David Guetta Biography: Life and Career of the DJ and Producer
Discovery of House Music
Pierre David Guetta was born November 7th, 1967 in Paris, France. He began as a pop music DJ in his late teens, and discovered house music in 1987. His first foray into production came four years later when he collaborated with French rapper Sidney Duteil.
Deejaying in France
His DJ career picked up steam when he started playing clubs and organizing parties across France in the mid-‘90’s. In 1994, he had a minor club hit with the track “Up & Away.”
First Hit Single
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Guetta spent the next few years building up his reputation as a DJ, and teamed up with famed French DJ Joachim Garraud to launch Gum Productions in 2001. That year also saw the release of his first hit single, “Just a Little More Love,” which kicked off a long-lasting collaborative relationship with American singer Chris Willis.
Debut
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The DJ dropped his debut Just a Little More Love on Virgin Records in 2002. The electro house record sold over 300 thousand copies and spawned singles like “People Come People Go” and “Love Don’t Let Me Go.”
“F*** Me I’m Famous”
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The next year, Guetta came out with the first compilation of his Fuck Me I'm Famous series. The DJ continued releasing these electronic dance albums periodically over the next few years.
Second Album
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He continued his rise to the top with his 2004 sophomore effort Guetta Blaster. That record reached the top twenty on the French Albums Chart and featured vocals from numerous artists, including JD Davis on “The World Is Mine.”
American Success and Touring
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2007 was a good year for Guetta. He had a hit in the UK with his third album Pop Life and broke into the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with the single “Love is Gone.” He toured extensively to promote the disc, including a 2008 performance for 40 thousand people in France at an event he founded with his wife called “UNIGHTED,” alongside popular DJs like Tiesto and Carl Cox.
The Black Eyed Peas
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The next year, The Black Eyed Peas enlisted Guetta’s help for their album The E.N.D. The results were epic as the Guetta-produced single “I Gotta Feeling” quickly became an international hit and broke records to become the most downloaded song to that point by selling over seven million digital copies in America. His work with the hip hop group even earned him two Grammy nominations.
Success with “One Love” Album
By then, Guetta was a bona fide star. He built on his newfound fame by releasing his fourth album, One Love, in 2009. For that house record, he recruited many different acts which helped him achieve international success and sell over three million copies. Notable singles included the Grammy-nominated “When Love Takes Over” with Kelly Rowland and “Memories” with Kid Cudi, which was a top five hit in many countries. However, “Sexy Bitch” with Akon was an even bigger smash: it topped multiple charts around the world and reached the U.S. Billboard top five.
Collaborations
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In 2010, Guetta found even more success across the globe by co-writing and producing tracks with artists like Kelly Rowland, Kelis and rapper Flo Rida.
“Nothing but the Beat”
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The double album Nothing But the Beat was unveiled in 2011. That record was split in two: one disc featured collaborations with a who’s who of the hip hop and R&B world, while the other contained instrumental electronic tracks. The Grammy-nominated effort yielded several top 20 singles, such as “Where Them Girls At,” “Without You” and “Turn Me On.”
Successful DJ and Producer
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From his first release in the early ‘90s to his chart-smashing success in the twenty-first century, Guetta has worked tirelessly for his success. As one of the world’s most popular DJs and producers, his ability to create hit after hit is just as impressive as the list of artists he’s worked with. It’s tough to turn on the radio without hearing a David Guetta track, or one of the countless imitators who followed him, and that’s just the way he likes it.
