DJ MANNY LEHMAN - III
by Matt Kalkhoff
 

Talent.  Experience.  Ambition.  Passion.

Any one of these attributes alone may lead to success.  But when all four converge in equal force, well, now you’re talking superstar status.  A standout in this exclusive club even among his peers, Manny Lehman is a musical chameleon whose abundant innate gifts, coupled with a renowned stamina, have helped him fashion one of the more prolific and enduring careers on the global party circuit. 
Custom tailoring an aggressive hodgepodge of melodic anthems and militant percussion for each room and audience, Manny always delivers the goods.  Perhaps the only thing more remarkable than his impressive talent and keen sense of perception is how he has managed to stay at the top of his game for so long, with nary a scratch on his record.

Nobody can sum up the attitude of a room and keep the energy pumping like Manny Lehman.  From the first song till the very last, he is relentless!”  -- DJ Billy Carroll

One of an elite crew of DJs who has headlined every major event on the gay party circuit -- twice, often more -- Manny credits his highly-acclaimed performances in 1999 at both the White Party in Palm Springs and Montreal’s Black & Blue Recovery Party as the catalysts that sent his career soaring into overdrive.  A pivotal gig at South Beach’s Club Amnesia soon followed, as did later residencies at the legendary Twilo in New York City, Miami’s Crobar, Factory and Here in Los Angeles, Nation in Washington, D.C. and New York’s Avalon (fka Limelight) and Roxy. 

Complementing this perpetual flurry of nightclub bookings are frequent guest spots at world-renowned weekend dance events like White and Winter Parties in South Beach, Chicago’s Fireball, Cherry in D.C. and Gay Disney in Orlando, many of which have become perennial gigs.  International stops regularly include such exotic locales as Tel Aviv, London, Ibiza and, Paris, Rio de Janiero , Mexico City, Montreal, Japan, among others. From parties at 10,000-foot snow-covered peaks requiring helicopter transport to beach parties in Thailand, Manny has done it all.

Manny has also left an indelible mark on dance music culture through his various roles behind the scenes.  During his stint developing new talent as an executive at A&M Records, Manny discovered powerhouse diva CeCe Peniston.  He later executive produced her first single, “Finally,” which went on to become one of the definitive club anthems of the early 90s.  Always on the lookout for tomorrow’s stars -- “I love to find diamonds in the rough and help polish them up,” he says -- Manny continues to develop new artists and has founded his own management company. 

He also lends his talent to more established artists, not the least of whom are Janet Jackson, Cher, Madonna, and Sara Brightman.  His chart-topping remixes of “Come On Get Up,” “When the Money’s Gone,” “What It Feels Like for a Girl,” and “Harem,” respectively, have solidified his status as a hotshot remix specialist.  His version of Ibiza’s “VIP,” and his original production of “Harder,” featuring Stefanie, were massive underground club hits that pushed the boundaries of his talents to the edge.

Manny’s production prowess is further evidenced by the critical and commercial success of his various compilation mix CDs. Bangin’ (Progressive Beats) (Tommy Boy), Party Groove:  Winter Party (Centaur), Circuit Sessions Volumes 01 and 04, and A Night in Orbit (4 Play Records) have each paved the way for his latest endeavors : the double set CD Freedom ( Tommy boy), which featured the two original productions, “Anthem” and “Freedom,” and the dance remix for the title song from Rent, “Change of Seasons,” which will be featured on the movie’s soundtrack when it is released worldwide in the winter of 2005.

In order to keep his relentlessly hectic schedule running as flawlessly as his mixing, Manny joined the Madtizzy family back in 1999.  Veteran manager George Dellinger oversees his bookings, record deals, travel arrangements and myriad other business dealings which allows Manny to focus the bulk of his energy on being the creative mastermind his legions of fans have come to expect.

For press inquiries and bookings, please contact George Dellinger at madtizzy@aol.com or (718) 596-0436.

 


© 2005 Matt Kalkhoff