Nile Rodgers

Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and composer. He is the co-founder of Chic, and has written, produced, and performed on albums that have cumulatively sold more than 500 million units and 75 million singles worldwide. Rodgers is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a three-time Grammy Award-winner, and the chairman of the Songwriters Hall of fame.

About Nile Rodgers in brief

Summary Nile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers Jr. is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and composer. He is the co-founder of Chic, and has written, produced, and performed on albums that have cumulatively sold more than 500 million units and 75 million singles worldwide. Rodgers is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a three-time Grammy Award-winner, and the chairman of the Songwriters Hall of fame. He has worked with artists including The B-52s, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, The Vaughan Brothers, Bryan Ferry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, and Daft Punk. Rodgers was born in the Lower East Side, New York City, on September 19, 1952, to Beverly Goodman. His biological father, Nile Rodgers Sr. – a traveling percussionist who specialized in Afro-Cuban beats – was rarely present as Rodgers grew up; although influential in his life, Rodgers saw his father only a \”handful of times prior to his death in 1970. Rodgers met bassist Bernard Edwards in 1970 while working as a touring musician for the Sesame Street stage show. Together they formed The Big Apple Band, and worked as back-up musicians for the vocal group New York city. As a teenager, he played guitar with African, Persian, Latin, jazz and Boogaloo bands. He became a subsection leader of the Lower Manhattan branch of the New York Black Panther Party as a teenager.

Rodgers and Edwards worked with Ashford & Simpson, Luther Vandross, Walter Murphy, Walter & Murphy, another New York artist, and many others. He was forced to change the band’s name to Chic to avoid confusion. Inspired by Roxy Music, Chic developed a sound that was a fusion of jazz, soul, funk, and European melodies with a European influence. Rodgers has written and produced music for other artists, including the songs \”He’s the Greatest Dancer\” and \”We Are Family\” for Sister Sledge and \”I’m Coming Out” for Diana Ross. He won three Grammy Awards in 2014 for his work on their album Random Access Memories, winning for Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Album, and Best Song Produced by a Duo or Group with Vocals. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song “Dance, Dance, Dance’s” on the album “Risqué,” which was released by Buddah Records in 1979. Rodgers also produced several major albums and singles for artists including David Bowie, INXS, Duran Duran and Madonna, including “Notorious” and “Like a Virgin’”. His cousin, trumpeter Robert “Spike” Mickens, was a member of hitmakers Kool and the Gang from 1964 to 1986. Rodgers played the flute and the clarinet in a band called The Boys, which played numerous gigs up and down the East Coast.