DJ Spinbad Dead at 46

DJ Spinbad, the beloved New York hip-hop and pop DJ, has died, USA Today reports. The comedian Russell Peters, for whom Spinbad used to DJ, told USA Today, “Christopher ‘Spinbad’ Sullivan was more than a friend, DJ and mixed-tape pioneer; he was my friend and brother. And to his kids, Kari and Ko, he was dad. He will be sadly missed and there is a hole in my heart.” DJ Spinbad was 46 years old.

Born Chris Sullivan, DJ Spinbad was an era-spanning fixture of New York radio. In 1995, he cemented his reputation with the ’80s pop megamix Rocks the Casbah, one of the most bootlegged releases ever, and, five years later, its sequel. In 2004, he released a rare hip-hop entry into the Fabriclive series.

Spinbad continued to work as a globe-trotting, party-starting live DJ, with a popular Singapore residency and an international gig supporting comedian Russell Peter. He steadily dropped new mixes, including his weekly Twitta Mix, which was syndicated to NYC station Z100 and dozens of others.

Questlove, A-Trak, and DJ Yoda are among those to have paid tribute, with Yoda hailing him as one of the reasons he became a DJ. “The world is culturally emptier today without him,” wrote DJ Yoda.