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DJ FROGGY... YOU WILL BE MISSED

Pioneering British club deejay DJ Froggy (real name Steven Howlett) has died of a brain haemorrhage aged 58. A successful DJ throughout the 70s, he picked up the theory behind mixing at various New York clubs in 1979 - whitnessing Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage and the residents at Studio 54.

Encountering the DJ Emperor Rosko, who had become famous via 1960s pirate radio, Froggy was stunned by the quality of the American's sound system. So Froggy upgraded his own and mastered cross fading, and went in search of Yorkshire-based Mat Mathias, who had designed the Rosko mixing console. Later Froggy and Mathias co-designed their own consoles.

In 1974 the then Radio 1 disc jockey Dave Lee Travis suggested a collaboration. From 1974 to 1978 their act, which Travis describes as verging on cabaret, toured throughout Britain. When Froggy quit, it was to focus on soul, disco and jazz-funk.

He accepted many club dates in the south of England and began a weekly residency at the Royalty, in Southgate, north London, from late 1978. He then DJ'd at one of Britain's first soul "all-dayers", the National Soul Festival in Purley. A year later he was DJ'ing at the first Caister soul weekender in Great Yarmouth, alongside a group of DJs - including Robbie Vincent, Chris Hill, Greg Edwards and Jeff Young - which comprised the Soul Mafia.

In the early 1980s, prior to electro and hip-hop, he was the country's pre-eminent technical DJ. His innovative use of mixing decks and tape recorders transformed the British club scene and paved the way for late 80s rave culture, seeing him DJ in front of more than 15,000 people at Knebworth.

He lived in the Ilford area for most of his life. Was Married three times, he is survived by two daughters and a son.

DJ Froggy (Steven Howlett), club DJ, born November 8 1949; died March 28 2008
Words Lee Tyler