It was the early '70s when a barely 10-year-old Danny Tenaglia first got the feel of vinyl in his hands. Enthralled by the music of artists like Philly Soul's The Trammps, Motown's Marvin Gaye, African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and disco producer Giorgio Moroder, he started to collect records, frequently finding that he preferred the B-side to the A. Over 30 years later, Tenaglia has made a career out of championing unique sounds, and is one of the most beloved and successful DJ/producers of all time.

The New York native has achieved the highest marks of DJ-ing success: He’s remixed marquee stars like Madonna, played before thousands at nightclubs and festivals worldwide, and nabbed a Grammy nomination (for his remix of Depeche Mode’s “I Feel Loved”). But most of all, he’s altered the course of dance music history with his combination of classic, soulful groove and modern, club-ready depth, both at the decks and in the studio. The title of his 1995 debut artist album said it all: Hard & Soul.

While seminal tracks like “Elements,” “Be Yourself” and “Bottom Heavy” are still being played each weekend in nightclubs all over the world, there’s nothing quite like hearing them played by the man himself. The legend of Tenaglia’s DJ sets – dark, groovy, musical, and always decade-spanning, from the ‘50s to the future – started in his native New York, where he was a resident at every big room throughout the ‘90s, including Roxy, Limelight, Tunnel and Twilo.

But it was at Vinyl in 1999 – a black-walled, single-environment, no-liquor club about one-quarter the size of the others – where the DJ truly came into his own, and recreated the vibe of the club that had changed his life 20 years before: The Paradise Garage. He named his Friday night weekly "Be Yourself," after the self-affirming, heavy-bottomed vocal track he had recorded with Chicago vocalist Celeda. And he took the name to heart. Next to new tracks by young producers like Rui Da Silva and Peace Division, he played the artists of his youth, with nary a beat dropped.

The world caught up to Tenaglia in 2000. His annual party during Miami's Winter Music Conference outgrew its home at the cramped Groovejet and moved to just-opened superclub Space. His roof-raising revamp of Green Velvet's "Flash" won Best Remix at the UK's Muzik Awards, where he also won the Best International DJ prize. More awards – Dancestar Lifetime Achievement, Club World Awards Best Resident DJ, Dancestar Best Party for Be Yourself (two years in a row) – would follow.

In 2003, Danny released Choice: A Collection Of Classics, a two-CD mixed compilation that let him pay direct tribute to many of the artists who had influenced his sound and style. He remixed Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice," which became her first Billboard No. 1 ever. When Vinyl closed in 2004 (after a 26-hour final blow-out), he took to the road, quickly becoming one of the most in-demand international touring DJs ever.

Six years of constant travel later, Danny returns to music with a new single and compilation on Tommy Boy Records. “The Space Dance” was created in honor of his first-ever Ibiza residency, at renowned global clubbing institution Space (beginning in July 2008). Double-CD compilation “Futurism” picks up where 2004’s “Back To Basics” left off, adding even more tech and fire to the Tenaglia cocktail.

But for Danny Tenaglia, the future is only the beginning.