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THE music scene may have changed considerably during the past 30 years but the enthusiasm for putting on a good disco has never wavered for a popular Island DJ.
Tony Martin celebrated his DJing landmark with a huge charity bash at Cowes Yacht Haven on Saturday.
The marathon seven-hour event, attended by about 600 revellers, raised more than £5,000 — split between the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and the Barely Born Appeal.
They are charities close to the heart of 43-year-old Tony, an information manager for the IW NHS.
His late mother battled cancer for many years and the hospice cared for her in her final three years.
Tony’s other, more flamboyant career as a DJ, began when he ran a modest birthday party disco in the humble surroundings of St John’s Church Hall, Ryde, when he was just 13. Nowadays, The Tony Martin Music Show rolls into much larger venues, playing music at corporate functions, weddings, balls, parties, yacht club events and Cowes Week, to thousands of people each year.
Tony said: "In those early days, I had a couple of turntables and a mixer, which cost me £70, and a box with about 25 singles. Since then, I’ve ditched the vinyl and have about 40,000 tracks to chose from. The audio-visual and lighting equipment I have now is top-of-the-range. The equipment I use for a big show is worth about £25,000.
"The last 30 years have been interesting and a lot of fun. People have high expectations for me to put on a good show. I’m still enjoying it and will probably go on for a few more years but not another 30."
Tony’s top ten most requested songs
1 Build Me Up Buttercup — The Foundations
2 Sex on Fire — Kings of Leon
3 Dancing Queen — Abba
4 You To Me Are Everything — The Real Thing
5 Sir Duke — Stevie Wonder
6 Club Tropicana — Wham!
7 Tainted Love — Soft Cell
8 Livin’ on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
9 Groove is in the Heart — Deelite
10 Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
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