Juan Atkins
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Juan Atkins

DJ · Record Producer · Musician

Cybotron, Model 500 and the Belleville Three.

In memoriam · September 12, 1962 – October 31, 2026

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Overview

Juan Atkins was a Detroit DJ, producer and label owner who grew up in Belleville, Michigan, and is widely credited as one of the people who invented techno. With Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson he formed the trio known as the Belleville Three, co-founded the electro group Cybotron in the early 1980s, and later recorded as Model 500 on his own Metroplex label. He died in Mexico City in 2026 at 64.

Source for date of death: The Guardian; Resident Advisor.

Facts from Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0), summarized by PCP.

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Quick Facts

Occupation
DJ, Record Producer, Musician
Born
September 12, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan
Died
October 31, 2026
Official links
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