Francis Grasso

Francis Grasso (March 25, 1948 – March 20, 2001)^[1] was an American disco music disc jockey from New York City,^[2] best known for being one of the first people to beatmatch.^[3]

Grasso, who attended Brooklyn Technical High School and Long Island University, started his DJ career in 1967–1968 at New York nightclub Salvation II.^[3] When the primary DJ Terry Noel failed to show up on time one night, the owners offered Grasso a chance at the job. The crowd responded almost immediately and soon he had his first regular gig. It was there and at subsequent New York clubs such as Tarots and his most famous nightclub, Sanctuary — a former German Baptist church at 43rd Street & 9th Avenue (featured in the movie Klute) — where Grasso perfected his craft.

The key addition Grasso brought to DJ culture was music programming, or the art of picking up on the energy of the crowd and sending that energy right back to them via the next track. At his early Salvation II gigs Grasso used Rek-O-Kut direct drive turntables and a basic cross-fader.^[3] Initially he would change between records quickly, catching the rhythm of the current track by expertly starting the next record at the exact point he wanted.^[4] Later he used turntables with pitch controls, which allowed him to develop beatmatching, syncing the tempo of two records for an extended period while fading between them.^[2] He soon passed these techniques on to other DJs, including Michael Cappello and Steve D’Acquisto,^[3] which helped spread the style throughout New York City.

The skills and techniques he pioneered remain the foundation of what is heard in a modern nightclub.^[2] Francis was interviewed in Josell Ramos' 2003 feature-length documentary Maestro.^[5]