By Brenda Erdahl
Everybody knows Chopper. He’s the world’s nuttiest DJ.
Known for his playful antics, colorful get-ups and of course the front end of a 67 GTO Convertible that serves as his DJ booth, he’s the guy everybody calls for a fun, family friendly good time at all their parties. He’s been in the business for more than 40 years and he says it all started right here in Maple Lake during the summer of 1982.
On Saturday, March 16th Chopper will return to the place that jump started his career – the Maple Lake American Legion – for a post St. Patrick’s Day Parade show that he promises will be fun for all ages. Christened Greg Lammers, he rarely answered to that even as a child. “I come from an era where everyone had nick names,” he explained. Lammers quickly became Lamb Chops to his childhood friends, then just Chops then Chopper. The latter stuck and he’s been Chopper ever since. It turned out to be the perfect fit for what he calls a career God called him to. He’d been in the business a few years before the summer of ’82, paying his dues, learning the ropes at the side of established DJs and performing solo for friends and families. But his first paid gig was at the Maple Lake American Legion.
DJing was a new concept back then, he said. It had taken hold in some of the larger cities, but out here in the country, live bands were still the go-to. The Legion decided to give him a chance by letting him spin his records Wednesday nights after softball games. Their big nights, Fridays, and Saturdays were reserved for live bands. He played at the Legion every Wednesday for 30$ a night the entire summer of ’82. “I think I was actually losing money,” he laughed.
Chopper the World’s Nuttiest DJ will keep the party going after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with a family friendly show at the Maple Lake American Legion from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, March 16th.