DJ Scott's Story
He wasn't born McBalls...
Into the Woods
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Scott lived with his mother Iris, and sister, Dana. He attended public school and spent his summers at Camp Trywoodie in Poughkeepsie, New York.
(Figures a guy named McBalls went to a place called Trywoodie...)
The Wheels of Steel
In 1986, Scott traded in a drum kit that he received for his Bar Mitzvah and purchased his first turntables. After countless hours learning to mix he deejayed his first Canarsie block party.
DJ Scott was born.
Rhythm of the Night
Inspired by the DeBarge hit from The Last Dragon, DJ Scott launched his entertainment business while still in high school. By the age of 18, Scott spent nearly his entire life savings on speakers, amps, crates of records, hairspray, and a van to get to weddings, Sweet 16s, and bar/bat mitzvahs - leaving him just enough to score a coveted, yet classy gold record necklace...
Dana's Diagnosis
In 1988, Dana was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (brain tumor). What her doctors did not know at the time was that Dana had Lynch Syndrome - the same genetic mutation that was later found in Scott. It very well may have been the same affliction that claimed the lives of both their father and paternal grandfather.
Dana died in 1989, at the age of 20.
High School Sweethearts
Scott met Robin in the hallways of Edward R. Murrow High School, in Brooklyn, New York. They formed an immediate bond - Scott was struggling to handle the failing health of his sister and Robin was grieving the loss of her mother after a long bout with ovarian cancer.
Once they connected, the two were inseparable... with the exception of a brief period in their 20s when they were "on a break."
His Other True Love
Once Scott got a taste for the slopes on a ski trip during senior year of high school, he was never the same. The only New Yorker who ever rushed summer away, Scott could not wait to hit his favorite spots in Vermont and Pennsylvania. In his 30s and 40s, he ventured west for the packed powder and breathtaking backdrops of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, among others.
Becoming McBalls
Scott had a ridiculous amount of nicknames. Among them were:
Scotty
DJ Scott
Rhythm Scotty
Scotty Balls
Scotty McBalls
and just plain Balls
No one was brave enough to ask Robin why she called him that. Years later, one of Scott's nurses provided the confirmation we had all been seeking since high school.
Nuff said.
Family
Scott and Robin were blessed with two amazing children, Leah and Tyler. Working as a DJ gave Scott the luxury of being home with his kids all day long - arranging playdates, taking them to school, and getting treats, which they had to finish before mommy got home...
Lynch Syndrome
Some facts about the condition.
Diagnosis & Treatment
In January of 2013, after a routine colonoscopy, Scott was informed that he colorectal cancer, Stage 3C. This was the start of a long, arduous journey, both physically and emotionally for Scott, his family, and friends.
Scott endured five surgeries, including a massive procedure in which the majority of his abdomen was removed and washed in heated chemotherapy. There were countless biopsies, treatments, and radiation.
Through it all, Scott maintained his incredible spirit, love of life, and, most notably, his off-color sense of humor. (Use your imagination and guess his commentary while this picture was taken.)
Scott's 48th Birthday
Despite living with increasing pain and discomfort, Scott still loved to be around people and it showed. He was not only the life of the party by trade. It was in his DNA.
This video was taken on April 6, 2019.
Scott passed away exactly one month to the day that this was recorded.