DJ Jacqueline “aka Jackie Specht” has been sharing her unique sound behind the decks over almost three decades. Jackie got her first taste of the dance music world growing up in Dallas, Texas when the electronic music scene was just beginning. Industrial electronic sounds were married with dance beats and the trappings of early acid house and techno were underway. The Stark and Industry were renowned Dallas night spots where Jackie would hear the music that would inevitably inspire her to begin buying records.
After high school, Jackie moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. During the college years, Jackie would moonlight picking up DJing gigs at underground club spots in Austin. She quickly grew a specific sound and fan base combining house, breaks and techno in a way that had no boundaries. This “limitless” boundary style helped her quickly grow into fans in neighboring cities including Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. In fact, Jackie participated in a statewide DJ spin-off encompassing talents from all the very large major cities in Texas, where she placed 3rd in the competition and was the only female in the competition.
After college, Jackie opened a record store in Austin, Texas called the Vinyl Attic which she ran for several years. During those years, she also brought on talent manager James Neal who helped her to take her DJing to a semi-pro level, touring and opening up for big names like Deep Dish, DJ Dan, playing big festivals like Lollapalooza, and more. In fact, December 3rd, 1998,
was declared “Jackie Specht Day” in the city of Austin, Texas. Jackie was creating headway for electronic music in the city of Austin, where she was also being recognized for being a young female entrepreneur. As the vinyl evolution gave way to digital, Jackie decided to close the door of Vinyl Attic and take on a career working for Apple Computer, pursuing technology and music at the same time.
Jackie moved to Denver, Colorado in 2005 where she continued rebuilding her DJing career in a new city with a new scene. She quickly landed in the graces of the DJ scene. She found a spot doing regular nights with SoCo nightlife and throwing events of her own. She was one of the key founders of the Great American Techno Festival, which lasted in Denver for several years.
Jackie continued to get bookings opening for big artists such as Josh Wink, Collette, and Sandy Rivera. Although, she has proven time and time again that she can hold the night down by herself for long extended DJ sets. As the CEO of a local tech company, Jackie still finds time to share her love of music by contributing behind the decks at local events, and guest spots on big shows.
