Show Host Profile: DJ Swamp Boogie

--Written by Melissa Milton

"I have to have a radio program so I can continue buying records!" WWOZ show host DJ Swamp Boogie is, of course, joking when he says this, though in nearly the same breath he’ll admit to being a lifelong bin diver, an inveterate crate digger, and an early worm flea market junkie. How else could someone amass the amazing collection of rare R&B, blues and soul 45s - thousands of them - that are the foundation of Swamp Boogie’s program?

Swamp Boogie’s lifelong love of music began in his native Gainesville, Florida but was supercharged in 1998 when a friend guided him on a deep dive into the unique musical legacies of New Orleans. Within days of his first visit to the Crescent City in 1999, Swamp Boogie had an apartment in his new home city and a new radio station, 90.7 FM. "What brought me to New Orleans was New Orleans music. I was imprinted by WWOZ. The radio station and the music had a major impact on my experience here."

By 2002, Swamp Boogie had completed his MFA at Tulane University and the following year, he headed to New York in pursuit of a career in his other passion, photography. After seven years in New York working as a photographer’s assistant and at various museums and galleries, Swamp Boogie was called home to Gainesville. That’s where his radio career began, at a listener-supported community streaming-only station, Grow Radio.

Still, the magnetism of New Orleans was strong, and in 2013 Swamp Boogie returned, this time with turntables, mixers, experience with studio equipment, a growing library of vinyl, and a thumb drive full of shows he had programmed for Grow Radio. Meetings with OZ staff led to a gig subbing for regular show hosts and, in short order, a full-time slot with a program he called The Driving Wheel. The Driving Wheel, in its first iteration, aired for nearly ten years and featured the gems of Swamp Boogie’s ever-expanding library of 45s.

Spinning tunes in a commercial-free format is its own gift, but being part of the WWOZ community brings a special dimension to Swamp Boogie. "I have developed some life-changing friendships through my radio program. I would never in a million years have thought that having a radio show would have connected me with so many people that I love, but also that I admire. I’ve met some of my heroes." One of those close friends is Cedric Burnside, grandson of blues musician R.L. Burnside, whose own career carries forward the tradition of Mississippi hill country blues. Several years ago, at Cedric’s invitation, Swamp Boogie photographed the musician at his home, and that portrait is on the cover of Burnside’s 2022 Grammy-award winning album, "I Be Trying."

Over the years, Swamp Boogie’s self-guided education in R&B, blues and soul has led him, inevitably, to gospel music. As he explains, "I’m interested in the early pioneers. I love other types of music, but there’s something very honest, emotionally honest, and stripped down, and I think that’s what appeals to me about blues and gospel."

As for his ability to bring what are often lesser known artists, labels, and songs to the airwaves, Swamp Boogie tips his hat to WWOZ. "I’m just a nerd about music, and I love doing this. I love the freedom of being able to play music that I know people are gonna love. That’s the only job that I have, that’s the only rule, is to play great music."

Hear R&B with DJ Swamp Boogie Mondays from 7-10pm.