A look at DJs day jobs before they earned success

When DJs step on stage at clubs and major festivals, they quickly morph into larger-than-life personas. Of course, many producers had day jobs before hitting it big and we look at some of those former careers right here.

Most recently, the rise of John Summit from Accountant to selling out Madison Square Garden has been one of the most talked about topics in the industry. His rise to fame in the social media era as well as his forthcoming personality has made his past work experience a topic of interest for fans worldwide. Other superstars have been in the spotlight much longer and their previous work may be more of a mystery to fans. Calvin Harris has been a household name for over a decade now but the Scottish superstar first honed his production skills after shifts at a local grocery store. He would stock shelves and scan groceries to earn enough money to invest in his first love, music.

Like many artists in the Los Angeles area, Steve Aoki took to waiting tables while he pursued his own musical career. Of course, not all jobs fit into the part-time cliche as a waiter or grocery store clerk, and Diplo found himself in more of a career position like John Summit. Before producing for stars like Beyoncé and forming Major Lazer, he was a middle school history teacher in Philadelphia. For deadmau5, before his mouse helmet became an iconic image, he was a factory worker in Niagra Falls, Ontario, a job that didn’t offer the freedom and creativity that he would eventually find in music. Finally, his kx5 partner Kaskade had what may be the most interesting pre-music job. The Chicago DJ spent 2 years in Japan as a Morman Missionary spreading the teachings of his faith.

Hopefully, this list of DJ’s day jobs inspires those still working towards their own musical career goals while providing some interesting background information on some of the industry’s biggest names.