Mark Kamins Passes

MARK KAMINS, 57, the legendary N.Y. club DJ who helped launch the career of his one-time girlfriend Madonna by presenting her demo to Sire Records’ Seymour Stein, has died of a heart attack. Kamins produced Madonna’s first single, “Everybody,” in 1982. He also worked closely with controversial performance artist Karen Finley on her obscenity-laced disco tracks, two of which, "Tales of Taboo” and “Lick It,” became underground dance hits. Subsequent work included projects for Tommy Page, David Byrne, Ofra Haza, Beastie Boys, Sinead O’Connor and UB40. His more recent work includes the trance/opera dance fusion artist Sasha Lazard, who performed for 8,000 people in Ibiza, Spain in 1999 to choreography by former Madonna Blonde Ambition Tour dancer "Slam." Wrote producer Arthur Baker on Facebook: “When I think of Mark, I think of hanging in those early days at Danceteria, bringing him acetates that he would slap on after hearing just a few beats and watch the crowd go off. He was as fearless as DJ as he was a human being even then.” (2/15p)