Tijs Verwest was born on January 17, 1969, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands. Armed with a nickname he had had virtually since infancy, Tiesto began creating his music before he’d even entered his teen years and was spinning records for his friends at the age of 14. A year later, Tiesto began offering homemade mixed tapes to local businesses in hopes that they would play them in their stores. By the time he had turned 16, Tiesto had purchased his own mobile home and was carting around his equipment from one student-run party to the next.
Tiesto’s growing reputation as a seriously skilled DJ landed him regular gigs at a series of clubs based within the Netherlands, and it was during that time that he began trying out a variety of nicknames and aliases (including DJ Limited and Da Joker). Tiesto’s popularity among local partygoers increased significantly after he was given his own room on weekends at a famed dance club, with his burgeoning notoriety bringing him to the attention of a prominent figure within Rotterdam-based Basic Beat Records.
Tiesto launches record label black hole recordings
After releasing five discs of his own material with the label, Tiesto discovered that he now had a following that extended far beyond the borders of his homeland. He used his fame to launch his own record label, along with Amy Bink, entitled Black Hole Recordings, which was originally devoted to releasing Tiesto’s works exclusively but eventually became home to a number of up-and-coming and well-known DJs (including Phynn and Allure).
Tiesto performs at 2004 summer olmpic games
Over the next few years, Tiesto began expanding into the realm of solo concerts and quickly garnered a reputation as a performer with a seemingly unending stamina (in 1999, for example, the DJ performed a 12-hour set in Amsterdam). Following a series of solo concerts across the globe, Tiesto became the first DJ to spin records by himself within a packed stadium after he performed for 25,000 people in the Netherlands’ Gelredome. Tiesto’s most impressive accomplishment came in 2004, however, when he was asked to perform for 90 minutes during the opening ceremony of that year’s Olympic Games in Athens, which instantly made him the only DJ ever given an opportunity to show of their wares at the globally recognized event.
Hot off the success of his Olympics stint, Tiesto embarked on a series of high-profile tours across North America and Europe, including a gig alongside Cirque du Soleil dancers at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. As a result of his exponentially growing fanbase, Tiesto’s status as a household name was only furthered by appearances in videogames (PSP’s Wipeout Pure), movies (he contributed a remix to the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest soundtrack) and even clothing (Giorgio Armani released a limited-edition Tiesto T-shirt). Recently, Tiesto has been keeping busy by taking on a temporary residence at an Ibiza-based club called Privilege, and he’s also contributed a track to Coca-Cola’s 2008 Olympics campaign entitled “Global Harmony.”
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