It’s no secret that people die every day, but over the last couple of years, it seems like loss has become even more prevalent. Recently, hip-hop has had to say goodbye to another figure that has helped grow the genre. Trevor Thomas, better known as DJ Skeletor, passed away June 21, 2021. He was just 50 years old. For those who aren’t familiar with DJ Skeletor, he began his career in radio in the late 1980s and is best known for working with Wendy Williams. DJ Skeletor was portrayed by Josh Ssetuba in the 2021 biopic, Wendy Williams: The Movie.
The film was the first time a lot of people learned about the role Skeletor played in Wendy’s success, and it’s a beautiful thing that he was able to get his flowers while he was still alive. His death came as shock to many and rap fans everywhere are left to mourn yet another person who dedicated their life to the entertainment industry. Although he didn’t always get the credit he deserved, Skeletor’s legacy will continue to live on through the work he did and the people he reached. Keep reading to learn more about DJ Skeletor’s life and legacy.
DJ Skeletor’s Background
Even though he spent a good portion of his life in the music industry, DJ Skeletor has always been a very private person. In fact, in some ways, he was truly a man of mystery. As a result, he wasn’t as widely known as he probably could’ve been. On top of staying low-key as far as the industry is concerned, it doesn’t appear that he had any social media accounts at the time of his death, and it’s unclear if he ever has. That said, there isn’t a lot of information on how he got started. What we do know, though, is that DJ Skeletor was born and raised in northern New Jersey. Music began playing an important role in his life at a very early age.
According to his obituary, “As a teenager Trevor loved broadcast radio and dreamed of living in NYC. He attended William Paterson University, where he majored in Communications. He worked at 88.7 WPSC FM during his college years. As a passionate fan of 98.7 Kiss FM, Trevor would often communicate with on air DJ Carol Ford. Their relationship led to his internship with the radio station.”
Work With Wendy Williams
During the 1990s, DJ Skeletor landed the opportunity of a lifetime when he landed a job with the famous hip-hop station HOT 97. There he met Wendy Williams and became the producer for her morning show. In fact, Wendy was the one to give him the nickname Skeletor. Wendy’s radio show eventually went on to make her one of the biggest names in radio and was instrumental in her getting her own daytime talk show.
Over the course of his career, Skeletor continued to work in major markets and he earned the respect of people all over the industry. For more than five years, he worked on WBLS New York. Quiet Storm with Vaughn HarperMost recently, he was hosting his own online radio show called Well Connected with Skeletor. Unfortunately, he only released three episodes before his death.
In addition to working in radio, DJ Skeletor also hosted several parties and his family described him as the life of the party.
Remembering DJ Skeletor
At the moment, it doesn’t appear that a cause of death has been released for DJ Skeletor. However, if he was suffering from any serious health problems they were never made public. Since Skeletor was a private person, it is highly unlikely that the circumstances surrounding his death will ever be revealed.
In his passing, DJ Skeletor left behind several loved ones including his parents, a sister, and a niece and nephew. Skeletor did not have any children and it doesn’t appear that he was ever married. In an Instagram post announcing her brother’s death, DJ Skeletor’s sister wrote, “My Brother Gained his wings? Sleep In Peace brother!! Take a bow!! Your job heee is done.” Services for DJ Skeletor were held on June 29th at a funeral home in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.
Not everyone in the industry wants to be in the spotlight, and DJ Skeletor appeared to be that kind of guy. But just because he wasn’t always front and center doesn’t mean his contributions were any less significant. As those who loved him most continue to mourn him, they can rest assured that he won’t soon be forgotten.
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