Danny Tenaglia's Resigning Is a Wake Up Call

I was stuck in my accountants office on Monday nite taking care of some minor details, after he called me at the last minute, when the news broke that Danny Tenaglia was “resigning” as a DJ.

After reading Tenaglia’s post on the matter and coupled with the reality that tax forms seem to make ever so clear, I immediately fell into a funk. Why?

Here is a guy, one of the most well-loved and respected DJs on the Earth, a veteran who after 30 plus years in the game is still known for his beaming smile -one that comes from his continued sincere love for what he does- and he too is facing financial issues.

Yeah, the economy is bad, everyone is facing hardships in one way or another, but still, I can’t help but think, “if Danny Tenaglia is having these issues, what does that mean for me and my aspirations of becoming a DJ?”

After years of straight-up ignoring my passion, pushing it into the back of the closet for a myriad of excuses: I need to pay the bills = I need a job = I can’t afford records = I don’t have time etc, etc, I now am dutifully working at fullfilling my lifelong dream of being a DJ. And I’m no spring chicken. Plus, I still have the 9 to 5, plus two kids and a wonderful partner. If Danny Tenaglia, without some of those worries -he admits in his posts he has had no time for love- is, after all this time, still not well-off enough to just pick up and move, what are the chances I will ever be?

I don’t know if I have a point or not; there might not be any wise teaching to derive from this; I might just be venting at the frustration I feel over financial as well as personal issues in regards to some of the selfishness and ignorance I experience in the scene, but I know one thing, Danny Tenaglia’s resigning is a wake-up call for me. I need to be more concerned with my finances obviously, but besides my family, my hundreds of FB and Twitter fans don’t count, I also need to work on the support base I have around me; for a scene that professes to be all about love, there sure is a major lack of it in many ways.

Tenaglia sharing his hardships and the stress he has been experiencing has made me open my eyes even more and I’m sure I will be more careful about a few things as I continue working on achieving my dreams. Fact is, I feel there are lessons for all of us here, maybe for you too.

Lastly, I wish Tenaglia the best of luck and, in fact, I would gladly help him in moving those records and whatever else he needs help with, and not cuz I want anything, but simply out of admiration and love, and because maybe being around such an inspiring figure will rub off on me in a positive way, I mean the dude’s smile is infectious, and that gives me hope.

Danny Tenaglia’s Original Post

Dear Friends, please, just LET me BE, LET me BE! >> The Time Has Come for ME to “finally” BE MYSELF!! I have been telling people for so many years now to JUST BE YOURSELF!! But for me, being myself was living with 1 foot in a closet and 1 outside “trying” to BE the happiest DJ on Earth, which I have been, and give the World the best I had to Give because I know how happy I have made people with the gift of music from GOD and this has been a great blessing …. so I simply Could Not Stop!! Since everything has CHANGED since I first realized I wanted to BE a DJ forever like playing records” and getting a job in nightclubs back in the early 70′s (gag) and now here I am at 51, been around the world many times, put over One Million Miles in the sky, 3 full Passports and my Heart has been YEARNING for something New & Different besides music. BUT, as I have been trying to STOP and make BIG changes like finally calling my home in Miami since 2006 HOME, but was always to busy between NY residencies and travels and it’s been getting the best of me lately. Airplanes, Airports, Hotels, Foreign-isms, and what can I say: I HAVE SEEN THE MOUNTAINTOP as a DJ and I just need to STOP and smell the roses of my life and simply try to “Grow Up and BE who I really am” but “everything” – including the need for finances to afford my Loft of 10 years in NY which I can no longer afford and must let go of by July . . . I know many people think I am wealthy but I assure I am not! I have lived well and have very nice things to show for my earnings, but I cannot stop working!! When I say I have been writing for the past 5 days, it has been DEEP!! I kept starting over and over and it’s turned into a major journal and sooooo much of this I promise I want to share with ALL of you, The Good and The Bad, but thankfully it’s mostly good! ON my way home on Wed from DR & Montreal I was having a bad day as I had a head cold, and there’s no enjoyment in an airplane or in a hotel room out of the country with a headcold …. anyhow, I was traveling back to Miami alone as my co-workers flew back to NY and I was just looking out the window the whole flight and for 3 hours I was just thinking HOW AM I EVER GOING TO PROPERLY RESIGN (not retire) . . . And when I got home I realized I left a small carry on murse bag with many personal things, keys, passport and so on and at first all I could feel was FURY!! I tried everything between Lost & Found and the car service, but as my ID was in there and now 6 days later no return, well all I can say is that THIS has been The Revelation that I needed to say: LADIES & GENTLEMEN: As of this day, I am “resigning” (not retiring) and all future gigs will sadly BE canceled except for My Belated Birthday @ Pacha on Sat April 28th! This will BE my final gig until I feel I am ready to return back to the decks. This is thee hardest decision I have ever had to make in my career, but if not now, then when?? I apologize to all parties involved but I think most people that know me personally know that this has been coming! I have performed at WMC 26 years in a row! I have played every year in Ibiza since 2000! It’s time for ME to Stop and settle down, move out from the loft which will BE a very MAJOR ordeal . . . OMG!! I have soooooooooo much STUFF!!! There is no way I can do all this and travel and have a life . . . Only I can make the decisions of what stays and what goes, including what I will do with over 10,000 records, etc etc etc ……. SO in closing: I LOVE YOU ALL and I just wanna Thank U 4 Lettin me BE MYSELF all these years, and now I beg you to please continue with me in my journey and my quest for something new and wonderful. I will never give up my first love with MUSIC, but there has to BE something else (or someone) out there waiting for me! >> I promise to keep updating here, but I needed to do this today – in order to BE FREE & BE ME!! Please BE kind, this has not been easy and I am a very sensitive person. God BE with US all! See you soon!!