On June 3 the city of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events paid tribute to the late, great Frankie Knuckles by hosting a house music jam in the city’s Millennium Park located in downtown Chicago.
Thousands of house music fans, affectionately known as “House Heads,” filled the park to capacity and were greeted by the opening words of Robert Williams and Alan King. Then it was time to dance as DJs Mike Winston, Craig Loftis, Greg Gray and Elbert Phillips all spun inspired sets in celebration of Frankie that kept the crowd moving and grooving until city officials closed the park down.
Knuckles, known as the Godfather of house music, died on March 31 from complications related to Type II diabetes. The Grammy Award-winning musician is widely credited with singlehandedly popularizing house music in Chicago during the 1980s. In 2004, the city named a street after him and declared Aug. 25 as “Frankie Knuckles Day.” Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
Check out the photo gallery below for pictures of the event.
