-design their own consoles.
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Later DJ Froggy decided to quit and focus on disco, soul and jazz-funk music.
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DJ Froggy took on several club dates in the south of England and in late 1978 started a weekly residency at the Royalty, in Southgate, north London.
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DJ Froggy then progressed on to Purley and the National Soul Festival.
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DJ Froggy then went on to the Prestatyn soul weekender when Original Caister Promoter Adrian Webb moved the Event to Wales.
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DJ Froggy studied the practice at Studio 54 and Paradise Garage, watching DJ Larry Levan synchronising the rhythm of two records, cross-fading to play sections of their sounds simultaneously, while overlaying effects from a third turntable.
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DJ Froggy was the first person in the UK to own a pair of, the now legendary, Technics SL-1200MK2 turntables.
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DJ Froggy purchased them in 1979, during a trip to New York City and had them sent over to England.
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DJ Froggy again improved his sound system further and, like Levan, became experienced at cross-fading.
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DJ Froggy's creation continued as a hired-out concern in the mid-1980s 'rare-groove' scene as well as during the early rave movement.
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At its height, it produced 12,000 Watts of power, which was often run in mono as DJ Froggy felt that this way produced a greater 'wall of sound'.
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DJ Froggy later was given record company work and provided extended disco mixes and shortened radio edits of music tracks along with his mixing partner Simon Harris.
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DJ Froggy lived in Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex and the surrounding area for most of his life.
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DJ Froggy died from a brain haemorrhage on 28 March 2008.
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DJ Froggy was married three times and is survived by two daughters and a son.