Nearly four years have gone by since the untimely passing of Frankie Knuckles (a.k.a. “The Godfather of House Music”), but the producer and DJ was the kind of prominent figure that Chicago won’t soon forget. In the years since his death, Knuckles has been honored with graffiti murals, an enormous house music party in Millennium Park and a permanent home for his record collection in the archives of the Stony Island Arts Bank.
One of the most heartfelt tributes to Knuckles is the annual For Frankie party, which takes over Metro and Smart Bar on Sunday, January 14. The building-wide event takes place within days of Knuckles’s birthday (January 18) and serves as a benefit for the Frankie Knuckles Foundation, an organization that helps fund school music programs, AIDS research, diabetes research and fights against LGBTQ homelessness.
During the For Frankie event, DJs Derrick Carter, Ron Trent and Mike Dunn will headline the main stage at Metro—a venue that Knuckles performed at during its opening weekend 35 years ago. Downstairs at Smart Bar, Michael Serafini, Garrett David, Shaun J. Wright and Eris Drew (residents at the weekly Queen party) will spin records while hosts Lucy Stoole, Nico, Jojo Baby, Valentine Addams and Beverly Lately entertain the crowd.
The house music party begins at 10pm on Sunday, January 14—tickets are $20 in advance via Metro’s website and $25 at the door.
