Community Corner
Rudy Kay: DJ and Radio Show Host
Rudy Kay has spent over 30 years as both a DJ and a radio show host. He'll be appearing at the Culver's of Huntley Cruisin' Night.
While Rudy Kay works hard during the week at his job, on the weekends he transforms into a top DJ, performing at events ranging from Bar Mitzvahs to car shows.
He's a regular at the. Kay will be on hand Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Route 47 restaurant for the next car show. car show begins at 6 p.m.
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“I like to interact with people and meet new people all the time,” Kay said. “That is my favorite part of it.”
Kay, of Huntley, has been a DJ for over 30 years. His career began when he attended Elmhurst College, and worked at the radio station there. After having an internship in Chicago, and moving out to Philadelphia, he gave up being a DJ full time.
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Although Kay has been in the business for a while, he still gets nervous before a show.
“You always get those nerves before you start, especially when it is a new venue,” he said. “And when you don’t have that, you are losing it. It is always the build up, but once you flip the first switch, it is good after that.”
Kay enjoys making mixes from ‘50s and ‘60s music, and making it more “danceable.” However, he will play whatever music fits the event that he is at.
“You have to be flexible because you don’t know what you will get when you show up,” he said. “I scale myself to the demographics that I am playing that day.”
Kay also has his own online radio program. The program is called Cruisin’ Music Radio, and it plays all day and night, every day of the week.
Kay has had the program for over 30 years. Every Wednesday, he spends about three hours uploading tunes to the site that will be played throughout the week.
On holidays, Kay tries to make the music on the program related to the theme of the day.
“I will choose some patriotic tunes for the fourth, or for Christmas I make it more about the holidays,” he said.
Kay gets a lot of the music that he plays on the program from people who send him it.
“I have music from across the years, and people send me things I may not even have,” he said. “They will say, ‘Hey did you hear about this, and they will send it to me.’”
People around the country can tune in to Kay’s program. To tune in, visit the live 365 website.
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