Frankie Knuckles is a famous American DJ. In 2005, he was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. The musician was born in the Bronx, New York. As a child, he attended many electronic music concerts with his friend Larry Levan. In the early 70s, friends decided to become DJs themselves.
By the end of the decade, Frankie moved with his family to Chicago. There he got a job at the Warehouse club. They quickly appreciated the new DJ's love of experimentation, so they began to allow him more than others. And they loved Knuckles primarily for his love for different styles of music. He regularly added segments of rock music, European synthesizers, etc. to the tracks. This is how the artist managed to promote his name.
And already in 1982, Knuckles opened his own club. A year later, he purchased his first drum machine. Along with this, he made new friends. Frankie met Derrick May and Ron Hardy.
Together, the musicians experimented a lot, discovering the genre of house music. In 1987, this direction began to spread around the world. In parallel with this, Frankie Knuckles helped other artists.
The popularity of Frankie Knuckles
After the success of 1987, Frankie's career took off. This opened up new possibilities that affected Knuckles' work. The musician spent more time on tour. He also began collaborating with Jose Gomez and Jamie Princip. Together with them, Knuckles recorded his famous song "Your Love".
Frankie continued to meet famous musicians of the time. Chip E was especially influential on his career and creativity. Together with the producer, Frankie exchanged experiences.
In the 90s of the last century, Frankie began by recording remixes. The most famous of them were made in collaboration with John Poppo and David Moralles. These compositions also led to a significant event in Frankie's life. Knuckles released his first album Beyond the Mix.
Surprisingly, Frankie had only made singles before. He released his first album with Virgin Records in 1991. The audience positively perceived the record of the musician. It peaked at number 4 on the US charts.
In the wake of success, Frankie continued to tour. People really liked his remixes filled with references to various musicians. By that time, Knuckles had already accumulated a decent series of tracks for the songs of Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and other performers.
Around the same time, the musician released another album, Welcome to the Real World. And in 2004, a third appeared. Songs from them became cult, going beyond the musical world. They began to be used even in games. And the most famous case is "Your Love" in GTA San Andreas. There she could be heard by turning on the radio station on the wave "SF-UR".
Death and legacy of Frankie Knuckles
But the rampant lifestyle began to affect the musician. Knuckles developed type 2000 diabetes in the 2014s. In parallel with this, Frankie badly injured his leg while snowboarding. It was impossible to solve the case without amputation. Then treatment continued, but in XNUMX, Knuckles died from the disease.
To show respect for Knuckles' work, a year later it was decided to release a posthumous compilation. He greatly influenced the music world, opening up a new genre to the world. A street in Chicago was even named after Frankie (Frenkie Knuckles Street). Also, the musician managed to star in several little-known films.
But best of all, people's attitude to the musician's work is noticeable in Chicago. There, August 25 is considered the day of Frankie Knuckles. And it was initiated by Bark Obama, who at that time was a senator.
Awards
In 1997, Frankie Knuckles received a Grammy Award. He won the Non-Classical Music Director of the Year nomination. The DJ was also included in the list of honorary members of the Dance Music Hall of Fame.
Frankie Knuckles Personal Life
In the personal life of the singer, not everything is so smooth. In the 1970s, Knuckles served two years for drug addiction. According to rumors, he continued to use them further. Little is known about Frank's personal life. Only that the popular musician was never in official relations. Frankie made no secret of the fact that he was gay. The musician even got a place in the LGBT Hall of Fame, which is based in Chicago.
Interesting stories about Frankie Knuckles
Frankie's fame was given not only by his work, but also by scandals. For example, in 2000 the government passed an "anti-rave ordinance". It said that all club owners, promoters, and DJs were fined $10 for attending unlicensed parties. Of course, Frankie got caught on one of those.
History of house music and Frankie Knuckles
According to rumors, the name of a new genre in the world of music comes from the club where Frankie started his career. The musician decided to take the last part. After that, house music appeared.
Despite his cultural significance, Frankie was not even included in the top 10 DJs according to DJ Magazine. The highest position is 23. The first time the musician was noted in 1997.
And the drum machine that helped Frankie become so successful, he got by accident. His friend (Darrick May) had a new TR-909. And he urgently needed money to pay the rent. Frankie Knuckles decided to help a friend, at the same time replenishing his collection with an instrument. In the future, it was on it that the musician wrote his brightest hits.
