A dear friend of mine passed away this Holiday season My longtime buddy DJ Frank Del Rio.
Frank was a legendary niteclub DJ known for his work at Circus Disco in Hollywood and Fantasia niteclubs in Puente Hills and downtown FOR SURE....I dont ever recall Frank spinning at Fantasia Northridge and I know he spun at multiple clubs all around L.A. prior to My arrival to L.A. in 1986.
I hadn't seen Frank in a number of years but had spoke to him on the fone and thru texting and FACEBOOK and email a while back.....I know that he had been sick for a while.
Matter of fact the last time I actually saw him I knew he was sick....he was very thin and had lost the lower part of a leg and when he passed I heard all of that was a result of complications of Diabetes.
A disease I have and has been prevalent on both sides of My family. But this isn't about Me...
This is about Frank.....
This is a post I put on My Facebook about Frank when he died and how I felt about him....
I just wanted to share this with you...
This is My 2nd blog and like I said I would be talking about Radio and life.......and all that it entails and in this case.....death too.
I am very grateful to Frank Jr., Efren, Frank Sr.s Mom and sisters, Korie, Annie, Ricardo and Liza and whomever else I might have missed.....
for opening up their hearts and homes and allowing Me to attend the Rosary and Church services the next day......
Frank will always be in My head and heart as one of the FIRST people who befriended Me when I first started working at POWER 106 in 1986 and remains My friend even now in his death.....
God bless you Frank and all your family.....
VERY SADDENED to hear the news of the passing of our Friend Frank Del Rio.....
Just saying the name it rolled off your tongue and you KNEW...this guy was somebody!
I remember the first time I heard him play, I had just gotten hired by POWER and was taken by then overnight guy George Moore to a HUGE CLUB IN HOLLYWOOD and as we walked in...
there is this MASSIVE CROWD and they're all dancing to the sounds of the DJ "SCRATCHING"....
I'm like..... WHAT THE HECK??? THERE'S NO BEATS...THERE'S NO MUSIC...
JUST SCRATCHING......AND PEOPLE ARE STILL DANCING!!!!!
I was TOTALLY BLOW AWAY.
I was then escorted upstairs to where I met the Man with his kind face and gentle smile and shook his hand and we talked about the NEW station in town and My role there and music an dj'ing and it was like we had been friends forever....
Later, Frank and I would work together at a variety of clubs and always just a pleasure to see and hang out with and always friendly and fun.....
and BEYOND TALENTED, weaving the notes and the beats and the "SCRATCHING" and always keeping the crowd Dancing and Happy.....
Frank you will be sorely missed
