DJ AM, known simply as Adam Goldstein to those closest to him, was one of the most well-known DJs of the early 2000s. Success came to DJ AM in many forms. He spun at many popular night clubs including Pure in Las Vegas. He was also the owner of a music management company and did work on albums for popular artists such as Will Smith. He regularly booked DJ gigs at private parties for celebrities. He had a career that many aspiring DJs could only dream of.

DJ AM gained national fame outside of the club scene when he started dating Nicole Richie. He could also be seen both hanging out and working with his close friend Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame. Adam worked hard to live the glamorous life; it was not handed to him. As a young boy, he lived with his alcoholic and drug addict father, who was verbally abusive. Adam had his own struggle with crack cocaine in his teens and 20s. DJ AM was eventually able to get clean for over 10 years. His success as a DJ did not come until after his sobriety began.

During 2008, DJ AM faced a near death experience. A small plane he was on crashed. Everyone on the plane died with the exception of Adam and Travis Barker who were both seriously injured. Their survival was considered a miracle.

Unfortunately, DJ AM’s luck with escaping death would not last long. He died in 2009 of an OxyContin overdose. The DJ was only 36 years old. Although Adam Goldstein was taken from this world too soon, his memory lives on through the music he left behind as well as the many memorial events and the memorial fund his friends have setup.