SR1192 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1192 LRB098 21233 MST 59211 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Frankie Knuckles, "The Godfather of House Music"; and

WHEREAS, Frankie Knuckles received the moniker, "The Godfather of House Music", for being universally credited as a pioneer of dance music and for his role in creating modern dance music's global DJ culture; and

WHEREAS, Frankie Knuckles's tenure at the ground-breaking nightclub, The Warehouse, in the 1980s, his friendships with such legendary figures as Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan, and his work with such artists as Diana Ross and The Pet Shop Boys took him to the top of his industry; and

WHEREAS, Frankie Knuckles kept the music going with the opening of his club, the Power Plant in 1983, and by performing at some of the world's most famous clubs throughout the 1990s; in 1987, he joined Def Mix Productions and translated his love of playing music into a career in making music; he re-mixed such artists as Diana Ross, The Pet Shop Boys, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Toni Braxton; in the 1990s, he delivered the pop-crossover single "Whistle Song" and a pair of albums, "Beyond the Mix" and "Welcome to the Real World"; and

WHEREAS, In 1997, Frankie Knuckles became the first DJ to be crowned with the newly created Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year; former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared August 25, 2004 as "Frankie Knuckles Day" and the Chicago City Council renamed the street where the legendary "Warehouse" once stood as "Frankie Knuckles Way"; and

WHEREAS, Frankie Knuckles, never one to slow down, returned to making original music in 2004 with a new album, "A New Reality", which gave him a Billboard number one hit with "Back n da Day"; in April of 2006, he created his own music company, "NOICE!", released a remix album, "DubJ's D'Light", and worked with iconic house music vocalist, Jamie Principle, on her new album; from 2011-2012, he teamed up with Eric Kupper to produce the album, "Director's Cut", which spawned 2 #1 hits; and

WHEREAS, Frankie Knuckles's legacy and love will be remembered and cherished by his family; Theria Carter, sister; Demetria, niece; Christopher Grant, brother; Julius Knuckles, brother; the Knuckles family of South Carolina and other relatives; his D/E Entertainment family; Frederick Dunson, best friend and business partner; Dennis Evans, business partner; Maurice Chaytor, assistant; Judy Weinstein, manager; David Morales, business partner; his Def Mix family; Atyani Howard, Goddaughter; Danny Alexander, Godson; and a host of fans that he brought so much joy to through his music and the dance floor; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Frankie Knuckles, "The Godfather of House Music", and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Frankie Knuckles as an expression of our deepest sympathy.