{"id":434075,"date":"2026-10-21T22:52:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T22:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/434075\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T22:52:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T22:52:16","slug":"from-the-streets-to-the-spotlight-charles-scantling-celebrates-75-years-of-music-and-second-chances-free-press-of-jacksonville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/434075\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Streets to the Spotlight: Charles Scantling Celebrates 75 Years of Music and Second Chances \u2013 Free Press of Jacksonville"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBrenda and Charles Scantling at the celebration.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>D.J. Charles Scantling<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Brenda and Charles Scantling with the late Freddie Jackson<\/p>\n

From serving time behind bars to becoming one of Jacksonville\u2019s recognizable night life entrepreneurs, Charles Scantling has spent decades proving that second chances can lead to lasting success unapologetically.<\/p>\n

The longtime DJ, promoter and entertainment pioneer recently celebrated his 75th birthday at downtown Elks Club, surrounded by family, friends and supporters who gathered to honor his contributions to Jacksonville music and entertainment scene.<\/p>\n

Born October 11, 1951, Scantling graduated from Eugene Butler High School in 1969. His early years took a difficult turn when involvement in street life led to a prison sentence of three years, six months and nine days for assault.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t arrested, I was rescued,\u201d Scantling recalled, describing the experience that ultimately redirected his life.<\/p>\n

Following his release, he earned a college degree and became a drug abuse counselor, using his experiences to help others facing similar challenges.<\/p>\n

A trumpet player with a passion for music, Scantling launched his DJ career in 1978, eventually becoming known for his signature catchphrase, \u201cIf you haven\u2019t heard, you weren\u2019t supposed to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1994, he founded Jazzco, a name combining jazz and disco. What began as renting ballrooms and booking DJs grew into a 7,000-square-foot entertainment venue near Cesery Boulevard and University Boulevards. The popular gathering spot offered music, card games and networking, becoming a fixture in Jacksonville\u2019s social scene.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Charles Scantling with the late legend Ray Charles<\/p>\n

Scantling later expanded his entertainment ventures to Carousel on Arlington Expressway, where his venue attracted nationally known\u00a0 performers, including Rick James, Bobby Womack, Jeffrey Osborne, and\u00a0 comedian Steve Harvey.\u00a0 He recalled Harvey being so impressed with an amateur night that he hosted a show at the venue. Scantling credits much of his success to understanding his audience and building lasting relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe answer to customer service is making customers feel like it\u2019s their club and not ours,\u201d he said, recalling lessons he learned while attending nightclub and hospitality conventions.<\/p>\n

His entrepreneurial ventures also included serving as editor and publisher of Introtainment . He credits partnerships with local radio stations and Jacksonville Free Press founder Rita Perry for helping promote his events and expand his audience.<\/p>\n

Today, Scantling and his wife remain active on Jacksonville\u2019s entertainment circuit, providing DJ services and incorporating line dancing into their events.<\/p>\n

At 75, Scantling\u2019s legacy extends beyond the dance floor. His journey from incarceration to entrepreneurship, counseling and community engagement stands as a testament to resilience, reinvention and the transformative power of a second chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho would have thought that as a young boy, playing 45 records on the turntable for my family would lead me on this journey,\u201d smiled\u00a0 Scantling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Brenda and Charles Scantling at the celebration. D.J. Charles Scantling \u00a0 Brenda and Charles Scantling with the late…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":["post-434075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}