Bill Kelly co-founded the Winter Music Conference in 1986. Onbeat got to speak to him to set the record straight.
By Jeremiah Tash
Bill Kelly started his music industry career as a DJ at the Warehouse VIII in Miami, FL. The birth of disco set the stage for his trend setting style. Not only was he a regular turntable talent, he is a man with a vision. Since that time, Bill’s star intuition has helped many artists bring their music to the masses, including Donna Summer, KC & The Sunshine Band, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Eminem, Pink, Missy Elliot, Trick Daddy, and Outkast. In the world of dance music, he assisted in the breaking success of Danny Tenaglia, Oscar G, DJ Abel, and countless others. He also revolutionized the role of the original radio mix show DJ in Miami.
Kelly co-foundered the Winter Music Conference (WMC) in 1986. This March, the festival is gearing up for its 22nd year. The weeklong event - regarded as “the singular networking event in the dance music industry” - draws artists, industry professionals, and avid fans from over 60 countries. The WMC has set the gold standard for dance/electronic music gatherings, and though Kelly typically lets the conference speak for itself, Onbeat.com was granted access to the man behind the curtain.
Onbeat: When the Winter Music Conference began 22 years ago, what was your exact role in the organization and foundation of the inaugural Conference?
Bill Kelly: Since there was just me and my partner Louis Possenti, my role was organizing every aspect of the convention. I was principally there to meet and discuss the future role of WMC as a springboard for the exposure and development of dance music in America.
What were your expectations for the first conference? How have your expectations changed? What has the conference become that is different from what it was?
I was stoked about making Miami and its music scene the center for the dance music industry. In addition to WMC being a core business forum for people to exchange ideas, it has now become an annual showcase for every imaginable talent in the dance and electronic music scene.
[Electronica’s] beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s.
Was there some sort of “master-vision” involved in the initial organization? Has that changed?
After all my trips to the New Music Seminar in New York, I realized that Miami had an untapped resource for a convention that catered directly to the music I love. So the idea was to create the Winter Music Conference as a forum that everyone in the world could attend at a time of the year when people wanted to travel to Miami which, after all, is the sun and fun capital of the world.
What was the musical climate like in the America electronic music scene (and electronic music in general) back in the mid ‘80s?
Grabbing the grooves of '70s disco/funk and the gadgets of electronic composition, electronica soon became a whole new entity in and of itself, spinning-off new sounds and subgenres with no end in sight two decades down the pike. Its beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s. Later that decade, club-goers in Britain latched onto the fusion of mechanical and sensual, and returned the favor to hungry Americans with new styles like jungle/drum 'n' bass and trip-hop - almost all early electronica was danceable.
How have advancements such as the internet and digital music altered the climate/ landscape in WMC centered music?
For better or worse, the immediate availability of music and the easy transfer from production to performance has forever altered the landscape of the entire music business worldwide.
It has been said and noted that when WMC announces its dates every hotel venue adds $100, per room, per night automatically.
Miami has become a distinctly international destination - you can walk down Lincoln Road on any given night and hear five different languages; do you feel a synergy between the worldliness and culture of Miami Beach and the success of the WMC?
There is no doubt that the international flavor of Miami has added to the success of the Winter Music Conference. This not only is in the patrons who come here, but also the talent who perform – they also lend to its success. If you Google ‘Winter Music Conference,’ you’ll see hundreds of thousands of results from every country in the world, so it can be said that WMC is truly global.
How has the resurrection of Miami Beach aligned with the Conference, its clientele, and functionality?
That is a difficult question due in part to the exploitation of the WMC program by every business on Miami Beach. It has been said and noted that when WMC announces its dates every hotel venue adds $100, per room, per night automatically. It seems that the officials who oversee WMC week poise themselves to act aggressively to calm and tone down the parties that take place all over the beach, citing noise ordinances and over zealous party revelers. To set the record straight, WMC is by far the least violent with very little arrests and one of the most embraced meetings the entire year.
The 2007 Winter Music Conference includes panel discussions, concerts, events, parties, and an international marketplace. The Conference draws artists, producers, radio, media executives, fans, managers, retailers, writers, and more. There’s Ultra Music Festival, plus all the private parties and unsanctioned events. Do you ever feel like the conference is becoming unsustainably comprehensive? Does the diversity in events at the conference reflect dance music’s diversity?
I’d say the opposite: the WMC is the most comprehensive program covering all those labels you previously mentioned. On the other hand, I’d say you are right on the money with the overall vast diversity - not only in events, but the music too.
In what light does the WMC present electronic/ dance music to the world at large?
A genesis for one world one people and one love is one gathering, whereby everyone shares the euphoric feeling of healing and laughter. Playing with each other and understanding that we can all put the world strife and anguish aside for one moment to better the universe by realizing how small a role we all really have in the bigger picture of things. No one person can make the world’s problems go away, but together we can all bring a ray of hope to each other by giving each other joy and happiness.
The DJ as an artist is most often hurting the overall acceptance of its music, because you can’t see one individual - regardless of how they present themselves - as a true creator when the music they perform is not being created live.
Do you feel like some ancillary events water down the conference’s intended goals?
I would say that the ancillary events actually add to the excitement and lend additional involvement as part of this diversity we spoke about earlier. In order for people (the fans) to get a sense of participation, the more events that take place the better chance of being a part they feel. Our intended goal is one in which the core participants add to the overall success of the week known as Winter Music Conference.
In the course of your career as a DJ and as a founding member of the WMC, what musical trends have you noticed stuck around in terms of long-term popularity versus fads? How do people’s attention spans affect dance music?
Obviously live performances involving real musicians and artists will always prevail. I think the entire dance music community should move towards this ultimate goal. The DJ as an artist is most often hurting the overall acceptance of its music, because you can’t see one individual - regardless of how they present themselves - as a true creator when the music they perform is not being created live. The club base and fans’ acceptance in this circle is relatively small when compared to the overall population, also against those who listen and buy but do not prefer to go to nightclubs. Kaskade is one example of a DJ who writes, composes and performs, although he doesn’t sing the very songs he writes. Prince, George Michael and many other artists who truly do it all are the goal DJs as artists should be working toward.
Any thoughts on the future of WMC?
We will continue to evolve and change as the future of music changes. Regardless of the technology, if you are into house, drum ‘n’ bass, trance, techno, hip-hop, trip-hop, chill out, or electro, there will always be tons of events to attend. People will come back year after year for the parties, great music, weather and multiple networking opportunities.
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