A renowned master of his craft, Billy Carroll does much more than just “work” a room. Rather, this highly accomplished New York-based DJ possesses an uncanny knack for artfully and effortlessly transforming any given space into his very own unique kaleidoscopic fantasy for the senses. With more than a quarter century of turntable mastery under his belt, Billy’s youthful appearance and playful demeanor might seem to belie his extensive experience.
Billy is a master at working any room. It’s funny how much the word “wow” is heard on the dance floor during his sets. — DJ John LePageYet his resumé boasts myriad pinnacles. Beginning in the 1970s, Billy’s passion for dance music and the art of DJing led to formative stints at Club Directoiré and Reflections/Down Under, and eventually career-defining guest spots at Paradise Garage and Studio 54. Residencies at the Roxy, Palladium, Twilo, Bump @ the USA, Men’s Room @ The Building, Limelight, and Tunnel (where Billy played the first gay night, incidentally) followed, paving the way for the almost daunting flow of globe-trotting gigs he balances these days at the hottest clubs and Circuit parties around the world. As a Billboard reporting DJ, Billy’s credentials are indisputably impressive. And there’s no hint of slowdown anywhere in sight.
A walking encyclopedia of house music and club culture, Billy is quick to embrace emerging technology and trends — even setting a few of his own along the way — and is constantly evolving as an artist. Far surpassing the average career expectancy in this business, Billy’s innate and unyielding passion for music continues to fuel his enduring ambition, while the close connection he shares with his fans rounds out the success and fulfillment he enjoys.
As comfortable spinning Garage classics at New York’s Gay & Lesbian Center as he is commanding throngs of revelers with a relentless onslaught of hard house tracks and fierce diva anthems in a stadium-sized venue, Billy is never one to take himself too seriously. Rather, he’s always mindful of the one basic tenet of nightlife: To have fun!
“It’s like being at the circus,” one reveler fondly described his experience dancing to one of Billy’s sets. Tom Beaulieu, the owner of Rise in Boston, calls his Pride performances “epic, the kind of nights that every club owner dreams of.” Without missing an impeccably matched beat or compromising the slightest technical proficiency, it is often difficult to tell who’s having more fun when Billy’s spinning — the DJ or the crowd.
As easygoing and friendly as he is professional and reliable, Billy now personally manages all aspects of his career. With current residencies throughout the Northeast, including Splash in New York and Philadelphia’s Pure, 816 in Vancouver, a quarterly residency at David Morales’Stereo in Montreal, WETbar in Atlanta, and Denver’s Tracks, regular guest spots spinning alongside Junior Vasquez in New York, and a steady barrage of bookings across the country and abroad, it’s no easy task balancing such a hectic schedule. Whether he’s headlining a major Circuit party or playing an underground after-hours event, his oft-utilized passport has garnered him a global fan base in such exotic locales as Sao Paolo, Brazil & Carnivale in Rio), Mexico, Amsterdam, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland, Shanghai, Singapore, and Japan.
More than a quarter century into his career, Billy set out to fully produce and play his very first signature event in August 2006, a monthly after-hours soiree he playfully dubbed dIRTY bEATS. An underground throwback to the intimate dance floor gatherings of his early disco days, Billy wanted to recreate that familial vibe where all manner of heteros, homos, freaks, and fools are represented under the disco ball. LOVE, the subterranean West Village layer with its epic sound system and state-of-the-art booth, was the perfect home for such an endeavor. Sadly, the city’s misguided war on nightlife has left dIRTY bEATS with an uncertain future. Whatever the party’s fate, Billy made sure it would go out with a bang when he brought the event to Pacha during Black Party Weekend in March 2007 for one last hurrah. He’s also slated to spin alongside DJ Elliot DeHoyos and Stephen Richards to kick off Gay Pride weekend with a new event on Thursday, June 21, 2007, Ritmo serves dIRTY bEATS at the world-renowned Sullivan Room.
Among the more notable supporters in his network of industry, peers are the legendary Junior Vasquez. Having built a close relationship over many years, Billy is one of the few trusted colleagues to enjoy unprecedented access to many of Junior’s newest remixes and other exclusive unreleased gems. David Morales is another good friend who’s always happy to share the booth with Billy. Regular gigs at Morales’ club Stereo in Montreal eventually led to an invitation to spin alongside Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Satoshi Tomiie, and Hector Romero at the Def Mix 20th Anniversary Party at Shine in Miami during the 2007 Winter Music Conference. An immense honor and most flattering opportunity, to say the least, for a DJ who’s still in awe of cultivating a career without limits that never ceases to amaze even himself.
More than happy to share the spotlight, Billy is always on the lookout for new talent and has already helped quite a few aspiring DJs break into the industry. Through his affiliation with Club Pure in Philadelphia, Billy has introduced audiences to a plethora of rising stars that include the brightest young DJs and performance artists on the scene. Billy considers it an honor and a privilege to help open doors for the next generation of DJs and performers so that they may have the opportunity to share their diverse talents and love of music with the very community that he has proudly entertained for so many incredible years.
