Nile Rodgers

Nile Rodgers left an indelible mark on popular music that extends well beyond the distinctive “chucking” technique he perfected as a rhythm guitarist. Alongside Chic he crafted some of the era’s most forward-thinking and commercially dominant disco recordings, guiding “Le Freak” and the hip-hop catalyst “Good Times” to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 while earning platinum certifications for C’est Chic (1978) and Risqué (1979). In the decades that followed he supplied hit material for an eclectic roster of performers—Diana Ross’ “Upside Down,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” among them—while serving as a continuing touchstone for musicians who came of age long after disco’s commercial peak. Four decades after Chic’s debut he remained at the helm of the group, even after he and Bernard Edwards were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The band enjoyed a late-2010s resurgence with headline slots at festivals ranging from Essence to Glastonbury and returned to the studio for It’s About Time (2018).

Born September 19, 1952, in New York, New York, Rodgers demonstrated prodigious musical ability from an early age. By nineteen he was performing in the house band at the renowned Apollo Theatre, sharing stages with artists such as Aretha Franklin and Funkadelic. He was apparently the only participant in the Sesame Street house band who had previously been affiliated with the Black Panther Party. Restless in a supporting role, he resolved to assemble his own ensemble and soon connected with bassist Bernard Edwards, another New York City resident, in the early 1970s. The pair first collaborated in short-lived outfits including the jazz-fusion Big Apple Band and the new-wave Allah & the Knife Wielding Punks, yet their shared passion for dance music ultimately led to the formation of Chic. Drummer Tony Thompson and vocalists Norma Jean Wright and Alfa Anderson completed the initial lineup, and the group quickly secured a contract with Atlantic.

Chic swiftly dominated dance floors, releasing the 1977 album Chic along with the platinum-certified C’est Chic (1978) and Risqué (1979). Their buoyant singles—“Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),” “Le Freak,” and “Good Times”—became enduring club staples. The anti-disco backlash of the early 1980s curtailed the band’s album sales and prompted its 1983 dissolution, yet Rodgers’ production career was only gaining momentum. Even before Chic disbanded, he and Edwards had begun writing and producing outside material, delivering Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out.” Freed from band obligations, Rodgers then helmed a succession of major post-disco releases: David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, INXS’ “Original Sin,” Duran Duran’s “The Reflex” and “Notorious,” Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss, Jeff Beck’s Flash, the B-52’s’ Cosmic Thing, and the Vaughan Brothers’ Family Style, among numerous others.

During this period he also issued two solo albums—Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove (1983) and B-Movie Matinee (1985)—and composed scores for Coming to America, Earth Girls Are Easy, and Beverly Hills Cop III. In the early 1990s he and Edwards reassembled Chic with an entirely new supporting cast; the revived lineup toured extensively and released Chic-Ism (1992). On April 18, 1996, Rodgers was honored with a tribute concert in Japan featuring Edwards, Sister Sledge, Steve Winwood, Simon Le Bon, and Slash. Edwards died of pneumonia shortly afterward. Rodgers subsequently established the We Are Family Foundation, produced Duran Duran’s Astronaut, and operated Sumthing Distribution, a company focused on video-game soundtracks.

Throughout the 2010s he maintained a vigorous schedule. With Rhino France he assembled the four-disc retrospective The Chic Organization Box Set, Vol. 1: Savoir Faire. Although diagnosed with prostate cancer that same year, he published the memoir Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny, continued performing, and contributed to Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories, including the chart-topping single “Get Lucky.” Following the track’s release he received a clean bill of health from his physician. Subsequent collaborations included work with Disclosure, Duran Duran, and Laura Mvula, while Chic maintained an active touring presence highlighted by a 2014 Essence Festival headline set. In 2016, as a new Chic album was being prepared, Rodgers and Edwards were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the band headlined the Pyramid Stage at the 2017 Glastonbury Festival. It’s About Time, Chic’s ninth studio album, appeared the next year.