Music

Last week, Anniston lost a music legend. Damon Milner, better known in these parts as DJ Chilly D, died July 8 from an infection. He was 36.

Chilly D began DJing when he was 13. "Our cousin Angela got him into DJing," said his sister Cassandra McDonald. "She used to tell him all the time, 'You gonna be a DJ.' She always encouraged him." While Chilly D did some amateur practice on his (and his sister's) home stereo, he soon followed in his cousin's footsteps and began DJing at a skating rink in Piedmont.

From there, Chilly D became the premier DJ in Anniston. Most recently, he was the house DJ at Club Paradise on Noble Street, but he also played at the Elks Lodge on Pine Street, the American Legion on 10th Street, Lucky Seven on 10th Street, Club 231 in Gadsden, and many other clubs in the area.

Earlier this year Chilly D was diagnosed with diabetes, but he didn't let that stop him from his work.

"He was sick and still going to work," said McDonald. "That's when I knew he loved his job. He was real sick, delirious, and would still try and go DJ."

"He was a good person to be around, even when he was sick and feeling bad," said Tara Hunley, who went to Anniston High School with him, as well as worked with him at Club Paradise. "He came in and worked. He never really complained about feeling bad. He was nice to be around, he was sweet. He tried to do everything he could to help people. You could tell he was loved in the community, because when he passed, every DJ I could think of was up at the hospital, or came, or was coming."

"He cared about everybody," said local rapper Ko-Kane, who knew Chilly D for close to 20 years. "Playing at all these parties, clubs, was for the people. If they weren't enjoying themselves, he thought it was his fault. He wanted everybody to be happy. That's why he became a DJ. If someone was having a bad day, they could go to one of his parties and leave the stress."

"His life was DJing, and he wanted to be one of the best, and he was," said John Elston, the manager of the Elks Lodge. "I think he reached that — everybody wanted Chilly-D. You could tell by the number of clubs he played."

"Chilly D was an entertainer without an instrument," said fellow DJ Big Sexy, who knew Chilly D for about 15 years. "He's a legend in the DJing world."

"He was a down-to-earth kind of guy," said DJ Steen, host of the local cable show Mix-Tape TV. "He was in this 30s, but he had the heart of a younger person. You got the vibe he was 18 or 19 years old. He liked being young and full of energy."

"There will never be another Chilly D," said Shane Davidson, who works at On Time Fashions on Noble Street. "He had his own style, but he was always the same. Happy-go-lucky, didn't let things bother him. It is a big loss for our community. Twenty years from now people will still be talking about Chilly D. He was a stand-up act."