Ian Dewhirst tickets and 2024 tour dates

Biography

Ian Dewhirst started his DJ career in 1971 at the age of 16, with a warm-up slot at Leeds Central for Northern Soul DJ Legend Tony Banks. Following several successful weeks of "warming-up", Tony left the venue and Ian took over as resident at one of the North's most respected Northern Soul venues.

Following his success at Leeds Central, Ian started finding more and more Northern Soul U.S. imports and both his record collection and reputation started to grow. By 1972-1973 Ian secured several other residencies including weekly and bi-monthly all-nighters at Wigan Casino, Cleethorpes Pier and Sheffield Samantha's. This was during the 'golden age' of Northern Soul where Ian discovered and played such records as The Carstairs' "It Really Hurts Me Girl", The Tomangoe's "I Really Love You", Tobi Legend's "Time Will Pass You By", The Four Perfection's "I'm Not Strong Enough", Gerri Grainger's "I Go To Pieces", Lenny Curtis's "Nothing Can Help You Know", Clyde McPhatter's "Please Give Me One More Chance" and Yvonne Baker's "You Didn't Say A Word" among many others.

Following his growing disillusionment at the way that record prices were escalating and the amount he was personally being charged for "unknown" records, Ian decided to move to Los Angeles and search for Northern Soul rarities himself. So, in 1975 Ian moved to the U.S.A. and started hunting for rare up-tempo Northern Soul records. Within weeks he discovered many major rarities and new "unknown" records including Willie Hutch's "The Duck/Love Runs Out", Judy Street's "What" and literally hundred's of other records which have since become Northern Soul classics.

Whilst in Los Angeles, Ian became involved in co-producing a Motown medley disco record, which was eventually called "Uptown Festival" by the freshly formed group Shalamar. The record was signed to Don Cornelius's Soul Train Records where it topped the Billboard dance charts for 6 weeks, hit the U.S. Top 20 pop charts and eventually sold one million copies around the world by the end of 1976.

Ian returned from the U.S. after a highly successful 6 month stay and immediately returned to deejaying on the rapidly emerging Northern Jazz/Funk/Disco circuit with residencies at Leeds Central and all-dayers at Blackpool Mecca, Manchester Ritz, Nottingham Palais and Birmingham Locarno along with Colin Curtis, Ian Levine, Neil Rushton and Paul Schofield.

In 1979, following his success on the Northern Jazz/Funk/Disco circuit, Ian was invited to become resident DJ at the U.K.'s first U.S. style dance club - Leeds Warehouse. He was taught to mix by U.S. DJ Greg James and with his new skills Ian started mixing more eclectic styles of music which included Disco, Funk, Jazz-Funk, Electro and other styles from 1979-83. Whilst at the Warehouse Ian also introduced Soft Cell's Marc Almond to Gloria Jones' "Tainted Love" which later went on to become a 34 million-selling worldwide hit for Soft Cell and the longest running record ever on Billboard's U.S. Top 50 singles chart.