Legendary, Frankie Knuckles known affectionally as the “godfather of house music”– a style of dance music that revolutionized club culture in the ‘70s and ‘80s and still surges around the world today.
Knuckles died Monday at the age of 59, confirmed by his longtime business partner, Frederick Dunson said in an email that Knuckles “died unexpectedly this afternoon at home.” Knuckles was not just a house music producer he would go on to mix records by major artists such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Depeche Mode.
Knuckles begin DJing in New York City, then moved to Chicago in the late ‘70s and developed a reputation as one of the city’s most influential dance-music innovators. Arriving in Chicago just as disco was losing momentum.
Knuckles was mentored by beloved DJ Larry Levan in the early ‘70s while in New York. He took his teachings and new spinning techniques to the midwest, where is settled in Chicago and became know as “the godfather of Chicago house music” at the Warehouse and later the Power Plant.
He would take soul and R&B records and turn them into hot dance tracks, and remix new singles being produced by other house music producers and incorporate drum machines to accentuate the beat.
Knuckles was primarily known as a DJ, but he also played a key role as a dance music cultural creator, talent scout and producer. A known fact that, Knuckles bought his first drum machine from Derrick May, one Detroit’s founders of techno music.
In 2004, Chicago named a street after Knuckles where the old Warehouse once stood, on Jefferson Street between Jackson Boulevard and Madison Street. The Illiniois state senator who helped make it happen whom now is the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
In 2005, Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his accomplishments.
Knuckles has transitioned from our “club house” to a “heavenly house”. His music will continue to inspire, teach through his vinyl creations that continues to transcends across many music genres.
The first-ever Hipsqueak Awards to honor Chicago’s best in family-friendly arts, entertainment and advocacy, was recently given to Chicago legend, Ella Jenkins . Time Out Chicago critics honored Jenkins, 88, of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, for her decades of “trailblazing work in the children’s music genre” – a passion that continues to this day. Born in St. Louis in 1924, Jenkins grew up on Chicago’s South Side. She received a bachelor of arts in sociology with a minor in child psychology from San Francisco State University, and began writing children’s songs. In the 1950’s she was invited on “The Totem Club,” a children’s program broadcast by WTTW-Channel 11. I would like to make an observation in addition to the obvious impact she has on her community and the world. Pre-civil rights movement, working as an equal as a black person presented many challenges, even for those living in northern “free” states.
Jenkins soon became host of a Channel 11 program called “This Is Rhythm,” and later signed with Folkways Records, which released her first album, “Call and Response: Rhythmic Group Singing” in 1957. She won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
“godfather of house music”– a style of dance music that revolutionized club culture in the ‘70s and ‘80s and still surges around the world today.
“godfather of house music”– a style of dance music that revolutionized club culture in the ‘70s and ‘80s and still surges around the world today.
Knuckles was primarily known as a DJ, but he also played a key role as a dance music cultural creator, talent scout and producer. A known fact that, Knuckles bought his first drum machine from Derrick May, one Detroit’s founders of techno music.
Warehouse once stood, on Jefferson Street between Jackson Boulevard and Madison Street. The Illiniois state senator who helped make it happen whom now is the President of the United States, Barack Obama.