Tommy Austein

Tommy Austein is the owner and founder of Dingo Entertainment. Dingo Entertainment began after Tommy decided that local bands needed a champion on their side when it came to the business aspect of the music industry. So Tommy began making plans to put on the largest locally powered music festival Memphis or even the Mid South had ever seen. The first "Dingofest" was held Labor Day weekend 1999 at a privately owned camp ground known as Blue Lake America just over the river in Arkansas. The 3 day event was not with out its problems but everyone involved knew that it was the start of something big and eventually became the largest local music festival in Memphis’ history by being hosted for 4 years on historic Beale Street. With the success of "Dingofest" Tommy decided to expand his business from just live band production and evolved into a full service entertainment company encompassing DJ’ing, Emcee’ing and much more. Dingo Entertainment is now 11 years old and has grown into one of the largest multi-op entertainment and DJ companies in Memphis and the Mid South area. Now armed with sound and lighting divisions; Dingo Entertainment is capable of running as many as 2 large live concert events and 10 large wedding ceremony/reception events simultaneously! Along with being a savvy businessman, Tommy is also a very talented entertainer, having DJ’ed, Emcee’ed or otherwise performed at thousands of events. He takes the time to personally work with and train all of his entertainers to ensure that the client gets the best show possible. After all, it is your event or maybe one of the most important days of your life, your wedding day. Tommy and the professionals at Dingo Entertainment want to make sure that your special event is everything you ever dreamed of and more.

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"Memphis" Mike Schalk

"Memphis" Mike Schalk has been entertaining in the Memphis area for more than 5 years. Mike began his entertainment career in Chicago, Il at age 12 by playing guitar and engineering live sound at his church. By the time Mike entered high school he and a friend started their own recording and production company garnering success recording and producing several local bands, choirs and producing many live events. After Mike moved to Memphis he began working in a local music store and started performing in several local bands where he could put his guitar and vocal talents to good use. While working in the music store Mike met Tommy Austein who immediately noticed Mike’s pleasing attitude and professionalism. Mike has now been DJ’ing for more than 5 years and loves his work. Mike says he loves the energy he feels during an event, and he loves connecting with his audience. Mike is a graduate of the University of Memphis so he loves the Tigers. Originally hailing from Chicago; he also is a fan of the Bulls, Cubs and the Bears. Mike earned the moniker "Memphis" Mike after returning home to Chicago to visit family and friends. His family immediately noticed that Mike now spoke with a bit of a "Southern Draw" and quickly named him "Memphis Mike". From DJ’ing to performing and engineering live sound, Mike is a flexible entertainer who knows how to read a crowd and keep your special event going in the right direction. Mike has worked with Dingo Entertainment as a live sound engineer, DJ and Emcee for six years.

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John Milton Gintz

John began his DJ career back in 1987 playing in local night clubs all around Memphis. For the next 14 years John held residencies at some of Memphis premier dance clubs as well as traveling the US playing large scale events ultimately labeled ?Raves? where thousands of eager patrons gathered to dance the nights and early mornings away. Somewhere in between club gigs and traveling John also spent a year as co-owner and artistic director of one of Memphis most innovative and cutting edge night clubs named ?ZOT!?. ?ZOT!? introduced Memphis to the cutting edge of the up and coming underground dance scene and as a result help to stimulate the dance music culture that now pervades throughout all of Memphis. In 2002 John took some time off to concentrate on raising a family and producing original music for multimedia applications. In his spare time he composes and records underscore music for film and television along with continuing to produce original dance music as well as working on remixes for other artists. With over 20 years experience entertaining at venues ranging from intimate clubs to large scale events with 5000 or more attending, John is qualified, able and willing to make any event he hosts a memorable one.

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Jordan Stovall

Jordan joined Dingo Entertainment in Fall 2010. Up until that time, he had been a regular at the Blue Monkey midtown karaoke on Thursday nights. That’s where he came to know our resident MC and karaoke host, Memphis Mike. Mike asserted that Jordan had the “look, voice, and presence” to be a great entertainer.
Jordan sings, plays guitar, and has always had a passion for music. He began performing live by doing coffee-shop gigs in his hometown of Collierville, TN. A year later he was doing gigs at many venues in Memphis and the surrounding areas. He has also performed in several weddings.
Outside of a few originals and song covers in the alternative and alt-country genres, Jordan especially likes to cover Top 40 music. “There’s something fun and interesting about putting your own spin on a song that people have heard countless times before,” he claims. “Really seems to catch the listener’s attention.” Needless to say, Jordan stays current with all of today’s pop, which makes him a great asset for events that demand the latest music.
Apart from music, Jordan graduated from the University of Memphis in 2007 with a degree in business management, and is a huge fan of both the Tigers and Grizzlies.
Jordan is a true-blue Memphian who wants nothing more than to see everybody have a good time.

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Dee Thompson

Dee is a native of Memphis and although he is well traveled he has lived in Memphis his entire life. Growing up Dee noticed he had a gift for drawing, he is now an aspiring artist and is especially gifted with pencil and ink mediums and has a very impressive portfolio. Dee is also an avid fan of music and enjoys everything from rap and hip hop to jazz and classic rock. Being a true music aficionado you will have a difficult time coming up with a song that Dee doesn’t and know well! Dee spent many years working in some of the cities finest restaurants. Working in the hospitality industry taught Dee the true meaning of customer service and customer satisfaction. Dee is also a musician. He plays the bass guitar and is also a songwriter. With this combination of excellent customer service skills and vast musical knowledge Dee has emerged as one of the hottest DJ’s in the area. Dee began DJ’ing as an extension of his creative process and when Tommy Austein, owner of Dingo Entertainment, saw him performing in a local club he knew he wanted to add him to his roster of entertainers. Dee says that he has never been able to express himself quite as freely as when he is DJ’ing and that the most satisfying feeling he has ever experienced is seeing the smiles on his customers face’s when thanking him for such an incredible event. Dee has the skill set and personality to take your event or special occasion to the next level. If you’re looking to hire a DJ, you can rest easy knowing you are in capable hands. Dee Thompson is the DJ you need.

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Keith Dinkins

Keith has spent his 28 years in the musically diverse city of Memphis, TN.
Growing up with a nationally acclaimed award winning father (Ken), Keith picked up on many styles of music. He played in "Jam" style bands and was successful in touring with a heavy-thrash metal band as a bass player as well. While Al Green and Temptations albums fill his cd case and hard drive, it is Keith"s diversity that causes him to stand out among other entertainers. "I believe that diversity is a strong key to success", stated Keith. Keith first met Tommy Austein, owner of Dingo Entertainment when one of his bands played a large music festival that Tommy produced in 2003. Tommy noticed that Keith stood out as a talented and energetic person right away. "There was something about that kid", Tommy proclaimed. As Keith continued to progress, he stayed in touch with Tommy. Tommy then offered Keith the opportunity to work as a Dingo DJ. Keith saw the chance for a fun and exciting way to keep music prevalent in his life and jumped at the opportunity. "My greatest joy is watching the audience have a great time enjoying their event the way it should be... worry free."

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John Lehman

John has had a lifelong passion for music of all styles. As a small child, he would stand in front of his grandparents' stereo and "conduct" to the recordings of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra; he has a dim memory of actually getting to go backstage and meet the late maestro when he was about 4 years old. He played the clarinet in his grade school band, and began playing the guitar when he was 13, having discovered rock music. John studied jazz performance guitar at Chicago's American Conservatory of Music, and was the guitarist for local big band The Memphis Knights for 3 years. One of his best assets is a powerful, clear and rich speaking voice, which makes him an excellent choice for emcee events. John and Tommy Austein, Dingo's founder, have known each other for almost 20 years; John was among the crew tapped to work the very first DingoFest in 1999, and continued to work the music festivals until 2003. When Dingo made the move to the DJ/Event Host market, John was one of the festival crew who took the opportunity to learn the new skills. Currently John is in his last semester of study at Southwest Tennessee Community College's Radiologic Technology program, and will graduate as a diagnostic X-ray tech in May of 2012. John's personality is not an "in your face, over the top" type of host, but he's warm and genuine, with a good sense of humor, and likes to see a crowd having fun.

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Rachel Haughton

Rachel Haugton joined the stable of Dingo Entertainers in the summer of 2002. She is a multi-talented performer who’s vocal abilities have taken here all across the country performing with local acts such as The Big Bang, Velvet Boogie Shoes and Mean Green Music Machine to national and international stars such as Sammy Hager. She has also performed on luxury cruise ships where high energy and crowd interaction is a must. Rachel is also an amazing actress and has stared lead roles in such films as the famous John Landis’ Slasher documentary. She was voted Miss Hawaiian tropic of Tennessee in 2004 and has been a member of the USA International Bikini team for several seasons. She has also modeled for numerous television and print ads. Rachel’s love for entertaining led her to DJ’ing in 2002 when she met Tommy Austein at an event he was hosting. Tommy noticed her enthusiasm for the crowd immediately and asked Rachel if she would like to an apprenticeship as a DJ, Rachel accepted right away. She has been with Dingo Entertainment every since and have entertained at countless wedding receptions and corporate events across the Mid-South. Rachel’s poise and attention to detail make her a perfect choice for your special event.

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Shannon Harris

Shannon is well known for being one of Memphis’ finest musicians and DJs. He found his calling when he sat down behind a drum set at the age of 14, picked up the drum sticks and starting playing right away. He began his entertainment career in his early teens and remains to be one of the most eclectic drummers in the Mid South. Performing in concert halls and clubs all over the country, Shannon gained immeasurable experience and knowledge running sound and lights. Having been friends for several years when Tommy needed an audio engineer for his first Dingofest, Shannon was the first person he went to. Knowing the enormity of the undertaking, Shannon reluctantly agreed. Shannon has been with Dingo Entertainment every since. Whether consulting on gear for live racks or the right microphone for a certain application; Tommy has continually turned to Shannon for his years of experience and knowledge of audio equipment. Having entertained from behind the drum kit for over a decade and a half Shannon decided to give DJ’ing a try and in no time was a top performer. With his years of experience and finesse with audio gear, his love and passion for music and his delightful personality and poise he is sure to enhance any event.

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Eddie Riley

Eddie joined the roster of entertainers at Dingo Entertainment in November of 2006. Eddie grew up and went to school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He attended Greene County Tech where he was Senior Class President and graduated with honors. Eddie has always had a love for music and became a synthesizer enthusiast as a teenager. With his love of music and knowledge of electronic equipment it came as no surprise that Eddie had a natural ability with musical electronics and equipment. He began apprenticing and running sound at events at a young age and has been working in the entertainment industry every since. Eddie moved to Memphis in 2004 to be closer to family and friends. Shortly after moving to Memphis Eddie started working as a service and installation coordinator specialist at Muzak, one of the largest commercial audio companies in the world. Armed with a warm and charming personality and knowledge of music and audio equipment; Eddie will make sure that your special event goes just the way you always dreamed. Eddie also donates much of his time to those in need. Having done hundreds of hours of humanitarian work in Nashville, Tn; Oklahoma City, Ok and far off places such as Nicaragua. So whether it is a corporate function or your wedding day, Eddie; with his pleasing personality and dedication to perfection is sure to go the extra mile and do what it takes to ensure you and your guests enjoy every moment of your special event.

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Luis Lerma

Luis Lerma is a native of El Paso Texas. Luis grew up surrounded by music and started playing guitar at a very early age. Coming from Hispanic lineage, Luis had a love and natural skill at Latino, classical and of course main stream guitar styles. After taking a few lessons Luis was off and running with the acoustic guitar and could pick out pretty much any song he heard on the radio. Luis moved to Memphis in the summer of 1998 to be closer to family and friends. With his natural musical abilities Luis began DJ’ing and playing music at some of his friend’s parties and other events within the Hispanic community. Luis was playing guitar and DJ’ing at Fiesta De Primavera Latina (Latin Spring Festival) in the spring of 2007 when "Memphis" Mike Schalk caught the end of one his sets. Noticing his natural talent and ability to entertain the crowd Mike introduced himself and asked Luis if he would be interested in some steady work in the entertainment field. When Mike told Tommy about the impressive show Luis had put on Tommy knew he had to add him to his roster of performers. Being fluent in English and Spanish and with the growing Hispanic community in the Memphis area; Tommy says, "Luis has been an invaluable addition to our rooster, we have secured contracts that we would not have gotten without Luis on our team.

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