Born and raised in the shadow of the steel mills on the south side of Chicago, the legendary house music DJ, producer and remixer Mickey Mixin' Oliver was destined to help bring the underground sound of house music to the masses. Working together with peers such as Jesse Saunders, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Marshall Jefferson, and other early innovators of house, Oliver put their groundbreaking tracks on the airwaves and in the clubs, whipping his crowds into a frenzy with his incredible DJ mixes. As such, Mickey Mixin' Oliver was among the handful of visionary pioneers who changed the course of dance music forever.

To talk about the history and significance of Mickey Mixin' Oliver, one must first discuss the history of house music itself. House music was the original "beat of the streets" in the post-disco early 1980's. They were the urban underground tracks, with signature "four on the floor" beats, that directly spawned the original hip-hop, techno, trance, drum 'n' bass, etc. Originally referred to as "records laying around the house" the old Salsoul Records music was the weapon of choice for the earliest house DJs, first established most notably at the Warehouse nightclub in Chicago.

Enter the Hot Mix 5... As house music was starting to spread in the clubs back in the early 1980's, an urban format radio station, 102.7 fm WBMX was looking to become a force to be reckoned with in the Chicago market. Program Director Lee Michaels decided (correctly) that the best way to go about it was to put together a group of the most talented and cutting edge DJs around. Coming from a background of being the one in charge of music for the entire chain of Smuggler's Inn nightclubs, having mastered the art of reel to reel editing as well as turntablism, and already having created the Master Mix Medley for the prestigious Disconet Remix Service, Mickey Mixin Oliver was the first mixmaster to be selected by Michaels for this new concept. The others who joined him at WBMX was Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Kenny Jammin' Jason, Ralphi "The Razz" Rozario, and Scott Smokin' Silz. Together they comprised the very first major house music radio mixshow team in the world, the now legendary Hot Mix 5, making people "jack to the sound of the underground" from the airwaves starting in the Summer of 1982.

The Hot Mix 5 set the standard for all others to follow, pioneering many of the turntablism tactics that have since influenced the best DJs even to this day, such as vinyl scratching, beatmixing, quick edits, etc. Mickey Mixin' Oliver's DJ sets were made even more memorable thanks to Rodney Dangerfield's hilarious voiceovers. The famed members of the Hot Mix 5 also had the distinction of taking house from the underground to the masses, going way beyond the city limits of Chicago to reach all corners of the globe! In fact, giant corporations such as Miller Beer became early sponsors of the group, jumping on the Hot Mix 5 bandwagon.

Using a drum machine for effect, Chicago's own Jesse Saunders inadvertently created what was considered to be the very first official production of a house

track, called "On & On" in 1983. Quick to support Saunder's new track, Mickey Mixin' Oliver and the Hot Mix 5 included it in their highly influential mixshows, and following Saunder's example, started producing house tracks of their own, as well as remixing music for other recording artists trying to get that all-important "street credibility."

Mickey Mixin' Oliver's first remix for another artist came in 1985. It was for the Chi-Lites entitled "Bottom's Up" which would be the first of many tracks by Oliver to hit the coveted Top 10 Billboard charts. That was followed up by his first originally produced house track "Breakin Up / Breakin Down" for DJ International records, also in 1985.

The year 1985 also saw Mickey Mixin' Oliver's reach on the airwaves go way beyond the Chicago metro area. It was then that he began his very first syndicated radio mixshow on Star String Radio Network. That was ultimately followed by an opportunity to mix on Satellite Music Network, a division of ABC where Oliver was syndicated on over 100 stations from coast to coast!

At this point, labels and artists were commissioning the highly sought-after Oliver and the rest of the Hot Mix 5 to create numerous remixes and original music for them. With that experience under their collective belt, it made sense for them to go to the next level in music production. In 1986, the legendary label of house music Hot Mix 5 Records was born! It was Mickey Mixin' Oliver (in a collaborative effort with a fellow named Grant) who released the first song on the new label as MG2 with "My House Is Bigger Than Your House." That was followed by Oliver's remixes for other artists on the label, including the timeless "You Used To Hold Me" by Ralphi Rosario, and productions under his own name, such as what is perhaps considered to be Oliver's best known track, the Billboard charting Speak 'n' Spell hit "In-Ten-Si-T."

As word of Mickey Mixin' Oliver's exciting DJ style and Billboard charting tracks spread throughout the world, his fans globally were clamoring to see the artist in action for themselves. In 1987 Oliver appeared in Europe for the first time, being invited back repeatedly since, and as evidence of his popularity, the "much in demand" Oliver was routinely booked for shows and massives in multiple cities on the same day all over the UK. Spreading house music to appreciative fans around the world culminated in Oliver's performing at the mecca of dance music itself, the Balearic Island of Ibiza!

1988 was a year of tremendous opportunity for Mickey Mixin' Oliver. That was the year that the Hot Mix 5 went cross-town to the more powerful WGCI. It was also the year that the Chicago Bulls basketball legend himself, Michael Jordan, commissioned Oliver to provide the music soundtrack to a documentary for the Michael Jordan Foundation, for which Oliver wrote the song "Pick Me Up." Offers by the sports world began to follow. He edited the music for the Chicago Bulls Luvables routines, and made the music spots for Sports Channel. Then came an opportunity to score a hit movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi. The movie was called Red Heat, and it attained the number one spot at the box office! The track that Oliver made especially for the movie was called "Jackin National Anthem" which was played during an aerobics scene.

Accomplishing everything he set out to do in Chicago, Mickey Mixin' Oliver moved out west to the valley of the sun, Phoenix, Arizona in 1991 to help found Powerhouse Remix Service, where he used his hard won knowledge of DJing to create the best DJ friendly remixes. Around that time he also teamed up with Hot Mix Radio Network to put together the ten hour "Mix Of The 80's."

Now, after taking a much-too-long hiatus from music, Mickey Mixin' Oliver is making his reemergence back where he belongs, behind the decks and in the production studio! He had already begun production of his new dance album when, after a little encouragement to perform live before the masses once again by radio mainstay and event promoter Julian Jumpin' Perez, Oliver appeared in Chicago for "Back To BMX" which was the first ever reunion of the Hot Mix 5. He spun his trademark old school set before 2000 cheering fans on June 7th, 2003, which had reinforced his decision to follow his calling. Being at the forefront of dance music!

Currently, Mickey Mixin' Oliver can be heard by his legions of fans from coast to coast on Channel 62 "The Rave" on Sirius Satellite Network, where the head of the channel, Glen Friscia lauded Oliver by proclaiming, "...your mixes are amazing and have enriched Sirius... you're an amazingly talented DJ..." and Oliver is expected to tour in order to excite crowds once again with his trademark hard and funky house sets. Old friends who proudly name Oliver as a significant influence to them, such as Bad Boy Bill and drum 'n' bass queen DJ Rap, have been anxious to see him back in the dance music arena once again. The respect for Oliver is heartwarming to say the least. Also, be sure to look for Mickey Mixin' Oliver's new dance project, expected to be released in the first quarter of 2004. A real renaissance man when it comes to his classic songwriting, Oliver features powerful female vocals, and incorporates influences from house, trance, breaks, and more. As for those who may not have heard of Mickey Mixin' Oliver yet, if you're a fan of amazing DJ sets and world-class productions, you'll be glad you discovered him this time around.

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