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DJ AM

Nicole Richie might be a whiny, annoying pseudosocialite permanently affixed to the front pages of Star and The National Enquirer, but she’s not bad at jumpstarting your international DJ career - just ask DJ AM. Born Michael Adam Goldstein in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he spent his teenage years on the streets of Los Angeles as a hopelessly overweight drifter and drug abuser, stepping out of his downward spiral only to hit the turntables as a DJ at local clubs. Things hit rock bottom for Michael at the age of 24 when he tried to shoot himself in the face with a .22 - but the gun wouldn’t go off. Shaken, yet determined to get his life on track, Michael began attending 12-step meetings, eventually dropping his freebase cocaine habit and slimming down considerably.

By 2001 things began picking up for DJ AM; he turned out to be an even better DJ when sober, and was soon playing regularly at the hottest bars and clubs in California. He also worked for a time as the DJ for the rock band Crazy Town, contributing scratches and effects for the band’s 2001 hit "Butterfly", which was primarily created using Red Hot Chili Peppers samples. It was around this time he met his longtime on-and-off beau Nicole Richie, adopted daughter of soul crooner Lionel Richie. Nicole was thrust into the national spotlight by her part on The Simple Life, a reality TV show with Paris Hilton; her partnership with DJ AM only served to increase his celebrity-DJ status.

In 2004 DJ AM trimmed down to his current weight (a slim and fit 150 pounds) after gastric bypass surgery, proposing to Nicole just months after his successful operation. Alas, the marriage was never meant to be - they broke it off in 2005, only to briefly reunite again in 2006 before deciding to see other people. DJ AM would go on to date a revolving door of models and actresses (among them actress/singer Mandy Moore and supermodel Jessica Stam) in the wake of his breakup with Nicole, while Nicole recently had a child with her current boyfriend Joel Madden of Good Charlotte fame. At the height of his career with Richie at his side, DJ AM had collaborated with the likes of Madonna and Will Smith and was also one of the most sought after DJ’s in California, booking special events with stars like Jessica Simpson, Jim Carey, and Jennifer Lopez. Though without a doubt a talented disc jockey, his relationship with well-connected Nicole sure didn‘t hurt his career.

While it’s true that DJ AM’s national visibility has faded somewhat since his split with Richie, it is by no means a stretch to say that he is still one of the hottest DJ’s in America right now. And don’t try to tell him otherwise - he recently sued the New York Daily News for libel after they printed an article mentioning that his career had been going downhill after his split with Richie. As for what he’s been up to outside of the courtroom, DJ AM has been working with superstar drummer Travis Barker (Blink 182, Transplants) on his latest project 44, all the while finding time to manage his trendy LA nightclub LAX. Additionally, he has an exclusive contract to play on Friday nights at the lush PURE nightclub inside Las Vegas resort Caesar’s Palace.

From Discogs:

Born: 30 March 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.Died: 28 August 2009 in New York City, New York, USA, at the age of 36.

From Lastfm:

Adam Michael Goldstein (March 30, 1973 - August 28, 2009), better known as DJ AM, was an American DJ and former member of the band Crazy Town from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was perhaps best known for being engaged to Nicole Richie before they split in 2005, dating singer and actor Mandy Moore, owning the popular nightclub LAX and releasing two mixtapes under the name TRV$DJAM with Travis Barker of blink-182 fame. He has also scratched on albums for Papa Roach, Will Smith, Madonna and Shifty, as well as starring in tv shows such as Entourage and Punk'd. DJ AM was also an avid sneakerhead, collecting primarily Nike's. His collection of over 600 shoes includes a pair of Nike Air Force 1 shoes that were created specifically for him, with his DJ AM logo appearing on the shoe itself. In a new commercial, he starred alongside Mike Epps and Kobe Bryant sporting the Nike Air Yeezy, Kanye West's signature shoe.

Adam Goldstein was found dead at his New York City apartment at around 5:20 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2009. He was 36 years old. Friends called the police, who along with paramedics broke into the apartment and found Goldstein's body. Sources say the cause of death may have been accidental drug overdose. Statements by a New York law enforcement official to the Associated Press indicate that drug paraphernalia was found in the apartment, but there were no signs of foul play.