"Dancers are the only judges any DJ should care about."

These are words more DJs should probably live by. Who matters more than the person dancing or feeling the music?

An unsung hero of Chicago House Music, Jamie 3:26 was known early on as Jamie Lust, and he's played venues worldwide for over twenty years. Many people abroad may recognize him from Chip E.'s documentary, The UnUsual Suspects, where he was a key interviewee.

Having his first residency at the ripe old age of eighteen at A.K.A.'s, and a five year run with underground promoters The Way We Were, Jamie has been a machine in the booth ever since. From rocking the decks at legendary Chicago venues like the Warehouse and the Powerhouse, he's also played at newer venues like Zentra, The Prop House and Smart Bar, as well as the Chosen Few Picnic. Dancefloors internationally include DJOON in Paris, Lounge in Brussels, and even a Ron Hardy tribute party in Yokohama, Japan.

Well-known for rocking crowds of all tastes, ages, races and creeds, playing on all sides of the city is not as much of a challenge for a DJ as it once might have been, according to Jamie. "The Southside is more open to newer music than ever," he says. "Maybe five or six years ago, you couldn't say that. Both Northside and Southside crowds are willing to let the DJ take them on a journey."

With his name fixed in people's minds, Jamie's also getting back into the production game. "I first got my feet wet with guys like Paul Johnson and Glenn Underground back in the early 1990s, before they were really well known. I'm getting back into it now, though."

Jamie is always fun to watch behind the decks and his love of the music is evident. The energy is infectious whether you catch him live or on the 5 Magazine DJ Series Vol. 15. You can pick up limited edition CDs around Chicago House residencies through May or at KStarke Records (1109 N. Western), or listen on the internet at 5chicago.com/djseries.

You can check out Jamie on the internet every Friday from 5-8pm Central on his radio show, Simply Music, on cyberjamz.com or at myspace.com/Jamie3too6.