Hello! My name is Troy Adams, and I'm the Owner of Carolina DJ Professionals. We're here to HELP YOU create unforgettable lifetime memories through your wedding or event. You deserve not just that, but also a planning process that's high on fun and low on stress. We're ranked Top-10 in the nation for our reviews because we have great people who invest in you. We use our experience to guide you & make YOUR event what YOU want it to be. Through relationships, experience & prep (REP), we'll make the process easy & the event amazing. That's why our mantra is Stress Less, Celebrate More.

I DJed my first wedding 25+ years ago at age 20. Now I'm blessed to be recognized as one of the 500 Most Influential Event Pros in the US, and one of only 4 DJs that educate the industry for WeddingWire & The Knot. I'm always learning and seeking to bring the best for our clients, as is my amazing team, who you can read more about below. And oh yes, I still love to get out and DJ/MC events myself!

In my words - why I love what we do & our team
 

Aaron Kinne
Premier DJ

Aaron is one of the most experienced DJs on our team. He's actually owned two of his own DJ businesses and ran them very successfully. So when Aaron came to us and said he didn't want to run a business anymore, he just wanted to DJ, we were blown away with excitement. See, when we first started, he was one of the guys we looked at and said, "he does incredible work." He's a true all-around pro. He literally lives this industry nearly 24-7, as his wife is also a very successful wedding photographer. So he really knows how to execute an event like a pro. 

Aaron is the perfect balance of being both engaging, and a great listener. He's full of character, competence, experience & humility. And he'll go the extra mile to help. We're lucky to have him on our team and know he'll make a great addition to your wedding or event.
 

In his words - Meet Aaron

Amelia Wheeler
Photo Booth Manager

Amelia is a ray of sunshine. When she walks in a room, she lights it up with her smile. Her personality is infectious and you can't help but be lifted up by her energy and attitude. And as you can imagine, those are good traits as a DJ! Another good trait? The fact she's been in the hospitality industry for over 15 years. She is in this to serve others and bring them joy. It's her passion for people that makes her a great DJ. Her organization, dedication and event experience are all part of the package, but that love of people fuels everything. She is committed to her clients and giving them a wedding or event they will remember and talk about for years. We know she'll help make your wedding or event full of joy also.

In her words - Meet Amelia

Clark Frazier
Premier DJ

After owning and operating his own DJ business for years, Clark reached out to us about joining our team. In his words, "I just want to focus on DJing and taking care of my clients, instead of having to run a business also." It's a sentiment that's been echoed by several other DJs on our team. But few others have Clark's experience as a DJ AND insight as a business owner. That makes him even better at what he does. What makes him really great though is his personality, integrity, character, care for his clients, pursuit of continuous improvement, and his attention to detail. Maybe it's his military background, his insight as a business owner, his hard-working humble attitude, or a little bit of everything, but one thing we know is Clark will take care of you and make your wedding or event easy, fun, and memorable.

Dalton Ramsey
Lead DJ

Dalton came to us with all the intangibles we look for. He'd been running his own successful business as a realtor, but wanted to pursue a passion for DJing. He loves a good book on growth and mindset, and he lists everyone from Zedd to ABBA, Salt-n-Pepa to Toto as his favorite artists. That variety of course comes in handy at events! At Dalton's first wedding with CDJP, he impressed the heck out of us with his attention to detail, work ethic, and willingness to help. We know he'll bring that same professionalism & service to your wedding or event to help deliver the day you want. An "old soul" in a sense, Dalton's favorite song is one he said he heard the most growing up: Don't Stop Believing by Journey. And yes, he's named after the iconic Patric Swayze character in Road House! And like that Dalton, this Dalton will also make sure no one gets in the way of you having an incredible time!

David Miller
Elite DJ & Director of Corporate Services

It takes a special kind of person to excel in this industry. A person who loves people, teamwork, crazy schedules, challenges, music, technology, learning, and all things weddings and events. David is that person. Not only did David have tremendous experience already when he joined our team, but his wife is also a wedding planner! He has a full understanding of everything it takes to execute a great wedding or event. Which is part of what makes him one of our most requested DJs. David values relationships, prepares extensively, and pursues learning. He demonstrates both character and competence, puts people first, and translates experience to execution excellence. We're lucky to have him on our team, and we know he'll help make your event a success. 

In his words - Meet David

George White
Premier DJ

George White was born with headphones on. His first baby crib was actually an old equipment case. And at the age of 3 he started his wedding career when he stole the hearts of hundreds with his Footloose performance of "Let's Hear it for the Boy" on a reception dance floor. Fast Forward 30 years & George is one of our veteran DJs. What makes George strong as a DJ is his ability to listen to your ideas and bring them to life. He's a wizard on the board. I even had another DJ company call me once to ask who DJed a certain wedding because the photographer was still talking about how the DJ did for weeks after. George was that DJ. He's easy to talk to, fun, great with communication and of high character. We know he'll help make your event a success. 

In his words - Meet George

Heather Rickelman
Business Development Director

Heather was part of the CDJP family...long before she was officially part of the CDJP family! For many years, Heather owned and operated a successful photography company, Studio by Heather Marie. We were fortunate to work with her on many events through the years, and she was always one of our preferred vendors. So when we decided to look for a BDD, she was the first call we made. As a result of Covid, Heather had taken a step back from shooting events to focus on raising her two young kids. But she was ready to get back into the wedding & event industry, and we are so grateful for that! She is a true pro, one heckuva fun person to be around, extremely knowledgeable, and a go-getter for us AND our partners. She knows the value of building strong vendor relationships in order to create great experiences and more business for everyone. We can't wait for you to meet her!

Herb Drayton
Premier DJ

A 2x DJ-of-the-Year winner within ur team, Herb Drayton is not only a talented DJ, but also a longtime friend of owner Troy Adams. The first time they met, Troy was umpiring his first softball game and called Herb out on (bad) strikes. And that was when Troy first learned of Herb's great patience & personality. A father of two, there is nothing Herb can't handle. He actually went to Michigan to play QB...while Tom Brady was there. We're not trying to name-drop (yes, we are), bur rather to point out he's been in big events. But to him, NO event is bigger than yours. He genuinely wants the best for his clients & goes above and beyond to help them. He's patient, personable, engaging & dedicated. And he'll make sure everything is fun, stress-free & a huge success. 

In his words - Herb Dayton

Ian Parker
Lead DJ

After playing live music, running restaurants, and dabbling in DJing...Ian decided it was time to pursue live entertainment for a living. Covid may have added to the decision by derailing the restaurant business for a period of time, but that turned out to be a good thing, as Ian excels as a DJ. He's a great listener and extremely prepared. He really gets to know his couples, then puts in the extra time to truly personalize their event. As you may guess from his days running a restaurant, he's also able to think on his feet and improvise if needed also. But his attention to detail and ability to connect with couples means he has a plan. And knowing his personal pursuit of perfection, Ian's gonna make sure the client's plan becomes a reality. We know he'll serve up the wedding or event you've always wanted. 

In his words - Meet Ian

James Hickey
Premier DJ & Team Mgr.

James has it all. Oftentimes when we first meet someone who wants to be a DJ, we see areas we'll have to work on to mold them into the pro we want them to be. But James had it all from the start. His motivation, music knowledge, technical savvy, passion, communication, organization - I mean you name it, he demonstrated it. He's tall, and so are his goals. Not only does he love DJing, but he also runs his own real estate investment company. He enjoys working with kids, lists both Drake and Queen as his favorite artists, and won't pass up watching The Lion King or Harry Potter. He loves people, loves learning, and takes great joy in helping people laugh and celebrate. We know James is going to help make your event a huge success!  

In his words - Meet James

Jonathan Steele
Lead DJ
 

Jonathan is a blast. I mean, one of the first times we met him he had on the same pink leotard that Lizzo wears in the video for "Juice." That's another story, though. Not only is Jonathan an incredible DJ and human being, but he started out as a client when he and his now wife hired us to do his own wedding. He wife helps run a venue, so yeah, he's pretty much as balanced and informed about the wedding industry as one can be. Jonathan is the type of guy you always want to be around. He's easy to get along with, always smiling, a great listener, and a driven "doer." He has high expectations for himself, and always wants to exceed the expectations of his clients. He's been a stand-out DJ and person from the day we met him, and we know he'll help make you and your day stand out also. 

In his words - Meet Jonathan

Jeff Smith
Elite DJ & Director of Operations

Jeff is one of the most polite people we've ever met. Maybe it's from his military background. Maybe it's how he was raised. Maybe it's his character forged from life experiences. Whatever it's from, it's good. Like that song-that-just-makes-you-happy-and-wanna-dance-good. Jeff's communication is as positive as his personality. He's on-time, detailed and considerate. He genuinely wants to make things perfect for his clients. He seeks first to understand others and then delivers what's needed. He's patient, dedicated & a great listener. But when you need him to take charge, he excels at that also. We trust him to run the ship around here and consider ourselves blessed to have him leading our team. We know he'll make your event a success. Just don't ask him to do his Axl Rose dance. 

In his words - Meet Jeff

Karenski Brown
Premier DJ

Karenski is our music connoisseur. In addition to his DJ skills, he's also a music teacher and performer. If he's not DJing, you'll probably find him behind a keyboard performing at several spots around town. He studied Music Performance in college and was in the Marching Band. You should see him in that outfit! He knows how to dress, but he also knows his music, his way around equipment, and how to lead an event. And as a teacher, you can bet he's also organized. So when trying to decide who to trust your big day to, you can feel confident Karenski will take great care of you. He's personable, humble, easy-going and loves working with people to make such an important day a memorable, fun, successful one. 

In his words - meet Karenski

Kyle Law
Elite DJ

You know when you've found "The One?" That moment when you found the person you wanted to marry, that car you've been dreaming of, or your dream house? Well, that's how we felt when we found Kyle. When we first met Kyle, he had been DJing on his own for years. Crazy enough, he even had a storage unit next to one of ours. Upon talking to him, it was clear he shared all the same beliefs we do as a company. His dedication to his clients was clear, as was his knowledge, communication, organization & character. And in just his 2nd month after joining our team, he was voted DJ of the month and was our most-booked DJ that month. The dude is dedicated, down-to-earth, talented as heck, a true professional, and full of integrity. We know he's going to take us places, and we know he's going to take your wedding or event to new heights as well. 

Quinn Russell

Premier DJ

When we first met Quinn, we were immediately impressed. She nailed every hard question we gave her on music, mixing, weddings, events, you name it. And she's in it for the right reason: people. She wants to make a positive impact on people, help them celebrate life's biggest days/events, and do so through music & DJing. Quinn is also an accomplished singer, dancer & actor. She grew up on the beaches of NC, got her start as a karaoke DJ in NYC & later as an event entertainer in LA. She's even ordained! She has a zest for life, a passion for music, and her friends say "she's never met a stranger." She makes your wedding/event about you and bringing your vision come to life. And those are just some of the reasons why we know she's going to help make your wedding/event a success. 

In her words - Meet Quinn

Roy Courtney
Lead DJ
 

With one word out of Roy's mouth, you'll probably want to hire him immediately. See, Roy is from Torquay in the UK and has that sexy British accent. We actually put Roy in charge of running our meetings just so we can hear him talk for hours. Roy has much more than the inviting accent, though. He's built to help other people. Roy has spent his life working in non-profit in addition to DJing. When we first met him, we were working an event for Make-A-Wish and Roy came up and VOLUNTEERED to work some events with us! He gets paid now of course, but he'd probably still DJ for free. He's dedicated to helping you with your wedding or event. That genuine desire to help others & his community is what makes Roy such an incredible person and DJ. And one we know will help you and your event.

In his words - meet Roy

Todd Long
Premier DJ
 

Todd's been a successful DJ in Pennsylvania for nearly two decades. But like so many of the clients we work with ... Todd himself fell in love, and he moved to Charlotte to be with his girl. So we have her to thank for him joining our team! Todd is the ultimate pro. It's not that he's "been there, done that," but rather that he never takes anything for granted, is always looking for ways to improve, and is cool under pressure. He doesn't get rattled, and his personality is reassuring and comforting. He's both confident & humble, thoughtful & detailed, professional & personal. Todd started out working for a well-respected DJ company in PA for years, then branched out to run his own business. So he has the work ethic & leadership of a business owner, but also the team mindset as well. We're grateful to have him on our team, and we know he'll help make your wedding or event a success!

Will Soulier
Premier DJ

Will makes all of us, and his clients, smile and laugh. A longtime professional DJ, Will loves DJing and it shows. He worked many years for another DJ company in Louisiana before moving to Charlotte. And from the very start with us, he's been all-in, going above and beyond at every turn. You can see the passion in every word and action when it comes to DJing and planning. He's the perfect DJ in that he does this for the joy of helping others. His energy, experience, work ethic, commitment, drive, professionalism and personality are completely aligned with our goal of building relationships and helping people through DJing. We know he'll help make you laugh, make your day memorable, and make it a total success.

In his words - Meet Will