Today we’d like to introduce you to Claude Hardy
Hi Claude, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in a small town in Indiana called Royal Center. There are less than 1000 people who live there. My dad had a lot of music around when I was small and when I was a early teenager, I began to listen to albums I saw there. Music was an escape for me. I was really into Classic Rock during this period; The Doors, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin. This phase lasted through college. I got into graduate school in Detroit and that is when my music tastes started to shift. I went from a Classic Rock and Blues focus to Jazz and Funk. Eventually, I stumbled onto Numero Group and they had a compilation called Good God! — Born Again Funk. This was a major turning point for me. I began looking for things that were not on everyone else’s radar and it also led me to reading about DJs and their stories. It made me want to be a DJ because I wanted to share these new discoveries with others. I take my DJ name, Good God Claude, from that first compilation I bought. Now, I try and share all my discoveries with my friends and people who come to listen when I DJ.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Just your general obstacles of being a first time DJ. You learn something each time you go out and do a gig. You forget gear, you need different gear or more dependable gear. Learning from others is fun too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I tend to DJ Soul/Funk records with a few Black Gospel and/or Civil Rights records mixed in. I like to do this because it is music that I did not have access to and no one else is really playing Black Gospel and/or Civil Rights records.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @goodgodclaude
