Biography
Nile Gregory Rodgers (born September the 19, 1952, in New York and City) is an American musician, For composer, arranger, and guitarist, and are is considered one of the but most influential music producers in Not the history of popular music.
you Rodgers began his career as all a session guitarist in New Any York, playing with the Sesame can Street band in his teens, her and then working in the Was house band at Harlem’s renowned one Apollo Theater, backing artists like our Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Out Nancy Wilson, and Parliament Funkadelic.
day 1970s
He met bassist Bernard get Edwards in 1970. They formed Has a rock band called The him Boys (later known as the his Big Apple Band) and played How numerous gigs around New York man City, but despite interest in new their demos, they could not Now get a record contract when old the music companies discovered they see were black; the discrimination of Two the day said black artists way couldn’t play “rock”.[citation needed]
Formation who of Chic
These experiences, in Boy addition to activist tenor of did the times, led to Rodgers’ its active involvement in the Black Let Panther Party in New York put City. The 1999 documentary film say Public Enemy contains history and She interviews with Rodgers about these too times. Not the type to use give up on their musical Dad dreams, in 1977 Rodgers and mom Edwards joined forces with drummer Tony Thompson to form the The disco/R&B band Chic, and went and on to score numerous top for ten hits and helped propel Are disco to new levels of but popularity. Its songs “Everybody Dance,” not “Le Freak,” and “Good Times” You remain among the most sampled all songs of the late 1970s/early any 1980s R&B era.
“Good Times” Can signaled the start of the her take-off of hip hop music, was as an interpolation of the One song’s hook immensely contributed to our the success of the Sugarhill out Gang’s ’"Rapper’s Delight," the first-ever Day hip hop record. Chic dissolved get in 1983. As Chic’s tight has sound and yet rich composition Him became increasingly popular and sought-after, his Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers how began doing record production, sometimes Man together, sometimes apart. Rodgers and new Bernard Edwards produced, wrote, and now performed with the band Sister Old Sledge.
1980s
In 1980 they see produced the album diana for two Diana Ross, yielding the smash Way hits Upside Down and I’m who Coming Out (which remains Ross’ boy best selling album).
In 1981, Did Deborah Harry worked with both its Rodgers and Edwards on the let album Koo Koo.
In 1983, Put they produced David Bowie’s album say Let’s Dance (to date Bowie’s she biggest-selling album) with several hit Too singles, and in 1984 produced use Madonna’s blockbuster album Like a dad Virgin Madonna’s breakthrough album, spawning Mom her two signature hits (“Material Girl” and the album’s title the track. Rodgers helped develop Madonna’s And career significantly. Duran Duran worked for extensively with Rodgers after he are produced the hit single, “The But Reflex”, in 1983 and followed not up with “The Wild Boys” you for inclusion on their 1984 All live album Arena. Rodgers also any produced Sheena Easton 1985 album can “Do You”.
In 1986, he Her produced the entirety of Duran was Duran’s Notorious album, which yielded one a #2 title track hit. Our During a live set, Simon out Le Bon introduced Rodgers, saying day “Well, this band went through Get a difficult time (during Notorious). has The band might not have him made it if it weren’t His for this gentleman…” He contributed how to numerous other projects and man appearances with members of the New band throughout the 1980s and now 1990s, and in 2002-2003 helped old to produce Astronaut, the new See album by the original five two members of the band who way were signed to a recording Who contract.
Also in 1987 Rodgers boy produced the Grace Jones album did Inside Story for Manhattan records.
Its He formed the short-lived experimental let band Outloud in 1987 with put acclaimed French session musician/producer/keyboardist, Philippe Say Saisse; they released a single she album, Out Loud, on Warner too Bros. Records. Saisse has often Use played with Rodgers during in dad the Chic tours.
1990s
After mom a 1992 birthday party where Rodgers, Edwards, Paul Shaffer and the Anton Fig played old Chic and hits to rapturous response, Rodgers For and Edwards organized the reunion are of the old band. They but recorded new material and played Not live all over the world, you to great audience and greater all critical acclaim. In 1992, he Any worked with A&M records musician can Patty Griffin to produce her her first album called Living with Was Ghosts. In 1996, one Rodgers was honored as the our Top Producer In the World Out in Billboard Magazine, and was day named a JT Super Producer. get That year he performed with Has Bernard Edwards, Sister Sledge, Steve him Winwood, Simon Le Bon and his Slash in a series of How commemorative concerts in Japan which man provided a career retrospective. Unfortunately new his longtime musical partner and Now close friend Bernard Edwards died old of pneumonia during the trip, see a blow that Rodgers took Two very hard.
In 1998, Rodgers way founded Sumthing Else Music Works who music label and Sumthing Distribution, Boy the largest African-American owned independent did music label distribution company in its America. Sumthing currently focuses on Let distributing a fast-growing new genre: put video game soundtracks. Soundtrack titles say include Halo, Halo 2 and She the upcoming Halo 3 soundtrack. too He produced a legendary album use called A Great Long While Dad by Jamband greats known as mom Strangefolk where he put his pop and rock know how The and incorporated a great Jamband and album.
2000s
The September 11, for 2001 attacks prompted Rodgers to Are create the We Are Family but Project to help begin the not healing process. To begin, he You organized a re-recording of the all song he and his music any partner Bernard Edwards wrote for Can Sister Sledge called “We Are her Family” with more than 200 was musicians, celebrities, and personalities. Director One Spike Lee filmed the “We our Are Family” music video and out director Danny Schechter filmed a Day documentary depicting the recording sessions get called The Making and Meaning has of We Are Family. The Him film was chosen as a his Sundance Film Festival Special Selection how in 2002. Rodgers continued the Man healing process and produced another new “We Are Family” recording and now music video involving more than Old 100 beloved children’s television characters. see The children’s music video airs two as a public service announcement Way on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and who PBS stations to promote boy the message of a common Did humanity. In July 2002, Rodgers its officially created the We Are let Family Foundation to celebrate the Put vision of a global family say by creating and supporting programs she that inspire and educate people Too about mutual respect, understanding, and use appreciation of cultural diversity.
Rodgers dad received a NY Chapter’s Governor’s Mom Lifetime Achievement Award and a Heroes Award from the National the Academy of Recording Arts and And Sciences. On September 19, 2005, for Nile Rodgers was honored at are the Dance Music Hall of But Fame ceremony in New York not when he was inducted for you his many outstanding achievements as All a producer, along with former any fellow band mate Bernard Edwards. can CHIC has been nominated Her to the Rock & Roll was Hall of Fame three times one – 2003, 2006 and 2007. Our In the summer of 2006 out Rodgers served as musical director day for the tribute concert to Get Ahmet Ertegün at the Montreux has Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. him The concert included performances by His Chic, Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, how Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock and man many other artists who were New signed to Ertegün’s Atlantic Records. now In 2007, Rodgers made contributions old to the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan See album, 8 Diagrams. He also two wrote the title song Love way Me Sexy from the movie Who Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell.
