There was a time when house music meant something. Back in the day, it wasn’t just a fun night out dancing or hitting a place just to be seen. No, the house music that Chicago’s Frankie Knuckles and New York City’s Danny Krivit ushered into the world was about something more. Perhaps there was more heart and soul in the music or maybe it was something even deeper back then. The house music these two legends purveyed united people under one roof in a way that had never been done before. Black, Latino, White, straight, gay – all enjoying the diverse sounds together. This is where inspiration is made. This is the kind of scene that ignites other scenes abroad. And so here we are in 2009…computers replaced tape and turntables…music is missing that depth. Nervous Records feels that need and called on these house music pioneers to bring it one more time. This September 22 marks the Nervous Records release of Danny Krivit 718 Sessions while Frankie Knuckles Motivation Too drops on October 20. It’s the latest and greatest battle between The Big Apple and The Second City!

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.

From: BeatPortal