JONATHAN A. HORVATH

HORVATH JONATHAN A. HORVATH Jonathan A. Horvath, 40, of Washington, DC, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2015 in Kamloops, British Columbia, after a brief illness. Affectionately known as Jono, he was deeply loved by his family and friends. Jono was an accomplished DJ, an avid electronic composer and co-founder of the DC-based record label Fort Knox Recordings. His numerous loyal fans and colleagues in music knew him as "DJ JonH." Born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1975 to Karen and Jules Horvath, Jono spent much his childhood overseas - Korea, Great Britain, Ivory Coast - and later in Reston, Virginia where he graduated from South Lakes High School in 1993. He attended West Virginia Wesleyan College before discovering the joys of electronic music, drum and base and funk in the mid-1990s. From then on Jono channeled his boundless energy and passion for music into a new career as a DJ, working relentlessly to find and share his sound. His devotion to creating and performing music culminated in the founding, along with several partners, of Fort Knox Five in 2003. The label is distinguished for its groundbreaking funk and soul sound and frequent collaborations with guest artists. To share his music, Jono toured extensively all over North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2005 he was opening DJ on Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour throughout North America. He frequently appeared at prominent festivals including Burning Man, the Merritt Music Festival, Shambalaa and local favorites like Eighteenth Street Lounge and Tropicalia in DC, bringing joy to his fans. Jono received much praise and recognition from fans and fellow DJs for his creativity and ability to energize his audience. As one of his DJ colleague's eloquent tribute observes: Jono's "passion, his humor and his charisma helped to define and connect the entire scene. He was a rockstar with none of the trappings. A ravenous musical explorer and a fiercely self-critical perfectionist at his craft;...the central, charismatic driving force in an underground movement that seemed to be gamely struggling against the global grain of mainstream music." Jono married, Pamela Mason of Squamish, British Columbia, in 2007. In Pamela, Jono found a soul mate and an adventurous creative partner who shared his passion for music, travel and long hikes with their dog Mika in the wilderness of British Columbia. Pamela passed away in late 2011. Jono, a loving son and brother, is survived by his father Jules Horvath of Reston, VA and Adam Horvath and family of Chevy Chase, MD. His affectionate presence, cheerful vitality, sense of humor and readiness to help others will be deeply missed. His spirit lives on in his music and in the hearts of his loyal fans. A gathering to celebrate Jono's life will be held at the Eighteenth Street Lounge,1212 18th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036, on Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m., followed by a brief reception. The family plans to organize a memorial service with Jono's West Coast and Canadian friends in 2016 at Tofino on Vancouver Island, Canada. Those who wish to make a donation in memory of DJ JonH may do so to MusicCares (https://www.grammy.org/musicares/donate).