Yahoo News Former Hanley nightclub owner's tribute to 'best friend' DJ Danny Stubbs
A former nightclub owner has paid tribute to Stoke-on-Trent DJ Danny Stubbs after his death from cancer aged 40. Dean Sherwin ran Hanley club Zero in the early 2000s, and gave budding DJ Danny Stubbs some of his first gigs.
Dean, 54, described Danny as one of his 'best mates' and 'a very beautiful human being', adding that he was 'such a talent'.
Dad-of-one Danny died on August 24 after a year-long battle with a rare cancer called oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In November, he married former nextdoor neighbour Danielle, 33, who paid tribute to her 'sweet' husband, saying he was 'the most beautiful person inside and out'.
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Danny, from Chell Heath, rose from the clubs of early noughties Hanley to the world’s most famous stages for electronic music, including Ministry of Sound and Gatecrasher. He featured on BBC radio on a number of occasions and remixed tracks for U2 and Ariana Grande, as well as collaborating with Paul Oakenfold.
Pottery designer Dean, from Audley, met Danny at Zero in 2004, describing Danny as an ‘up-and-coming’ DJ at the time. Dean said: “In the last 10 or 15 years, he has escalated to where he was resident at Gatecrasher, played at Ministry of Sound, but his production work is probably what has pushed him furthest.
“He did some wonderful remixes for U2, he was on Perfecto Records with his very good friend Paul Oakenfold. There’s an almighty list of songs he has worked on, from Ariana Grande to Carla Werner. He played all over the world, DJ-ing in Miami and elsewhere.”
Danny was diagnosed with inoperable Stage 4 cancer in August 2023. Dean said: “They only gave him a few months, and he managed to battle for about a year.
“He was a very beautiful human being. You hear it all the time — that it has to happen to all the wrong people, all the beautiful people — and, unfortunately, it did with him.”
Danny was remembered by his family at a service in Crewe on Thursday (September 19), including daughter Leah, 19, his brothers Lee, Shaun, and Kenny, his parents Gary and Angela, and his wife Danielle.
Dean says he is planning to celebrate Danny’s life with a special gig including legends of electronic music in April. He says he hasn’t yet decided on a venue, but says acts including Gatecrasher resident Scott Bond, Paul Oakenfold and Stoke-on-Trent’s Andy Moor have signed up.
