Chris Hill is a Britishdisc jockey. He worked at the club Lacy Lady in Ilford, as well as at the Goldmine Canvey Island. He was the head of the 'Soul Mafia' in London and the South East of England into the early 1980s. In 1975 he released a "break-in" novelty record, in the style of Dickie Goodman, called "Renta Santa", which became a hit single in the UK during the Christmas season. The record peaked at No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart in December of that year. The following year, he released "Bionic Santa", cut with audio segments in a similar style; this record also peaked at No. 10 in December 1976. Both tracks, which included snippets of other hits of the time, were released on the Philips label, marketed by Phonogram. During the 1970s, working with Havering Council, he promoted a series of concerts at the Upminster New Windmill Hall, although a small venue he attracted acts like Thin Lizzy, Roxy Music and The Pretenders. Roxy Music had just released "Virginia Plain" and their performance coincided with it climbing the charts. Hill was keen to use local bands as support including Castle Farm and After the Fire who went on to become moderately successful in the United States. His final release, "Disco Santa", again in the same style, at Christmas 1978, failed to chart. Hill remains a DJ and until 2011 ran the Lacy Lady in Ilford. Hill also has a major involvement in the Caister Soul Weekenders with his longtime event collaborator and music promoterBrian Rix. Having completed a second stint back on Canvey's Goldmine in the early 1980s, Hill decided to quit the club scene in 1985 and concentrate on his Ensign duties with Sinéad O'Connor whom he had recently discovered. In 1987, he was offered a weekend job in Hamburg on Radio 107 and created SoulBeat, which made him a celebrity in Germany. When O'Connor's worldwide hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" happened in 1989, Hill looked set for a quiet retirement from club life, until fellow DJ Gary Dennis suggested he return to his old Essex roots. Re-opening The Lacy Lady at The Kings, Ilford, they set about rebuilding a scene that had all but collapsed under the attack of rave, house and every other dance craze. The Lacy Lady's club at the Kings in Seven Kingsclosed in 1980.
