A Passion For Helping Others through Music and Entertainment

Allen Walker, owner of Big Daddy Walker Productions, loves what he does. He began DJing for a friend to support himself while earning his college degree in special education. He knew he wanted to help other people, but Walker quickly discovered that he had a gift for entertaining people as well. His life soon began to take an unexpected turn.

Big Daddy Walker Productions (BDW) began with Walker and his wife, Debbie, whom he describes as the glue that holds the business together. Today, the company employs 17 DJs and has five ordained ministers on staff for wedding ceremonies.

“Weddings are the meat of our business, but we also play at bars, private parties, corporate events, birthday and anniversary parties,” says Walker. He DJed for the Bengals VIP Tailgating Experience last season, as well as donated his time to the March of Dimes, DJing their Cincinnati Walk event.

Walker’s disc jockeys undergo an initial six-week training period that includes learning a 135-page training manual, memorizing their music library and shadowing Walker during events. After two years of experience working all kinds of events except weddings, Walker selects the most gifted disc jockeys to train for wedding receptions. Of his 17 DJs, only five do weddings, and each one shadowed Walker at weddings for a year before earning the opportunity to DJ a

reception independently.

Even with the large amount of practical training, Walker believes there is much more that goes into the making of a quality DJ. “You have to be able to read the energy of the room,” he says, “and that is the most difficult thing to teach.”

During a wedding reception, the disc jockey not only plays music, but acts as the emcee of the event. “You need to be able to be strong on the microphone, but strong in a way that showcases the bride and groom,” Walker says. “You only have one opportunity to get a wedding right.”

Impeccable service is the calling card at BDW Productions. Walker will sit down with prospective clients and spend hours with them before signing a contract. Phone calls and emails are returned within 24 hours. On the event day, employees show up not only to play music, but to be part of a team to help make the event the best it can be.

“It’s not going the extra mile, because the extra mile is what our job is,” says Walker. When BDW Productions DJ’s a wedding reception, the three top priorities are, “the bride and groom are relaxed, everyone has fun, and the guests all leave talking about how great the wedding was.

“I truly believe that music affects people in a way that nothing else does,” says Walker. Quoting Bob Dylan, he says of his business, “What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”

Big Daddy Walker Productions is located at 730 Main Street, Milford, OH 45150. You can reach them at 513.678.2107, by email at bigdaddy@bigdaddywalkerproductions.com or visit their website at bigdaddywalkerproductions.com.