He’s on a path. Like many paths, it’s had numerous twists and turns, unexpected ups and downs and a few complete washouts that forced him to step back and reassess. But he likes where he’s at right now.
Donald heard a calling back when he was teenager. His aunt told him with his voice he had to go into radio. And, as that suggestion came from an adult, Donald the teenager did all he could to do the opposite. In his career he’s been a manger at a Check n Go, worked with Julia Butterfly Hill (one of the original tree sitters), owned and operated a massage therapist business, sold jewelery at JC Penney, been the director of child care at a Chicago Military Boys school and sold life insurance. The life insurance company in question didn’t really care about their customers which is why he wasn’t so surprised to see many of them opt to buy senior life insurance online elsewhere.
That job”, Donald says, referring to the life insurance gig, “really sucked.”
He’s been a Bay Area guy for about 20 years now, after spending the bulk of his time in the midwest. As it is for many of us, the weather, natural and cultural appeal justifies the other costs.
“I would say about five days a week I just have to stop and realize how beautiful it is here,” he says.
After all these years he is using that gorgeous voice his aunt told him about as a mobile DJ. It is soothing and friendly to say the least. His “hello” immediately puts a smile on your face.
He’s too much of a traveller to make this one thing his only thing but, again, the path he’s on right now has a bright beam of sunshine on it. And he’s very much enjoying walking it.
“I want to shoot you a note to let you know that Donald was excellent. The comments from my guests about the music was that he kept playing great song after great song. The dance floor was pretty crowded for a good portion of the night. He did a great job of reading the room and playing the right songs to keep people dancing! Thank you again.”
-Sarah Peterson, Mountain Terrace, March 26
“Donald was so amazing, and calming, which was the most important thing! And we loved the music he played. It was perfect. Please pass our thanks along to him. My only regret was that the party couldn’t go on any longer. Thanks again for all your help!”
-Yong Eo, Ramekins Culinary School, September 13
“Tim and I really did have the BEST time at our wedding. Donald was a HUGE part of that. We received many unsolicited comments about his energy, great song choices, and dance moves. Our littlest attendees were excited when he mentioned their names into the microphone 🙂 He was also very communicative with me and the Lodge’s coordinator which I appreciated. Throughout the whole planning process, you and Sue were immensely helpful and incredibly responsive. Thanks so much to you and your team!”
-Sara Linton, Jack London Lodge, August 23
“I absolutely appreciated [Donald’s] professionalism and style, as he was exactly the type of person we wanted for our wedding. Someone not over the top, but has a good sense of humor and can go with the flow. Speaking of going with the flow, major props to him for getting in on a surprise that my high school friends sporadically planned. My (now) wife and I had no idea, but one of our friends asked him to play I Want It That Way and turn it into a karaoke moment for me (which I have been known to sing…). Donald worked with them to find the right moment in the schedule to play it – AND IT COULD NOT HAVE GONE BETTER. It literally took the wedding from 0 to 1,000 in a matter of a couple minutes, and then crazy dancing ensued. Do you remember how we chatted on the phone about having out of town guests who may or may not dance, and some concerns about that? All those concerns were just blown away. I have never seen a wedding escalate so quickly and intensely (and I’m glad it was my own!) – and all my friends agreed.
The process could not have been easier to work with you, Sue, and everyone I’ve worked with. You guys were uber friendly and organized, and it really was fun and I think you guys were a big part in making the wedding as big of a success as it was. I imagine it was also very manageable for our planner Kiyoe, so we appreciate how smooth all of that was.”
-Kohta Wajima, Auberge du Soleil, July 5
“We have only compliments for Donald. He did a wonderful job at our party. We couldn’t have been more pleased. He kept us dancing all night!!! I could go on and on with all good things to say! From my first conversation with Addington, then you and finally Donald. It was a positive experience. We will certainly be recommending Denon & Doyle to our friends. Thank you.
-Sylvia Vannucchi, Zio Fraedos Restaurant, May 10
“Donald was amazing! He is so relaxed and easy to work with, and had these crazy ladies dancing up a storm. He was able to field multiple song requests, and still keep the energy high and the dance floor packed. It was a fun evening!
-Elizabeth Brown, B-Line Events, Palace Hotel, April 5
“Donald was WONDERFUL! We loved having him, he was the perfect DJ for our event. He could not have done a better job. The music mix was eclectic and fun; he was charming and he was able to make it a fun event! We could not have asked for a better experience, Denon and Doyle did us proud once again J Thank you for being so great, we look forward to working with you again at our next event!!”
-Tiffany Stewart, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Blackhawk Country Club, January 25
“Friday went perfectly, and I wanted to send over a little thank you note to Donald.”
-Rachel Jones, Jive Software, Fairmont Hotel, December 6
“Just wanted to thank you and your company for a fantastic experience. The DJ was fabulous He really took control of the event and made it a very great evening. If there is any way to please thank him again from us I would really appreciate it.”
-Amy Thimmig, Servino Restaurant, October 26
“All was good with the music. Donald did good job of keeping the crowd on the dance floor – we have gotten a lot of positive feedback on the party and the music. Thanks for being a part of our celebration.”
-Rebecca Kohlstrand, Presidio Golf Course, October 12
“Our party went great (at least I hope it did!) and Donald was really good and so easy to work with. I danced for two solid hours, so I think the music selection was a success. All in all, my husband and I were very pleased with Donald and the DJing. Thank you!”
-Renee Breber, Private Residence, September 14
“We loved having Donald at our wedding and thought he was amazing. I don’t think he could have done anything better. He was wonderful and you should know he did a fantastic job!”
-Elizabeth Chickering, Hacienda de las Flores, June 29
“The party went well. The music was great. Donald was just wonderful. He’s a real diplomat when he needs to be! I would use your service again anytime! Thanks for a great evening.”
-Debbie Edack (Bishop O’Dowd High School), Greek Orthodox Church, April 20
“Donald was awesome! I got texts from guests that their feet were sore the following day because of all of the dancing. He kept the party going and a fun time was had by all.”
-Alexis Beckman, San Francisco Film Centre, December 15
“Everything for the party was a major success! My family had a wonderful time and I cannot tell you how many compliments I have heard about both Donald and the photo booth! I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who helped me during this process. Donald was AMAZING with the music selections and helping out with the flow of the evening. He did just enough that it really worked for us and kept things lively. We had a dance-off as well as a Soul Train Line and he made it a lot of fun for everyone involved. I have been putting the word out for your company and I will continue to do so because you guys are always a step above of expectations. My grandfather told me he really enjoyed himself and that was all I could ask for.”
-Stephanie Wingo, Rancho Solano Country Club, November 3
“Thank you for following up. We definitely enjoyed having Donald as our DJ. He was not only very friendly, he actually took charge and gave us a lot of guidance on how to keep the party alive, etc. He was like an additional coordinator! He had people on the dance floor from very early on in the night to the very end of the event! We couldn’t be happier with him and he played everything that we asked him to play, right on cue.”
-Kathy Chan, Chalk Hill Winery, October 20
“We just had our wrap-up meeting and the DJ was definitely a positive for the evening. He got more people out on the dance floor having a good time than I’ve seen in previous years. Donald did a great job!”
-Karen Lybrand, The Rotunda, October 6
“Thanks so much for checking in. The wedding was absolutely wonderful. We are very pleased with how everything turned out including Donald’s DJ services. The dance floor was packed the entire time and he played a selection of our requested songs and other hits. Even when a guest requested a song I initially listed on the do not play list, Donald was nice enough to approach me to get my opinion. Everyone was having such a great time and I of course said yes. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice to use D&D.
We are very pleased with D&D and will definitely pass along recommendations to our friends and family.”
-Kristen Marchus, Bancroft Hotel, September 22
“The party was great. We had a few little hiccups but all on our end. Donald was great. We wished that we could have had him play longer but we had very strict time constraints. Your sound bites worked out great and he worked well with our a/v guys and auctioneer to make a seamless transition from one item to the next on our live auction. Please pass along how happy we were with him.”
-Debby Alvarez, Junipero Serra High School, April 21, 2012
“As usual D&D came through with flying colors. Donald was the quintessential professional as was Christina and Jannike.
Orinda Country Club is a difficult venue to work but Donald did a great job.
Everybody was happy and had a good time. The music selection was perfect and the cueing during our live auction worked flawlessly.
Once again you guys did not disappoint and exceeded expectations.
Thanks and we will definitely use you guys again and again.”
-Sam Patti, Orinda Country Club, March 17, 2012
“Yes the party was fantastic. I unfortunately had to leave early the next morning and have not stopped … Donald as always was a dream. Got their early – had all the right music – got the crowd going. We just love him. I think this is our third time with Donald and he is a family and fan favorite. It will be hard to top him. Looking to do another event early next year and will of course use Denon and Doyle. Also our holiday party coming up – I will inquire about that too. Good times”
-Matthew Afflixio, San Jose Residence, September 10, 2011
“There was a lot of good buzz from everyone about Donald. They loved him and thought he kept the party going the whole night long. We definitely plan on sharing good things about Denon & Doyle to all of our friends.”
-David Piper, Berkeley City Club, August 6, 2011
“Thanks for checking in! Our wedding was perfect, and we want to thank you for hooking us up with such a great DJ! We sent a check in the mail a couple weeks ago for Donald as a thank-you.”
-Katherine Tsai, Silverado Country Club, June 18, 2011
“Sorry this is a little late, but the wedding was great. Donald was wonderful. He played a great mix of music and got everyone on the dancefloor. He handled the MC situation perfectly for us — a few comments when needed to keep things moving, but nothing more. I really appreciated how he handled the anniversary dance (making my elderly grandparents the center of attention long enough for them to feel special without exhausting them). He was great.
Thank you for all your help in the planning process. Everything went smoothly. Mike and I were very happy.”
-Maggie Clipper, Mountain Terrace, May 20, 2011
“Just wanted to say everything turned out well and Donald did a great job.”
-Maureen Pereira, Bridges Golf Club, May 7, 2011
“Donald was awesome. He had just about everyone up and dancing. His selection was great and was super about taking requests, not to mention the fact the he’s a really nice and respectful person. I’d have no hesitations in recommending him to anyone.”
-Lulu Braunstein, Lafayette Residence, December 18, 2010
“The party was a big hit! Everyone had a blast and the music variety was awesome. Donald did a great job of accommodating to the music requests of our company. We could not have asked for a better company to work with. We would like to thank Denon and Doyle for being able to do it on such a short notice, yet remained professional.”
-Neevee Phamie, Berkeley Art Museum, December 11, 2010
“Donald arrived early, set-up quickly and was ready to get the party started when the time came. He was so committed to helping my couple’s guests enjoy themselves that he actually got on the dance floor to lead one of the group “cha cha” song steps. It was a pleasure working with him.”
-Nicol Irvin, Little Blue Box Weddings, V. Sattui Winery, October 16, 2010
“Everything was amazing. Donald was fantastic and the photo booth was a huge hit. The lighting was spectacular and the mic worked perfectly…. Only great things to be said. Thank you so much for all of your help… please thank Donald for me again.”
-Denise DeMartini, Bridges Golf Club, October 8, 2010
“We are more than thrilled with both the music and Donald at the wedding. Not only was the dance floor packed the whole night, but even the people in chairs were singing along and enjoying the tunes. My mom said that she must have been asked a couple dozen times “who picked this music? it’s great!”. Please thank Donald for us because even though I gave some ideas and specifics, he really pulled out all the right songs at the right times.”
-Dayna Santin, Jack London Lodge, September 25, 2010
“I want to tell you what a wonderful time we had. The sounds and Video setup was excellent, and worked perfect throughout the night. Donald and Dale were very Gracious, professional, and accomodating. They went the extra mile to make sure our event was all that we could imagine. They will tell you, it was a busy night, and everthing went smooth. We went with D&D because you are a will organized business who has been entertaining people for over 20 years. This event was just another notch on your belt to prove it. Thanks again. If you need us as a reference, I am more than happy to tell anyone about our satisfaction with your work.”
-Roger Bird, Greek Orthodox Church, August 28, 2010
“The wedding was fabulous! We had a great time and are so happy we had Donald as our DJ/MC. He was GREAT! Very professional and provided good energy. Thanks for everything!”
-Ronyelle Banks, Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, August 14, 2010
“The party was a huge success!! I couldn’t have asked for a better D.J. Donald was fabulous!! ”
-Debbie Micell, Camel Barn Museaum, July 17, 2010
“Donald was fantastic, we heard a lot of compliments about the music and especially about his professionalism and friendliness. It was wonderful to know that the event was in good hands.
Thanks for helping us to create a marvelous reception!”
-Carrie and Elliott, Bancroft Hotel, July 10, 2010
“We were so happy that we used Denon and Doyle for our big day. We experienced a Denon and Doyle DJ at our friends wedding the year prior, so knew you were a very professional service that helped with the flow and energy of the evening. We were not disappointed! Donald was outstanding. He kept everything on track. That day, it became even more clear how important that role is. He played the best music, taking the requests we had and going from there. He also has a great presence. Nothing could have been better. We are still in awe of the day.”
-Stacy Ward, Relais Du Solell, May 22, 2010
“Donald was great, our party rocked and we made a ton of money for our schools! Woo hoo! Thank you so much to Donald for helping us set the mood and keeping our guests pumped and bidding!”
-Lynne Hosier, Claremont Resort, May 1, 2010
“Donald did a great job with selections, volume, reading the crowd, etc. We had a blast”
-Russ Cooper St Francis Yacht Club, February 12, 2010
“The event was great and Donald did an amazing job. The party-goers have all raved about the event so we consider it a success! Thank you and we look forward to working with you in the future.”
-Samantha Rogers, The Flood Mansion, January 8, 2010
“The party was AWESOME! Better than I could ever have expected! My friends told me it was the social event of the year! I was so impressed that all of my favorites were played. My family was teasing me that they were having a “Deja Vu” from the movie, The Big Chill!