Tony de Vit Posthumously Awarded Blue Plaque in Birmingham

24 years have passed since hard house icon Tony de Vit passed away at only 40. He is now the first DJ to be honored with a blue plaque in Birmingham to commemorate his contributions to the arts and culture.

The Birmingham Civic Society commissions each plaque to recognize an individual who has “achieved greatness” and “made [the city] what it is today.” The blue plaque for de Vit, who was born in nearby Kidderminster, will be installed on September 24 at Digbeth’s Custard Factory to coincide with a ceremony.V2 Recording Studio — previously located at the Custard Factory — is where Tony de Vit produced more than 100 tracks in the years leading up to his passing. Between 1994-1998, 11 of them entered the U.K. singles chart.

"I’m so delighted that a historic institution like the Birmingham Civic Society is recognizing the contribution that Tony de Vit has made, not only to Birmingham’s dance and music culture, but also the influence he’s had on a generation of DJs, clubbers, promoters and audiences," said Jez Collins of Birmingham Music Archive. "Not many people realise that Tony started his career in Birmingham DJing at the seminal Nightingale Club where he would take his music from a predominantly gay audience into the mainstream.”

In late June, 1998, de Vit collapsed while on vacation in Miami. He was taken to Heartland Hospital in Birmingham, where he passed away of bone marrow failure and bronchial pneumonia on July 2.

While de Vit is the first DJ to receive an official blue plaque, fans have taken it upon themselves to honor others in a similar way. Since his passing, plaques for acid house legend Andrew Weatherall have popped up throughout London.

Following the Birmingham Civic Society’s ceremony on September 24, a Pride party will take place at the Custard Factory. Tickets to both are available via Eventbrite.