1970s–1980s Born in New York City, in
the Bronx, Knuckles and his friend
Larry Levan began frequenting
discos as teenagers. While studying
textile design at the
FIT, Knuckles and Levan began working as DJs, playing
soul, disco, and
R&B at two of the most important early discos, The
Continental Baths and The Gallery. Their DJing led them to the
Loft and the Gallery, with Levan becoming the main DJ at the Continental Baths. Knuckles, initially hesitant about the Baths, eventually began playing there until its closure in 1976. The Continental Baths, located below
the Ansonia Hotel, was an opulent gay bathhouse known for its steam rooms, swimming pool, disco, and more. Levan left in 1974, later establishing the prototype for the
Paradise Garage. where his old friend, Robert Williams, was opening what became the nightclub called
Warehouse. When the club opened in Chicago in 1977, he was invited to play on a regular basis. Knuckles accepted the offer and moved to Chicago in 1977, becoming the resident DJ at the
Warehouse, situated in Chicago's west side industrial zone. Knuckles's DJ sets at the Warehouse drew in crowds of up to 2,000 people, primarily from the black and gay demographic. In the late 1970s, as disco faced challenges, Knuckles sought ways to keep the genre alive in Chicago. He began experimenting with re-edits of songs, extending intros and breaks, and adding new beats to rejuvenate old favorites. Around 1983, Knuckles bought his first
drum machine to enhance his mixes from
Derrick May, a young DJ who regularly made the trip from Detroit to see Knuckles at the Warehouse and
Ron Hardy at the Music Box, both in Chicago. Chicago house artists were in high demand and having major success in the UK with this new genre of music. Knuckles also had a stint in New York, where he continued to immerse himself in producing, remixing, and
recording. As house music was developing in Chicago, producer
Chip E. took Knuckles under his tutelage and produced Knuckles's first recording, "You Can't Hide from Yourself". Then came more production work, including
Jamie Principle's "Baby Wants to Ride", and later "Tears" with Robert Owens (of
Fingers Inc.) and (Knuckles's protégé and future Def Mix associate)
Satoshi Tomiie. His debut album
Beyond the Mix (1991), released on
Virgin Records, contained what would be considered his seminal work, "The Whistle Song", which was the first of four number ones on the US dance chart. The Def Classic mix of
Lisa Stansfield's "
Change", released in the same year, also featured the whistle-like motif. Another track from the album, "Rain Falls", featured vocals from
Lisa Michaelis. Eight thousand copies of the album had sold by 2004. Other key
remixes from this time include his rework of the
Electribe 101 anthem "Talking with Myself" and
Alison Limerick's "
Where Love Lives". When
Junior Vasquez took a sabbatical from The Sound Factory in
Manhattan, Knuckles took over and launched a successful run as resident DJ. He continued to work as a remixer through the 1990s and into the next decade, reworking tracks from
Michael Jackson,
Luther Vandross,
Diana Ross,
Eternal and
Toni Braxton. He released several new singles, including "Keep on Movin'" and a re-issue of an earlier hit "Bac N Da Day" with Definity Records. In 1995, he released his second album titled
Welcome to the Real World. By 2004, 13,000 copies had sold. In 2004, Knuckles released a 13-track album of original material – his first in over a decade – titled
A New Reality. ==Death==