Frankie Knuckles
The Godfather of House. Started spinning at Continental Baths in July 1972 at age sixteen, learning the craft alongside Larry Levan. Resident DJ at the Warehouse from 1977 to 1982, later at the Power Plant. Produced early classics with Jamie Principle including 'Your Love' and 'Baby Wants to Ride.' Returned to New York in 1987 and became one of the world's most influential remixers, winning a Grammy in 1997. Released debut album *Beyond The Mix* in 1991, featuring 'The Whistle Song,' his first of four number-one hits on the US dance chart. Died in 2014 from complications related to diabetes. Chicago named a stretch of Jefferson Street 'Frankie Knuckles Way' in 2004—the block where the Warehouse once stood.
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Beyond the Mix
Knuckles' debut album in 1991, featuring 'The Whistle Song,' his first of four number-one hits on the US dance chart. The album came after Knuckles had returned to New York in 1987 and become one of the most in-demand producers and remixers on the circuit. It showed that house music could exist in album format, not just as 12-inch singles played in clubs. Knuckles brought the knowledge he'd developed in Chicago—the flow, the edit, the soulful approach—to a wider audience.