Troy Wallace was given his first record, The Who’s “Squeeze Box,” at the age of 6. He still owns that single, only now it’s part of a much, much larger collection, and ever since that time, music has continued to play a key role in his life. Around the age of 9, after spying it’s wild album art, he “borrowed” his older sister’s Kiss record. This would be a life changing moment, leading to his first guitar and much that would follow…and he’s still “borrowing” that Kiss record as well. Several years & records later, at the age of 15, he played on stage with a band for the first time, and then at 16 got his first paid DJ gig, which like many of these moments, would circle back to factor in heavily later in life.
Just after turning 18 he moved to LA to attend USC where upon arrival, he also promptly joined a rock band that happened to be looking for a bass player. By the next year, they were playing out at clubs like The Whiskey, Roxy and Troubadour. All throughout this time there were great shows happening and constant exposure to new and different types of music. Club gigs by bands like Jane’s Addiction and Guns N’ Roses were happening and everything from punk to goth, hip hop, alternative rock and eventually the dance and electronic underground would play a part in what became an ever expanding musical journey and education. Witnessing the birth of the west coast Rave scene that exploded in Southern California and the Bay Area in the early 90’s also brought back his interest in DJing, which has remained constant ever since.
Shortly before graduating from USC with honors and a BS in Marketing/Advertising and a minor in Recording Arts, Troy took on an internship at MCA/Universal where among other things, he worked on and watched first hand as Nirvana’s Nevermind exploded into the mainstream, with the plant at one point unable to press records fast enough to keep up with the demand. After that internship ended he was hired on at Warner Bros Records, starting in the Merchandising dept. and eventually over the next decade plus, moving up into Marketing and A&R, where he worked with a wide variety of artists, including The Flaming Lips, Aphex Twin, Tom Petty, Mudhoney, Ministry, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Jane’s Addiction, and most notably from a sales standpoint, Green Day. During his time at Warners (and later Rhino) he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi platinum sales awards for various projects he was involved with.
Following those 15 years or so spent in the Warner/Rhino family, Troy went on to consult for independent labels and A&R/Music licensing companies, and he continued to DJ and be involved in events the entire time after leaving college, including everything from clubs to underground parties to events like the Downtown LA Rooftop Full Moon Gatherings, Solstice parties, and Burning Man.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Science, Marketing | University of Southern California
Certificate in Recording Arts | University of Southern California
