Unsung documentary spotlights Frankie Knuckles and the birth of house music
“He is the one we get all our inspiration from”
Frankie Knuckles and the birth of house music are the subjects of the recent episode in the Unsung documentary series, digging into the prominent genre’s history.
Born in an underground community populated mostly by LGBT and African American members, the house movement spawned out of disco. As Farley Jackmaster Funk says, "those songs didn’t have structure, but the beats were killing. We brought our drum machines to the club and created electronic 4/4, it just made disco sound very thunderous.”
Widely recognized as “The Godfather of House”, Knuckles, who was based in NYC before moving to Chicago, played an integral role in developing the genre during the ‘80s. His influence on the culture is still felt today, as he is credited with establishing the essence of the sound and his timeless music still stirs dancefloors into a frenzy today.
Unsung: Frankie Knuckles and The Roots of House Music features interviews with many prominent members of the early scene, including Jesse Saunders, Steve Silk Hurley, Farley Jackmaster Funk and Frankie Knuckles among others.
Watch the full documentary here.