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 – March 31, 2014), known professionally as Frankie Knuckles, was an American DJ, record producer, and remixer. 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".