Frankie Knuckles

Frankie Knuckles
Knuckles in 2012
Background information
Birth nameFrancis Warren Nicholls Jr.
Born(1955-01-18)January 18, 1955
New York City, U.S.
DiedMarch 31, 2014(2014-03-31) (aged 59)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • remixer
Instruments
Years active1975–2014
LabelsVirgin

Francis Warren Nicholls Jr. (January 18, 1955[1][2] – March 31, 2014), known professionally as Frankie Knuckles, was an American DJ, record producer, and remixer.[3] He played an important role in developing and popularizing house music, a genre of music that began in Chicago during the early 1980s and subsequently spread worldwide. In 1997, Knuckles won the Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical. Due to his importance in the development of the genre, Knuckles was often called "The Godfather of House Music".[4]

  1. ^ Slotnick, Daniel E. (April 2, 2014). "Frankie Knuckles, 59, Pioneer House D.J., Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  2. ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (April 1, 2014). "Frankie Knuckles, Godfather of House Music, Dead at 59". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  3. ^ Barnes, Marcus (November 28, 2012). "Frankie Knuckles: An extended chat with the Godfather of House". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  4. ^ "Frankie Knuckles". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2012.