Jellybean Benitez

About

The sound

John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez is a South Bronx-born DJ, producer, remixer and record executive whose work carried New York club music into the pop mainstream. He began collecting records as a teenager, became fascinated by the disco sound and learned the craft of mixing at clubs including the Sanctuary, Experiment 4, Xenon, Studio 54 and the Fun House, where he became a prominent resident during the early 1980s. His approach treated the remix as a new composition: breakbeats, percussion and vocal hooks were reassembled for the dance floor, with a warmth that connected freestyle, electro, house and pop. Benitez’s production and remix credits include Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Debbie Harry and the Pointer Sisters, and his work helped establish the remixer as a central creative figure rather than a background technician. He also created Jellybean Records and later Jellybean Music Group, extending his role from performer into label leadership and artist development. His studio work includes arranging and producing songs, film and television music supervision, and soundtrack projects such as Carlito’s Way. Since 2011 he has served as executive producer and host of Studio 54 Radio, bringing the history of New York club culture to a new generation through curated mixes, interviews and archival selections. Benitez remains active as a selector, producer and cultural steward, with the Fun House spirit and rhythmic imagination still at the centre of his work.