Frankie Knuckles, a DJ who inspired millions of people to dance to house music, has had to have his leg amputated due to complications from diabetes.
Reports on the web suggest that the DJ otherwise known as the ‘godfather of house’ is in recovery after the operation, and messages of support from fans are being posted on forums as you read this.
One message from a fan read: “I can literally remember exact moments on the dance floor, what was playing, who I was dancing with, and yes, what I was wearing (hello).
“One such memory involves the classic Frankie Knuckles track, ‘The Whistle Song’. It was the last song of the night. Or, more specifically, it was the first song of the day.
“The setting was a Hunter’s Point warehouse, and the industrial gate had just been lifted, exposing the white daylight.
“Fog swirled inside the warehouse from under the gate, exchanging humid dancing air for semi-toxic fresh air.
“The DJ (sorry, I can’t remember who you were) played the ‘Whistle Song’ and everyone went nuts for a few reasons.
“One, it’s a great fucking song, the perfect, ethereal morning song. And second, how can you not go nuts when you know the party’s almost over? Didn’t we live for this shit? The party ending was something I had a hard time facing.
“Thanks for the perfect morning, Frankie Knuckles, for making me always want more.”
Born on January 18 1955, Frankie Knuckles played a crucial role in the development of house music as a DJ in Chicago in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
His DJ residency at the Warehouse club, which began in 1977, is widely credited as being the birthplace for house music.
In August 2004 Jefferson Street in Chicago was renamed ‘Frankie Knuckles Way’, as it was near the site of the Warehouse.
