Frankie Knuckles Dead At 59

Frankie Knuckles From Rolling Stone

Condolences to the family and friends of house-music giant FRANKIE KNUCKLES, who died YESTERDAY afternoon (3/31) of complications from diabetes at age 59.

ROLLING STONE reports KNUCKLES, "one of the Eighties and Nineties' most prolific house music producers and remixers, Knuckles is, hands down, one of the dozen most important DJs of all time. At his CHICAGO clubs THE WAREHOUSE (1977-82) and POWER PLANT (1983-85), KNUCKLES’ marathon sets, typically featuring his own extended edits of a wide selection of tracks from disco to post-punk, R&B to synth-heavy Eurodisco, laid the groundwork for electronic dance music culture -- all of it."

Neil Portnow, Cary Vance Remember Frankie

GRAMMY Winner FRANKIE KNUCKLES was a legendary producer, remixer and DJ who was a pioneer of house music," THE RECORDING ACADEMY Pres./CEO NEIL PORTNOW noted in a statement. "His role in combining elements of disco, electronic sound, soul and synth into a new genre earned him the title “Godfather of House Music.” His electrifying remixes and high-energy performances on the turntables packed clubs for decades, and he inspired a generation of DJs, bringing house music to the mainstream. As a remixer, he worked with a number of artists including WHITNEY HOUSTON, MICHAEL JACKSON and DIANA ROSS, and won a GRAMMY Award for Remixer Of The Year, Non-Classical in its inaugural year in 1997. We also remember him fondly as an elected leader of THE RECORDING ACADEMY. We have lost a true visionary and a treasured talent, and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, his fans and all who were, and continue to be, inspired by his passion and genius."

"I had the honor and privilege of working with FRANKIE KNUCKLES during my tenure at VIRGIN RECORDS,' ALL ACCESS Dance Editor CARY VANCE  said. "I promoted "The Whistle Song" in 1991, which was one of the greatest and most memorable songs that FRANKIE KNUCKLES created. Aside from being one of the greatest DJs ever, FRANKIE was one of the most sincere and down-to-earth people that I ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. I don't think there ever was a time that I, or anyone, saw FRANKIE without a smile on his face, and that beautiful smile will be missed by music fans all over the world."

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