Collection 281-M

Gary Tighe Disco Music Collection

In 1978 he was working at a small east LA latino nightclub when he was [sic] at the Casablanca record promotion office, Craig Kistich told him about an opportunity in SF [San Francisco] at the new "it" nightclub on the west coast [Trocadero Transfer]. The New York prima donna DJ had thrown the turntables out of the booth because they weren't his brand, they had tried every SF dj and not one of them the crowd liked. So Gary flew up, played one night and was hired on the spot. He played his lyrical sets as well as his signature latin beat that he had acquired at the 3rd World Disco in East LA. While at the Trocadero Transfer he encountered many celebrities both on the dance floor and on the stage[;] the 2nd week he was there John Travolta was on the floor and Saturday Night Fever was selling 27,000,000 records. [Gary] quickly realized he was at the right place at the right time. He did Natalie Cole's birthday party, Karl Lagerfield's perfume launch party, the Village People, the 3 degrees, Sylvester, the Weather Girls, Lolleta Holloway, Martha Reeves, Divine, and many, like Candy Staton, disco stars of the day. He was a Billboard reported [sic] and a Cashbox reporter and was wined and dined by record execs from everywhere. He received a stack 6" high of records in the mail everyday and belong[ed] not only to to the BADDJA (Bay Area Disco DJ Association) but also to a Canadian record pool that got him records like Love is in the air 3 months before anyone else had it. In February of 1999, he flew to NY to play at a party for Ariola Records at the famed Copacabana; the party was called Carnival in the snow, bring your own snow, and so they did. The groupies were lined up 10 deep to feed him cocaine. I [sic] had a simply flawless evening and Billy Preston sent [someone] to tell me that Preston thought I was the best DJ he had every heard! But alas, all things end; my time at the Trocadero came to an end by an egomaniacal DJ from Florida who couldn't share the spotlight and wanted it all. [Gary] then got a job in SF at a small club named Scruples, where he entertained the jet set, Carmella and Boz Scaggs, Coppola, Anne Getty, Cyril Magnin, Willie brown, Willie McCovey and [...] J. Paul Getty who used to hang out in my DJ booth. It was too small and not much what I was looking for and I got a call from Ray Sanchez at Probe, the LA equivalent of Trocadero and he asked me to come and play for him in LA.

Gary returned to LA and worked at Probe where he worked with many of his favorite stars[,] mostly Randy Crawford. The job at Probe lasted about a year and then a DJ that he had helped get started stole the job away. He retreated to a bar in the valley called the Apache Territory and was very happy. One day a friend, Dick Saunders, a staunch supporter of me [sic] on the Probe dancefloor called and said: "if I buy Probe will you come back and work for me?" "Sure" Gary said, thinking it wouldn't happen, but it did and before long Gary was planning a NYE marathon with the DJ who betrayed him. He didn't fire him, he just gave him the worst possible shift. Gary continued to play at Probe for about a year then retired to pursue other interests.

In 1993 Gary opened up a showroom in the California Mart with his partner and long-time companion Tim Callas[,] called Callas/Tighe and decided as he wasn't going to be DJing anymore, he felt it was a young man's career, what to do with the records? he picked up the phone and called UCLA and spoke to Victor Cardell who said he would love to have the collection at the Archive of Popular American Music, [Music Library] Special Collections. So, here it is for you to enjoy from the original "Disco Daddy" for all the world for generations to come. Cheers. Gary Tighe

Autobiography (slightly edited): Gary [Tighe] began his career in 1976 at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood with 2 turntables and a dream. He worked his way up through a series of small nightclubs and bars where he honed his signature style of blending lyrics with rhythms. In one cruise bar he would mix Peggy Lee's Fever with Donna Summer's Fever and Tammy Wynette's Stand by your man with Grace Jones' I need a man. He told stories and it always felt like he was talking to you.

He did return to play at Probe one last time; he wasn't very good, out of practice and distracted. He did however get the opportunjity to play at Trocadero, a reunion[.] He was ready this time, practicing with his friend Greg Ellsworth and off he flew to SF to play a swan song. When he arrived, Dick the owner met him at the airport and said to him, "I owe you an apology, we never should have let you go, you were the best DJ that we ever had." Gee thanks, thought Gary. He went on to play a glorious night and at the end of the night people were coming up and saying, "I don't remember you playing this good before!" That was his final night in a DJ booth.

The collection consists of predominantly sound recordings, containing approx. 2,370 LP disks of music, mostly American dance music from the 1970s and 1980s, plus popular music, Broadway original cast albums, and movie soundtracks.

For additional information about this collection contact Music Library Special Collections.

Return to list of collections