Pittsburgh Wedding Pro Blog

Jamie Simpson is the owner of Houserockers DJ and author of the Pittsburgh Wedding Pro Blog.

My DJ career was born in 1989. You could say it started much earlier than that if you count holding up a boom box and playing mix tapes for all of your friends on the school bus.

My good friend Jay Lavely came back from college for his winter break after his Freshman year stating, “I found a great way to meet chicks, man,” and at 17 years old and still a Senior in High School I started my “official” DJ career.

The following year attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Jamie and Jay performed for various functions including high schools, sorority formals, and the occasional wedding as Inner Circle Productions. Don’t ask me what it means, beacuase I don’t know, but I do have a cool ICP hat! We also hosted our own Under 21 dance party on Sunday Nights at Rhea’s Motel in Shippenville called, The Castle Club.

After a few years of “living the dream”, Jay decided it was time to leave the DJ world and sold all of the assets to me for an astounding $200.

In 1993, Houserockers DJ was created with help from some of Jamie’s friends in a night class and Karen, the lady at Kinkos at IUP. Here is the first logo.

With any new business things started slow. I worked a few high school dances and events for my friends on campus at different fraternity house parties. My first wedding was for the girl that cut my hair (yes, I used to have hair), for a grand total of $150.

My first big break came in January of 1994 when I became the “house dj” every Thursday Night for a bar back in Clarion called “The Roost.” My next break came a few months later in May of 1994 when I was offered to be the “house dj” at The Captain Loomis Inn (The Loomis). The Loomis was a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night contract, every week of the year.

My Mobile DJ business took off as well with more weddings and parties, so, I hired my first employees, my brother Jeremy, and my sister Bobbie. While my brother didn’t stick very long, my sister became one of my most popular and requested DJs and worked for me for over 11 years.

 Jamie is experienced in all aspects of DJing including club, mobile, design, planning and consultation services. He now concentrates his efforts on performing fun wedding celebrations.

………Part II coming soon!………….

Personal:

Jamie was born and raised in Clarion, Pennsylvania. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated with an Elementary Education degree in 1996. Jamie has always been involved with music through high school and college performing in symphonic bands, jazz bands, concert and show choirs, and various stage productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Anything Goes, and Annie. He has also choreographed for various school choirs, productions and musicals including Grease and Oliver.

For over 14 years, Jamie has been happily married to the love of his life, Jennifer. They are blessed to have 2 wonderful children Denon and Madi.