It’s a sad day in the music community, as it was just announced that DJ AM (aka Adam Goldstein) was found dead in his New York apartment. The details will most certainly surface in the coming days, but they’re unimportant to me right now. I just want to send a cosmic blessing to homeboy, as he provided the soundtrack to some of my funnest nights on Earth. Many (ignorant) people dissed on Adam because he was a “celebrity DJ” (which is what happens when you date Nicole Richie), but the truth of the matter is he was a truly gifted DJ, and a very accomplished turntablist. He could hang with the best of them, no joke. I once saw him at a party in Sundance and he was so in the zone beat juggling records that the entire audience watched with jaws agape. Here’s what I wrote back in 2006 in recapping Sundance:

The P. Diddy “Most Awesomely Fucked Up Party” Award

It’s hard to explain why a party has the elusive X factor, but this party was slathered in it.  It was like if someone had transported a good LA scenester party into the middle of a snowy village, doused it in Grand Marnier, and lit it afire. Perhaps it was DJ AM, who absolutely killed it. I’ve known AM was technically accomplished for years, but this was ridiculous. Kids were coming up to give him props and he was so zoned out while scratching and beat juggling (yes, beat juggling) that he saw no one. Afterwards, he even said it was the best party he’d spun at in a looooong time. Anyway, the party was so hopping that host/proprietor Amanda Demme—Queen of the Chill—was jumping around on one foot, smiling ear-to-ear, happier than Kermit the Frog on Ritalin.

I dunno, I don’t want to play light of the matter with the above quote so I hope that’s not the case. It was just one snowy night where the DJ made everyone’s life richer. Adam spent his life as the life of the party and there’s really no reason to end that now. Rest In Peace my man…