Frankie Knuckles
Francis Warren Nicholls, Jnr, better known as Frankie Knuckles, was born in The Bronx on January 18th, 1955.
As a teenager, he frequented well-known New York nightclubs such as The Loft and The Sanctuary, mostly with his friend Larry Levan. These were the clubs where Disco was born and where the young Knuckles became interested in DJ'ing.
The Fashion Institute of Technology is where he studied textile design in Manhattan and, on the side, started to dabble as a DJ in nightclubs.
Along with Levan, he DJ'ed at two of the most iconic discos in New York at the time, The Continental Baths and The Gallery. The pair played a mixture of music but focused mainly on soul, R & B, and Disco.
Fun fact – Bette Midler and Barry Manilow also performed regularly at The Continental Baths!
In the late 70s, he moved to Chicago, around the time his friend Robert Williams was opening a new club called The Warehouse. This was a members-only gay club predominantly for black men. Knuckles was already a successful DJ by this point.
Knuckles began to DJ at the club and became known for his mega long sets and eclectic mix of music, including Disco, R & B, Eurodisco, post-punk, indie soul, and rock.
Knuckles made his re-edits of his favorite tracks using reel-to-reel tape. Giving birth to the original house music!
The term' House Music' was first used by the record shop that Knuckles bought most of his music from importers, etc. 'House' was short for Warehouse, where Knuckles is now a well-known and respected DJ.
As Disco became more and more popular and mainstream, Knuckles moved away from playing Disco and instead sought out artists and more off-beat sounds.
Chicago radio stations began to take note of how popular Knuckles mixes were becoming, mainly a DJ called Funkin' Farley Keith, later better known as Farley Jackmaster Funk.
The Warehouse soon became so popular thanks to Knuckles that its clientele became wider (and whiter and straighter!), which increased Knuckles' popularity even more.
Knuckles eventually left The Warehouse in 1982 to set up his club, The Power Plant.
Around the same time, Knuckles met Derrick May, one of Detroit Techno's pioneers and a Belleville Three member, who sold him his first drum machine.
Knuckles' trademark of mixing the drum machine's steady beat with Disco became such an iconic sound that, before long, producers began to mimic it in the studio. Chicago house was heading for the big time.
Knuckles began working with artist Jamie Principle, and several of their songs were released by Trax records – allegedly without their permission.
House music was now so popular that it was soon gravitating across the pond to the UK.
In 1987 Knuckles moved to England briefly to DJ at DELIRIUM and Heaven and co-produced for artists such as the Pet Shop Boys.
Knuckles shunned the burgeoning 'house' and rave scene in places like Ibiza and disapproved of the association with drugs.
Through the 90's and into the 2000's he focused more on mixing and producing, working with other well-known producers such as Dave Morales.
His Def Classic Mixes were immensely popular, and the track 'The Whistle Song' went to number 1 in the US Dance chart.
He continued remixing throughout the '90s, working with artists such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Toni Braxton.
Knuckles was openly gay and was welcomed into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1996.
He developed Type II diabetes in the mid-2000s and suffered a foot injury while skiing. Due to complications from his diabetes and after not letting his wound heal sufficiently, he had to have his foot amputated.
He died in Chicago on March 31st, 2014, due to complications from his diabetes.