Robert E. Pettibone Jr., born in New York City the 10th of July 1959, is a DJ, producer, mixer and remixer whose work in the 80s and early 90s has had a lasting impact on dance music.
He first came to wide attention from his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5’s Jazzy Sensation. He also worked as an in-house mixer for Prelude Records and Salsoul Records and his work can be heard on classics like Loleatta Holloway’s Love Sensation.
As his recording career was taking shape, he was also producing innovative ‘mastermixes’ for KISS FM, New York. These became so popular that Prelude Records even released some of them commercially.
Shep Pettibone was also innovative in his approach to remixing tracks. He would break a track down into its component parts then recombine them into longer, more club-friendly tracks for the dancefloor. He quickly became in demand for his remixes and worked with many well-known acts such as Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Janet Jackson, Cathy Dennis, Madonna, George Michael and Erasure, helping them achieve club and chart success.
He left the music industry in the mid-90s, and is now operating the Empress Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey.