Mark Ronson Celebrates ‘Night People’ at NYC Hotspot Chez Nous

Mark Ronson recently marked his 50th birthday in New York while also celebrating the publication of his memoir, Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City. The evening brought together longtime friends, collaborators and figures from the music and cultural worlds.

David Kuhn, Ronson’s literary agent, hosted the evening at Chez Nous — the restaurant he helped open inside the historic Marlton Hotel in Greenwich Village. In his remarks, Kuhn recalled meeting Ronson decades ago, when the future producer was a teenager cutting his teeth behind club turntables and already standing out in scenes that mixed uptown polish with downtown edge.

Kuhn described the household in which Ronson was raised — the gatherings hosted by his mother, Ann Dexter-Jones — as a formative environment, one that could have turned another person cynical or complacent. Instead, Kuhn said, Ronson emerged curious, hardworking, grateful and grounded, qualities that have driven both his artistry and his collaborations.

Though music memoirs are often shaped with the help of co-writers, Kuhn said it became clear that Ronson could tell his own story. He praised Ronson’s gift for narrative: the clarity of self-reflection, a knack for scene and dialogue, precise recall, and a generous perspective that suited the memoir form.

Ronson initially debated whether to bring on a co-author, but he and Kuhn ultimately decided he should write in his own voice, assembling memories and anecdotes directly on the page. The book aims to evoke the texture of 1990s New York — a milieu Ronson wanted younger readers to understand — and to honor the musicians, DJs and mentors who shaped his musical education, many of whom no longer live.

As Ronson has noted in interviews, one of the enduring appeals of DJing is the ability to use musical intuition to transform a room: to read a crowd, curate moments and create collective joy. In book form, he said, he hoped to replicate that intimacy, speaking directly to readers the way a well-sequenced set speaks to dancers on a floor.

The event’s soundtrack mirrored the book itself: the party playlist curated every song mentioned in Night People and arranged them in the same order they appear in the memoir. Guests enjoyed signature “Mark-aritas” while gathered in the restaurant’s intimate booths. Attendees included Elle Fanning, Derek Blasberg, Cey Adams, Guy Oseary, Carmen D’Alessio, Premier, DJ Stretch Armstrong, Lysa Cooper, Steve Lewis, Belinda Becker, Andrew Jarecki, Jen Gatien, Amy Sedaris, Naomi Fry, Jenny Dembrow, Isabella Massenet, Nicky Campbell, Pamela Hanson and others.

Listen to the party playlist (it includes every song referenced in the book, sequenced as they appear): Mark Ronson — Night People playlist on Spotify.

Below are photos from the launch and celebration.

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