DJ - Frankie Knuckles

Frankie Knuckles, the man many people consider the godfather of house music, was probably one of the most well known DJs in the music scene when he was alive and pivotal to what is now one of the most popular music genres.  Born in the Bronx, New York, Knuckles listened to jazz when he was younger thanks to his sisters record collection. He was naturally creative deciding to study commercial art and costume design before taking his first job as a DJ in 1971.

A few years later Knuckles met up with Larry Levan and both of them started working at a club in New York called The Gallery. Levan left The Gallery to work at another club called the continental baths, Knuckles followed a few months later. Then Levan left again to start up his own club called the Soho Place and Knuckles continued working at Continental Baths until it was closed. Then a Robert Williams (an old friend of both) approached Levan asking him to come work in their club in Chicago, but instead of abandoning his own club he suggested he go to Frankie Knuckles instead, so he did.

Knuckles, now having moved to Chicago in 1977 and began DJing at the Warehouse, introduced the people of Chicago to the New York DJing style which included adding in beat-mixing as well as percussion fills from a separate turntable. The Warehouse was the place where Knuckles began honing his sound and style. He'd remix all different sorts of music and play his tracks to the audience including disco classics, indie-soul, European synth disco, as well as the occasional rock track creating what we now know as house music (short for the Warehouse).

Knuckles had become increasingly popular now that not only were black gay men coming to the Warehouse but straight white men were taking an interest. The Warehouse was originally a members only club but due to its increased popularity membership wasn't needed to get in. In November 1982 Knuckles having been pretty successful at the Warehouse, decided it was time to move on and started his own club a few months later The Power Plant. Derrick May, another DJ, sold Frankie a drum machine. Mixing the drum machine with disco classics, this sound is what defined the early Chicago house music scene.

In 1985 Knuckles made his first recordings with Jamie Principle. Early tracks were recorded in the Power plant DJ booth but the soon moved on to a local studio. But the music they were releasing wasn't just popular in Chicago, it had reached England. Some of the more well known songs Knuckles had released include Your Love, Baby wants to ride and the whistle song.

Knuckles continued working on his own music and others as well as remixing songs until in the early 2000s health issues and the slow decrease in popularity in his sort of house music caused him to retire. He worked on a couple new tracks due to new DJs taking inspiration from older music but he unfortunately died in 2014 due to his diabetes getting worst.

Equipment - 
2 belt driven turntables & a mixer hooked up to a sound system in the ceiling of the club.
Drum machine
Technics 1210 decks
Pioneer CDJ-2000 Nexus and also a Pioneer DJM-800 Mixer