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BIOGRAPHY
Bronx born and Brooklyn bred music executive Kevin “Sugar-Daddy” Woodley spent many of his formative years in the entertainment industry spotlight. Woodley began his career as a rapper and disc-jockey at John Jay College radio station, WJJC, in New York. While in college “Sugar-Daddy” landed a gig as the house disc-jockey for Laff’s, a prominent New York nightclub where he befriended one of the club’s nightly promoters, Russell Simmons. Their love of music fostered a relationship both professional and personal, and Simmons began to manage Woodley. Simmons introduced Woodley to his brother then known as “DJ Run”. Under Simmons management Woodley released the rap version “Another One Bites the Dust”. Woodley and “DJ Run” began doing local shows, however Woodley’s love of music was focused on the turn-tables, not the stage.
He gave up the mic temporarily and returned to the club scene spinning records in New York City’s prominent nightclubs including Justines, Leviticus, Pegasus, Xenon and Magique. While spinning at another prominent nightclub, Gotham’s New York, Woodley was approached by a young club owner who was looking for a disc-jockey with a name and a following to play at a new nightclub Bentley’s. Woodley accepted the gig and began breaking emerging R&B and hip hop acts from the tri-state area. Several clubs considered rap music taboo but being reared in the Bronx during the origin of hip hop Woodley understood the music as an emerging culture and embraced it. Woodley quickly coined Bentley’s the premiere club in New York for R&B and hip hop music”.
Reigning as one of New York’s premiere disc-jockeys Woodley was praised for being the first DJ to play & break several records including Run D MC’s “Rock Box”, Keith Sweat “I Want Her”, Guy “Groove Me”, Howard Johnson “So Fine” and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam “Take You Home”. Woodley recalls his friend Larry Blackman sitting in the club writing songs in the DJ booth including “Attack Me With Your Love”, “Single Life”, and “She’s Strange”.
The success of Bentley’s led to an array of successful nightclub ventures. Woodley continually established relationships with emerging artist, producers and managers, serving as entertainment director to several legendary venues in New York including Union Square, The Red Parrot, The Silver Shadow and The Copacabana. Woodley booked first time New York performances for recording artist Salt and Pepper, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Johnny Kemp, Whodini, Jocelyn Brown, Loose Ends, Will Downing, EnVogue, Al B Sure and Heavy D & the Boys to name a few.
Woodley’s “ear to the streets for hits” led to an invitation as a Billboard reporter and a request by WKTU then program director, Carlos DeJesus, and 98.7 Kiss FM program director, Tony Q for Woodley to serve as a music consultant for the radio stations. Woodley’s new radio relationships and subsequent introduction to Kiss FM general manager Barry Mayo and incoming program director Tony Grey led to him becoming the first disc-jockey in New York to have a weekly “live” mix-show. Woodley also began to build his international demand as a disc-jockey and began playing as a feature DJ in Atlantic City as well as abroad in Indonesia, China, Japan, Singapore, Bangkok, Tai Pei and Kuala Lumpar .
Woodley’s lightning rod for talent caught the eye of CBS music executive, Cecil Holmes and in 1985 Woodley joined Columbia Records developing the pop & urban music roster including directing four multi-platinum Lp’s for New Kids on the Block, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Full Force, Surface, Johnny Kemp, Regina Belle and Earth Wind & Fire . Woodley’s club roots enabled him to also find & sign recording artist Raze releasing the dance hit “Break for Love” and to hire Shep Pettibone to remix George Michael’s single “I Want Your Sex”. “Everyone thought I was crazy. The Lp was not selling and I suggested Shep remix the single so I could play it in the club and give the record an urban base. To make sure it worked I tested the single on the dance floor and it worked --the crowd went bananas. Urban clubs embraced the artist, sales were phenomenal, the rest is history.”
During Woodley’s tenure at Columbia Records, Def Jam Recordings was in the process of joining Columbia as an independent label. Russell Simmons wanted someone on the inside who understood the music and the culture of hip hop. Simmons requested Woodley serve as liaison to the roster of Def Jam recording artist LL Cool J, Public Enemy, 3rd Base and Slick Rick . Woodley also penned the acquisition of Chris Shwartz “Ruffhouse Records” which spurned the success of Jermaine Dupri, Kriss Kross, Xscape and The Fugees.
In 1990 Woodley was approached by Sylvia Rhone to head the A&R division of Atlantic Records. During his (5) years at Atlantic Woodley signed platinum recording artist I.N.T.R.O. and supervised Lp’s for Levert, EnVogue, Glen Jones, The Rude Boys and Gerald Albright . Woodley also introduced Atlantic recording artist M.C. Lyte to hitmaker Teddy Riley producing the gold single “Ruffneck” accrediting MC Lyte as the first solo female rapper with a certified gold single. While at Atlantic Records Woodley
Bronx born and Brooklyn bred music executive Kevin “Sugar-Daddy” Woodley spent many of his formative years in the entertainment industry spotlight. Woodley began his career as a rapper and disc-jockey at John Jay College radio station, WJJC, in New York. While in college “Sugar-Daddy” landed a gig as the house disc-jockey for Laff’s, a prominent New York nightclub where he befriended one of the club’s nightly promoters, Russell Simmons. Their love of music fostered a relationship both professional and personal, and Simmons began to manage Woodley. Simmons introduced Woodley to his brother then known as “DJ Run”. Under Simmons management Woodley released the rap version “Another One Bites the Dust”. Woodley and “DJ Run” began doing local shows, however Woodley’s love of music was focused on the turn-tables, not the stage.
He gave up the mic temporarily and returned to the club scene spinning records in New York City’s prominent nightclubs including Justines, Leviticus, Pegasus, Xenon and Magique. While spinning at another prominent nightclub, Gotham’s New York, Woodley was approached by a young club owner who was looking for a disc-jockey with a name and a following to play at a new nightclub Bentley’s. Woodley accepted the gig and began breaking emerging R&B and hip hop acts from the tri-state area. Several clubs considered rap music taboo but being reared in the Bronx during the origin of hip hop Woodley understood the music as an emerging culture and embraced it. Woodley quickly coined Bentley’s the premiere club in New York for R&B and hip hop music”.
Reigning as one of New York’s premiere disc-jockeys Woodley was praised for being the first DJ to play & break several records including Run D MC’s “Rock Box”, Keith Sweat “I Want Her”, Guy “Groove Me”, Howard Johnson “So Fine” and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam “Take You Home”. Woodley recalls his friend Larry Blackman sitting in the club writing songs in the DJ booth including “Attack Me With Your Love”, “Single Life”, and “She’s Strange”.
The success of Bentley’s led to an array of successful nightclub ventures. Woodley continually established relationships with emerging artist, producers and managers, serving as entertainment director to several legendary venues in New York including Union Square, The Red Parrot, The Silver Shadow and The Copacabana. Woodley booked first time New York performances for recording artist Salt and Pepper, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Johnny Kemp, Whodini, Jocelyn Brown, Loose Ends, Will Downing, EnVogue, Al B Sure and Heavy D & the Boys to name a few.
Woodley’s “ear to the streets for hits” led to an invitation as a Billboard reporter and a request by WKTU then program director, Carlos DeJesus, and 98.7 Kiss FM program director, Tony Q for Woodley to serve as a music consultant for the radio stations. Woodley’s new radio relationships and subsequent introduction to Kiss FM general manager Barry Mayo and incoming program director Tony Grey led to him becoming the first disc-jockey in New York to have a weekly “live” mix-show. Woodley also began to build his international demand as a disc-jockey and began playing as a feature DJ in Atlantic City as well as abroad in Indonesia, China, Japan, Singapore, Bangkok, Tai Pei and Kuala Lumpar .
Woodley’s lightning rod for talent caught the eye of CBS music executive, Cecil Holmes and in 1985 Woodley joined Columbia Records developing the pop & urban music roster including directing four multi-platinum Lp’s for New Kids on the Block, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Full Force, Surface, Johnny Kemp, Regina Belle and Earth Wind & Fire . Woodley’s club roots enabled him to also find & sign recording artist Raze releasing the dance hit “Break for Love” and to hire Shep Pettibone to remix George Michael’s single “I Want Your Sex”. “Everyone thought I was crazy. The Lp was not selling and I suggested Shep remix the single so I could play it in the club and give the record an urban base. To make sure it worked I tested the single on the dance floor and it worked --the crowd went bananas. Urban clubs embraced the artist, sales were phenomenal, the rest is history.”
During Woodley’s tenure at Columbia Records, Def Jam Recordings was in the process of joining Columbia as an independent label. Russell Simmons wanted someone on the inside who understood the music and the culture of hip hop. Simmons requested Woodley serve as liaison to the roster of Def Jam recording artist LL Cool J, Public Enemy, 3rd Base and Slick Rick . Woodley also penned the acquisition of Chris Shwartz “Ruffhouse Records” which spurned the success of Jermaine Dupri, Kriss Kross, Xscape and The Fugees.
In 1990 Woodley was approached by Sylvia Rhone to head the A&R division of Atlantic Records. During his (5) years at Atlantic Woodley signed platinum recording artist I.N.T.R.O. and supervised Lp’s for Levert, EnVogue, Glen Jones, The Rude Boys and Gerald Albright . Woodley also introduced Atlantic recording artist M.C. Lyte to hitmaker Teddy Riley producing the gold single “Ruffneck” accrediting MC Lyte as the first solo female rapper with a certified gold single. While at Atlantic Records Woodley
