DJ A.M.

Adam Michael Goldstein, known professionally as DJ AM, was an American DJ born on March 30, 1973, in Philadelphia. He gained widespread recognition for his work as a solo club DJ, his role in the group Crazy Town, and his high-profile collaborations and media appearances. Over his career, he performed at major venues, produced mixes for prominent artists and media projects, and co-founded the musical duo TRV$DJAM.

Raised in Philadelphia and later Los Angeles, Goldstein became interested in deejaying as a child after watching Herbie Hancock perform at the 1984 Grammy Awards. He struggled with severe personal challenges during his youth, including overeating, alcohol consumption starting at age 11, and physical abuse at a rehabilitation facility. After years of heavy drug use and crack cocaine addiction in his twenties, Goldstein attempted suicide in 1997. Following this, he achieved sobriety, joined Alcoholics Anonymous, and began sponsoring other individuals working through addiction recovery.

Goldstein began his professional deejaying career in Los Angeles clubs in his early twenties. In 1999, he joined the rap/rock group Crazy Town, contributing to their 2000 single 'Butterfly' before departing in 2001 to focus on his solo career. His profile rose significantly after he began dating Nicole Richie in 2003, leading to television appearances on shows such as Punk'd, The Simple Life, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. By 2006, he secured a $1 million residency contract at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and performed at high-profile private events.

Throughout his career, Goldstein scratched on albums for artists including Papa Roach, Will Smith, and Babyface. An avid sneaker collector, he made a cameo appearance on the television series Entourage in 2006. In 2008, he partnered with Travis Barker to form the duo TRV$DJAM. In addition to live performances, Goldstein contributed original mixes to and appeared as a playable character in the video game DJ Hero. He also filmed a cameo appearance for the film Iron Man 2 and served as the host for the 2009 MTV drug intervention series Gone Too Far.

In September 2008, Goldstein and Barker survived a crash of a Learjet 60 in Columbia, South Carolina, which claimed the lives of the four other individuals on board. Goldstein suffered severe third-degree burns and was treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center. Following the accident, he filed a civil lawsuit against Learjet, Goodyear tires, and the plane's charter company citing negligence and manufacturing defects, a suit that was settled by his estate in 2010.

In 2009, Goldstein took on a regular deejaying position at Rain Nightclub in Las Vegas. While filming Gone Too Far and managing severe anxiety and prescribed medications following the plane crash, he struggled with a relapse into drug addiction. On August 28, 2009, Goldstein was found dead in his New York City apartment from an accidental drug overdose. Following his death, his sister launched the DJ AM Memorial Fund to assist individuals struggling with drug addiction, and the 2010 film Iron Man 2 was dedicated in his memory.