Wendy Hunt (September 8, 1952 – August 7, 2017) was an American disco club DJ, based in Florida and Massachusetts.
Wendy Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 8, 1952 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 7, 2017 (age 64) Wilton Manors, Florida, U.S. |
| Other names | Wendella Blendella, Queen Mother of Disco |
| Occupation | Club DJ |
Early life and education
editHunt was born in Glendale, California and raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts.[1][2] She was the daughter of Donald Edgar Hunt and Yvonne Edwina Riddle. She graduated from Marblehead High School in 1970, and attended Northeastern University, where she began training for a career in nursing.[3]
Career
editHunt began working as a DJ in 1974, at Club 1270 in Boston.[4] As "one of Boston's few women DJs" at the time, she soon developed a following,[1] and was in demand as a disco club DJ[5] and at gay community events in various cities, including the Winter Party in Miami's South Beach,[6] White Party Palm Springs, Purple Party Dallas, and Ascension Party Fire Island Pines.[7] She also worked on cruises and at fundraising events, mixed music for radio programs,[8] and produced records.[2] In early 2017, she spoke at the "first Pride Fort Lauderdale of the Trump era".[9]
Personal life
editHunt acknowledged struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder. She was a volunteer for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida.[10] Hunt died by suicide in summer 2017, at the age of 64, in Wilton Manors, Florida.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b Holland, David (August 13, 1977). "Nightspotting". Gay Community News: 13 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b "Interview with Wendy Hunt". Disco-Disco. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ "Wendy Hunt Obituary 2017". Edwards Cremation and Funeral Services. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ "Club 1270 (advertisement)". Gay Community News: 12. June 12, 1976 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Dawe, Charles (1979-04-05). "The Turntable Wizards". The Boston Globe. p. 80. Retrieved 2024-05-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ O'Bourke, Brett (2000-03-03). "Hip DJS to spin hot grooves at Winter Party's nine bashes". The Miami Herald. p. 299. Retrieved 2024-05-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cohen, Howard (2017-08-12). "Wendy Hunt, 64; DJ who broke barriers for women in club scene". The Miami Herald. pp. A16. Retrieved 2024-05-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McLaughlin, Jeff (1979-04-05). "Boston Radio's Hottest Sound". The Boston Globe. p. 82. Retrieved 2024-05-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Clary, Mike (2017-02-26). "First Pride Fort Lauderdale of the Trump era: 'Many of us are scared'". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ^ "Lab Rescue Charities to Benefit from Crowdfunding Campaign for Late DJ Wendy Hunt". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ^ "Wendy Hunt" (death notice), Boston Globe (August 24, 2017); via Legacy.
External links
edit- A video interview with Wendy Hunt, for the Boston Deejay Project, on YouTube
- Pride; Centaur Presents DJ Julian Marsh and DJ Wendy Hunt (2000), on Internet Archive