| Eddie Cheeba | |
| Birth Date: | 18 October 1956 |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Occupation: | DJ |
| Associated Acts: | Lovebug Starski, DJ Hollywood |
Eddie Cheeba (October 18, 1956 – February 13, 2024) was an American DJ in New York in the 1970s, considered to be the number one club DJ.[1] Eddie, real name Edward Sturgis, was born in New York and grew up in the Douglas Projects of the Bronx where he attended Brandeis High School.[2]
Cheeba was a close friend of DJ Hollywood and they frequently influenced each other's styles.[3]
Cheeba is credited with inspiring Def Jam Recordings founder, Russell Simmons to pursue a career in hip-hop when Simmons heard Cheeba perform in Harlem in 1977.[4]
Kurtis Blow took his name imitating Cheeba at the suggestion of Russell Simmons, copying the pattern from Eddie Cheeba as "blow" was a force of power as "cheeba" was slang for marijuana.[5]
Cheeba died on February 13, 2024, at the age of 67.[6]