Pete Tong

Pete Tong was born in Dartford, Kent during July 1960 and was educated at King's School, Rochester, Kent.

Pete's original musical interest was in drumming, but he soon moved on to DJing. He played his first public gig at a friend's wedding aged 15. While at school he and a couple of mates earned some extra money by promoting a couple of local bands, booking halls for gigs etc. He also worked as part of the Kent "Soul Mafia" bringing soul weekenders to seaside towns like Caister-on-Sea and Prestatyn.

Initially after leaving school he set up a mobile disco based in a transit van, but he soon started his own club in Baker Street called Family Function. He also booked bands for an alternative night, the first of which was the then unknown Culture Club.

In 1979 he became a staff writer for Blues & Soul Magazine ^[1]. After a year he was promoted to features editor, a position he would hold until 1983. He left Blues & Soul to join London Records as an A&R manager.

Through his connections in London Records Pete was exposed to newly emerging house music sound from Chicago. In 1986 Tong organised a compilation album, The House Sound of Chicago, Vol. 1, the first British release to gather and expose this genre.