Richie Kaczor

Richie Kaczor (9 December 1952 – April 1993) was among the earliest DJs during disco's infancy in the 1970s.

Starting his DJ career in New Jersey, Kaczor played at clubs in New York City and surrounding states before being asked by nightclub owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager to start as a resident at the famous Studio 54, which was just about open. Kaczor, along with Nicky Siano, were the two original DJs to play there with Kaczor playing on the weekends and Siano during the weeknights.[1]

Perhaps Kaczor's most noticeable legacy to disco while at Studio 54 was his championing of Gloria Gaynor's track "I Will Survive", a song which hit the charts and is widely accepted as a disco anthem. Siano asserts that it was Kaczor who first noticed the track, originally a B-side to "Substitute", and turned it into a success. It became so well associated with Studio 54 that fellow DJs from Kaczor's time were amazed when the song was not included in the sound track to 54, a movie based on Studio 54. Tom Moulton, DJ and remixer associated with the development of the 12" dance single recalled: "Well, it can't be about Studio 54 then, because Richie played that record. It became his biggest record."[2]

On March 4, 1980, Kaczor and Studio 54 lighting engineer Robert DeSilva opened the upper level Disco 40 in Hamilton Bermuda.

Kaczor died, aged 40, in 1993.[1]

References
  1. Richie Kaczor @ Disco-Disco.com
  2. Brewster, B, Broughton, F, 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life', Grove Press, 2000
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