This local English teacher has an after-school DJ side gig
When she isn’t teaching ninth graders Shakespeare at her alma mater Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Leah Roberts Smith might be found playing a gig as The Lady DeeJay at a local market, party or festival. Although it’s a shock to some of her students, spinning tracks has been a part of Smith’s life for a long time.
Smith says the transition from teacher to entertainer happens naturally for her.
“I’ll leave school, and I tell myself, ‘OK, I’m no longer Mrs. Smith. Tonight I have a gig. I’ll go take a nap, and I’m going to wake up as The Lady DeeJay.’ And that’s when I get up and find a little vintage dress, put that on, pull up my hair, and load 100-something pounds worth of equipment in my car and go,” she says.
Smith’s father was a DJ in the ‘80s. As a kid, she watched—and assisted—as he played at weddings, class reunions and parties across the Capital Region. He also hosted a few local radio shows. This early start only fueled her love for radio and the DJ space.
Smith picked up hosting radio shows for WBRH, Baton Rouge Magnet High School’s station, when she was in high school herself. Now she still hosts shows and mentors students who are looking to learn more about broadcast and radio at WBRH. Smith also has a show on Baton Rouge Community Radio, WHYR.
Smith’s The Lady DeeJay persona came about when her DJ career was gaining momentum. She says calling herself “Lady” was distinctive because there weren’t many female DJs around at the time. The old-school spelling of deejay was chosen to reference the original disc jockey name, since she exclusively spins vinyl.
Vinyl has been a vital part of Smith’s career as a DJ and is the root of her love of music in general.
“There’s a warm feeling to it. We hear the crackles and pops—and some techno people get upset—but that’s part of the aspect of music. It’s just playing from the vinyl itself.” Smith says.
By using records, Smith says she sets herself apart from typical DJs. Not just because she carries around a turntable instead of an electronic sound board, but because vinyl influences the type of music she plays. Many of her records were inherited from her father and include hits from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. She combines these retro albums with more modern hits to create her own unique mix.
“Somebody once joked, ‘I can’t believe you went from Dolly Parton to Otis Redding to LL Cool J,’” Smith says. “If I can throw in something that makes you perk an ear up and say, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard this’ or ‘This isn’t expected, but it works,’ that’s what I enjoy doing.”
For Smith, sharing this joy through music is also a connection to the man who sparked her love for it when she was a kid.
“When I do a live gig, I’m still playing my father’s records. My Clifton Chenier has ‘Will Roberts’ written across the top because that’s my daddy’s record. And I’m going to play some Clifton Chenier at almost every show. For me, it’s, in a sentimental way, a connection back to my dad.” @theladydeejay
This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
