Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House Music, whose legend looms large over electronic music past and present, has passed away at the age of 59. While details remain vague, fellow Chicago house heroes DJ Deeon, Paul Johnson, David Morales seem to have confirmed the sad news. Knuckles got his start in New York alongside Larry Levan but relocated to Chicago in the 1970s, where he earned his brass serving as resident DJ at Chicago’s Warehouse before launching his own venue, Power Plant. And it's there in Chicago, near the site of the Warehouse, that there is a street named in his honor. He continued to DJ, produce and remix until the end, and he blessed FADER with a mix just last year; listen to or download that below. Additionally, the Twitter hashtag #RIPFrankieKnuckles is a steady stream of best ofs, deep cuts and personal favorites worth exploring.
Download: Frankie Knuckles' FADER Mix
Tracklist:
Crystallize (Director’s Cut UnMarked Dub) – Art Department
Blind (Frankie’s Unreleased Dub) – Hercules & The Love Affair
Bring Me Joy (Director’s Cut Signature Mix) – The Layabouts
Not This Time (Director’s Cut Signature Mix) – Kathy Brown
Right Now (A Director’s Cut Master Exclusive) – Inaya Day feat. Robin S.
Fable (Director’s Cut Dubreprise) – Lil Louis feat. Chinah Blac
Good People (A Director’s Cut Master Exclusive) – Marko Militano
Secret Life Of Us (Director’s Cut Classic Mix) – Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band
Bring It Back (Fuck It’s House Edit) – Furniture Crew
Let Yourself Go (Joey Negro Vocal Mix) – Director’s Cut feat. Sybil
My Melody (Morillo & Romero Dirty Mix) – Eric Morillo
Disco Revenge (White Label Promo) – KUPPER
