
June 17, 2025
Dell Music Center's longtime house DJ, Gary O, died in December. An event will be held to celebrate Gary Odom on Saturday, June 21.
The Dell Music Center is ringing in its summer season to a different tune this year.
After losing its house DJ of 15 years to cancer in December, the venue — with the support of government officials and the local DJ community — is planning to honor a pillar of Philly's music scene while also raising awareness of the importance of having regular check-ups and prioritizing physical health.
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A music and wellness celebration will be held in honor of Gary Odom, known as DJ Gary O, on Saturday, June 21, from 2-7 p.m. at Belmont Grove, located at 1800 Belmont Mansion Dr.
During Odom's memorial service, Mayor Cherelle Parker vowed that his legacy would not be forgotten and requested the Department of Parks & Recreation honor his memory and raise awareness about the importance of health screenings.
Beats and Wellness: A Tribute to Gary O will feature performances from some of Odom's peers and will also offer health education and screenings, with a specific call to action around preventative care for Black men.
"We're inviting the city to come out and party with us to live sets from Gary's friends and peers, but we're also going to intermingle opportunities for diabetes screenings, cancer screenings, blood pressure checks and more," Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson said. "We don't want this to just be a party, we want this to be an opportunity for people to be mindful."
Admission to the event is free, but online registration is required beforehand.
Odom, a Mount Airy native, began spinning records at local parties from a young age, eventually becoming a recognizable radio personality and professional disc jockey with Power 99 FM radio station and WDAS-FM.
He was a business-minded DJ with multiple long-standing residences at nightclubs. He also planned, hosted and performed at parties and charity events in the area.
"To me, as an up-and-coming DJ, he was a legend," said DJ Doc B, a longtime friend. "What he was doing in the city of Philadelphia and the tri-state area was incredible."
This July will mark the first summer since the Dell Center reopened in 2010 that DJ Gary O will not be playing at the venue.
"We feel his presence already not being here," Slawson said. "Gary had a way of connecting people. If Gary was the DJ, he had a way of making community out of whoever was there."
The Dell Music Center has been hosting shows in East Fairmount Park for almost 100 years. The outdoor amphitheater can seat around 6,000 people on its lawn and reserved seats. Weekly Thursday concerts have been a summer tradition since 1972.
The venue's season will begin with a show by Grammy Award-winner Fantasia on Thursday, July 10, and continue with concerts that are scheduled through Saturday, Aug. 30.
Slawson said the city's fourth-largest venue will introduce a new program to its summer lineup, highlighting young local artists — a cause that Odom was known to support.
The Dell Center's summer lineup can be viewed online. Box office tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.