More Info on Frankie KnucklesSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
BLP sources|date=June 2010Original research|date=March 2011Frankie Knuckles (born January 18, 1955, New York City|New York ) is an United States|American Disc jockey|DJ , record producer and remix musician|artist . He played an important role in developing house music (an electronic, disco -influenced dance music) as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer. In 2005, Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievements as a DJ.
Career
1970s1980s
While studying textile design at FIT in Manhattan , Knuckles began working as a DJ, playing soul music|soul , disco and Rhythm and blues|R& B at The Continental Baths with fellow DJ Larry Levan .cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p12981|pure_url=yes|title=Biography: Frankie Knuckles|last=Bush|first=John|publisher= Allmusic |accessdate=8 June 2010 When he became better known, he DJed at the club Better Days. When the Warehouse (nightclub)|Warehouse club opened in Chicago in 1977, he was invited to play on a regular basis. He continued DJing there until 1982, when he started his own club, The Power Plant .
It is possible that the term 'house music' surfaced in reference to the sounds played at the Warehouse by Knuckles.Citation needed|date=March 2011 Initially it was a catch-all term to describe the wide range of music being played at the Warehouse. It soon became the word used to define the raw, drum machine based edits and tracks that Knuckles was playing in the early 1980s. Knuckles bought his first drum machine from a young Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May who regularly made the trip from Detroit to see Knuckles at the Warehouse, and Ron Hardy at the Music Box.
Knuckles also had a musical partnership with Jamie Principle , and helped put " Your Love (Frankie Knuckles song)|Your Love " and "Baby Wants to Ride" out on vinyl after these tunes had been regulars on his Reel-to-reel audio tape recording|reel-to-reel player at the Warehouse for a year.
As house music gained momentum, producer Chip E. took Knuckles under his tutelage and produced Knuckle's first recording, "You Can't Hide", featuring vocalist Ricky Dillard . Then came more production work, including Jamie Principle 's "Baby Wants to Ride", and later "Tears" with Robert Owens (of Fingers, Inc. ) and (Knuckles' protege and future Def Mix associate) Satoshi Tomiie .
Knuckles left the Warehouse to start his own club, The Power Plant, in 1983. When the Power Plant closed in 1987, he DJed for 4 months at Delirium in the UK before moving to New York.cite web|url= http://www.faithfanzine.com/? p=798 |title=Frankie Knuckles « faithfanzine |publisher=Faithfanzine.com |date=2011-04-19 |accessdate=2012-03-31 He was the featured resident DJ at The World, and also had numerous subsequent residencies, including at The Choice club.cn|date=April 2012 In New York, he immersed himself in producing, remixing and sound recording and reproduction|recording .
1990s2000s
Knuckles did a number of popular Def Classic Mix es with John Poppo as sound engineer . Knuckles partnered with David Morales on Def Mix Productions.Citation needed|date=March 2011 With several important original productions and remix es to his name, by the early 1990s, Knuckles was becoming a well-known name in the increasingly popular house music genre.cn|date=April 2012 In 1991, Knuckles' debut album Beyond the Mix , released on Virgin Records , contained his biggest chart-topper|hit to date, "The Whistle Song".Citation needed|date=March 2011 The Def Classic Mix of "Change" by Lisa Stansfield done around this period also featured the whistle like motif. Another track from the album, "Rain Falls" featured vocals from Lisa Michaelis . Key remix es from this time include his rework of the Electribe 101 anthem "Talking With Myself" and "Where Love Lives" by Alison Limerick .
As his productions and remixes were becoming more popular, and he was also breaking new ground. When Junior Vasquez took a sabbatical from Manhattan 's The Sound Factory (bar)|The Sound Factory , he took over and launched a successful run as resident DJ until Junior Vasquez|Vasquez made his return, at which point Knuckles became the resident DJ at The Sound Factory Bar . Knuckles remained part of the underground scene. Knuckles won the 1997 Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical .
Knuckles continued to work as a remixer through the 1990s and into the next decade, reworking tracks from Michael Jackson , Luther Vandross , Diana Ross , Eternal (band)|Eternal and Toni Braxton . He released several new singles, including "Keep on Movin'" and a re-issue of an earlier hit "Bac N Da Day" with Definity Records. In 2004, he released a thirteen track album of original material - his first in over a decade, entitled A New Reality , which was music journalism|critically well received. In October 2004 "Your Love" appeared in the videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , playing on house music radio station , SF-UR . On 19 September 2005, Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievement as a DJ.
Knuckles is featured in the 2006 documentary film , The UnUsual Suspects - Once Upon a Time in House Music by Chip E. , and the 2005 documentary film, Maestro by Josell Ramos.
" Blind (Hercules and Love Affair song)|Blind " Hercules & Love Affair
"You've Got the Love" The Source ft. Candi Staton
"Million Dollar Bill" Whitney Houston
See also
List of number-one dance hits (United States)
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
Def Classic Mix
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.defmix.com/wp/? page_id=47 Biography on the home page of Def Mix Productions
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Frankie+Knuckles DiscogsFrankie Knuckles discography and biography.
http://www.disco-disco.com/djs/frankie.html Disco Disco Disco disco pays respect to the godfather of house music.
http://www.grooveparlor.com/gallery/frankieknuckles/index.htm Frankie Knuckles Day Photos of Frankie Knuckles Day (August 25, 2004) in Chicago
Persondata | NAME = Knuckles, Frankie | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = January 18, 1955 | PLACE OF BIRTH = New York City|New York , New York , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Knuckles, Frankie Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:American dance musicians Category:American electronic musicians Category:American house musicians Category:Remixers Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Club DJs Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT African Americans Category:Grammy Award winners
