Tim Rivers

I hadn't realized that Timmy had a web page devoted to him, but I'm touched to see that he does. He was like a little brother to me, even though he was a year older than me. I was, as Gene Gordon and Steve Fabus would attest, fiercely protective of him and would brook no dismissal of him, either as his friend, or as a dj.

Timmy and I became very good friends from the first time I heard him at the Mineshaft in San Francisco in 1976, just after I moved there. Unbeknowst to me at the time, he had also been the DJ at a black club on Larkin Street called Bojangles, which I went to on my first visit to San Francisco in March 1976, and decided during that visit, to move to San Francisco, and the music was a very big part of that.

From the Mineshaft (where he told me the very first time he made the crowd scream was when he seguewayed from the title song "Car Wash" (Rolls Royce) to "It's Important to Me" (Deniece Williams) to the theme from "Lipstick" (Michael Polinareff), he went on to play at Bones on Haight Street (last time I lived there (2002), it was a roller skating store) and from there to the I-Beam, which he made -- justly so -- famous.

He also dj'ed at one of the most famous of parties, the "Stars" party in 1977, one of the few times he every played anywhere in the state, that I wasn't present at. Stars was such a legendary San Francisco party, that, when the Moscone Center opened, and the first gay party was thrown there (Timmy wasn't the dj, but I went anyway) in 1981, that the producer gleefully announced that they had a higher attendance than the Stars party. He was probably right, as Moscone Center, at that time, was huge, but the music wasn't remotely as good as if Timmy had been there.

I used to arrive (at the I-Beam, and even Bones before that) early, frequently on the very first song he played, and nearly always until the very last song he played, especially true when he played at the I-Beam (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday nights and then the Sunday Tea Dance. There were two guys who arrived at -- if not before - I did: Marc and JJ. The three of us always started the "dance" at the I-Beam. It was a magical time. The I-Beam, under Tim's reign, even got mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 1979, when the I-Beam was applying for an after-hours license. Unfortunately, the story emphasized the perspective of the I-Beam as a drug club as seen through the eyes of a young Black guy (I'm Black, too), and it didn't get the license.

Timmy was not simply a great dj: he was extraordinary, and I've heard many of the "legendary" djs of the time. He always knew what song should follow the song before. I still remember him telling me about playing, in 1978, a song by Chanson called "Don't Hold Back" and that he was panicking because he had no idea what to follow it up with. Being Tim, he came up with a killer follow up, Melba Moore's "You Stepped Into My Life." I was, of course, there that night, and I remember the crowd erupting into a roar when he did the segueway (I remember most of Timmy's most spectacular segueways, since I was pretty much at the I-Beam every night he played). He was superb at this, and anyone who knew music -- as opposed to those who simply wanted the music to be fast (Timmy's disdain for this was clear: He used to say to me, "They wouldn't know sh*t from apple butter") -- realized that this man knew, and was about, MUSIC, not mere uptempo tunes, as were so many of the "beats-per-minute" DJs of the time.

I still look at photos I took of him, and whenever I do, all the memories of nights with him come back to me, leaving me with poignant memories of him.

Tim deserve my honour and if i had my own way i would have invited him to come to Ghana . thank God Tim has matched my maternal dna in the same haplogroup AND HOPE HE WILL RESPOND TO THIS MAIL TO OPEN THE WAY FOR MORE DISCUSSION I SHOULD ALSO THANK FAMILY TREE DNA FOR THIS GREAT NEWS.

I had the great honor of working with Tim at San Francisco's "Badland's" bar. It was the stand up bar with the city's best dance music! Tim played "church" on Sunday afternoons where he poured out the best of soulful tunes. Quite frankly, it was scarry to take over the evening shift after him...Impossible shoes to fill. I would come early to enjoy his music and get a heads up on where to start off. Love those memories.

I am Timothy's (as he's known to the family) sister, Zipporah. Our names were always said in unison whenever there was trouble arising. He was the most talented and loving person that I know, and I loved him dearly. When his health deteriorated, he came to Atlanta to live with me the last year of his life. I am so grateful that I was able to have that time with him. My brother (Jim) and sisters (Elizabeth, Charlotte and Judy) came down from Ohio very often to help me with him. I've been to the Mind Shaft and I-Beam to hear him DJ. I was so proud of him. His presence is greatly missed by his family and friends.

Bonjour , je voudrais remercier TIM RIVERS pour les mix composés 1988 - 1991 / 1989 6 1991 HOUSE TECHNO
SALUTATIONS < DJ SAMIX

Tim and I were very good friends in the early 90's in San Diego and even made a few recordings together. I recently posted a tribute to Tim on my blog and also converted his well-loved Christmas tape (plus all the recordings he and I made together) to digital and made everything available for download at this dedicated page at my website. I'd love to hear from anyone who was also lucky enough to know Tim. You can leave comments at my blog or email me via any of the many links at my website.

I worked with Tim in San Diego in 1987. At the time he was singing with the San Diego Mens Chorale. In December 1987 he made a Christmas cassette tape of holiday songs which I listen to each year. It is a beautiful tape and every year I think of him and wonder where he is. How wonderful and sad it was to Google him this year and finally know what became of him.

I think Tim was my favorite SF DJ , besides being a nice guy anyway. Interesting that you described Timmy's music as "gospel influenced soulful disco" ..... for some reason, I still have a strong association with Tim and Al Green's " I Feel Good " , a song I do not remember hearing anywhere else. If you wanted to hear this kind of tune , the I-Beam was the place to go. Another one that comes to mind was Anthony White's "I Can't Turn You Loose." which I remember the repeated intentional dropping out of its bass and then the powerful impact from bringing it suddenly back in.
There was a particular group of characters I semi-hung out with and it seemed like one of the final commitments for the coming evening was where to meet .... and it was usually between the I-Beam or the Troc. Thanks for some great memories , Tim Rivers, Steve Fabus , and all that made the I-Beam that special place that it was ..... in the middle of rowdy Haight Street no less .

Tim Rivers and Vincent Carleo were my mentors, the reason I became a DJ. Timmy gave me his special love and told me "to trust that the music would come from my soul". Timmy said, "that when a DJ starts his night it's like an painter with a blank canvass". He said, "what I play at 11 pm should relate to what I play at 2 am and 5 am". He told me "an artist is a technician that will create a style, technique and signature sound, but has the wisdom to know that the music comes first".
"Do your work of preparing, build up trust with the crowd, and give a performance as if this was the only night you would ever play."
Tim Rivers was a master who played from his heart for all of those blessed to be a part of his creation.
It was a time of San Francisco disco history that became a part of me forever when I played with Tim at the I-Beam in its glory days in the late seventies.

Shawn Benson was also part of Timmy's dancefloor family where you could hear his beautiful and distinctive voice hitting improvised notes weaving over the beats. Shawn's recording career started to bloom from the dancefloor of the I-Beam where he always gave Timmy and me his abundant energy and love.