This is a bit of a personal tribute from myself as I used to play house music, I was a DJ many years ago and Frankie Knuckles was without doubt one on the guys I looked up to more than any other. One of the original Chicago house DJs, he was responsible for the classic Robert Owens track "Tears", "One Love", "The Whistle Song" and he remixed many tracks from Michael Jackson to Diana Ross, Chaka Khan to Alison Limerick, Candi Staton, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross and Toni Braxton. Only this weekend he was spinning his tunes at the legendary Ministry of Sound in London, and now he has left us. I understand he suffered with type 2 diabetes and through complications with this condition, he suddenly passed away yesterday.
Frankie was born on 18th Jan 1955 in the Bronx, NYC so he was a Sun Capricorn closely conjunct to Chiron, the maverick. That Sun and Chiron conjunction was part of a wider t-square opposing Jupiter and Uranus in Cancer squaring onto Neptune in Libra, the musical planet in the sign of balance. From this t-square you can see where he came from. A pioneer with Sun Chiron opposite Uranus (as well as Mars being in Aries) who hit worldwide fame (Jupiter) paying and composing music (Neptune). Jupiter and Uranus gave him a very positive and high-spirited attitude to life, Jupiter in Cancer was working well as Jupiter is exalted in this sign. Frankie I think would have been a warm generous guy who made everyone around him feel special.
Why house music? Well look at the planets and signs. Capricorn is the sign of structure, Uranus connected to technology, Neptune in Libra shows equilibrium, the rhythm of house is all important. Frankie had soul and emotion running through him though and his Moon probably in Scorpio trine to Jupiter and Uranus in Cancer (all water signs) showed he had plenty of that. His Moon (probably) square to Pluto indicated intense deep swirling emotions within him as well. This Moon would have been part of a larger kite structure connected to that Mars in Aries and Sun/Chiron showing he had plenty of talent at his disposal. He had Mercury in technologically adept Aquarius sextile to Venus in lively Sagittarius so here was someone who appreciated design and had a creative side to his nature, he would also have loved a party and social events with friends and colleagues.
Saturn in Scorpio square to Mercury and Pluto indicated someone who may have been quite guarded, he would have been very organised maybe passionately so, he was a survivor and had a deep resolve when the chips were down. Those with Saturn in Scorpio sometimes come an authority in a Scorpionic subject and more so when Pluto is involved as well. The underground scene where Frankie learned his trade in the dark clubs and warehouses of Chicago is a perfect Scorpionic example. This is a very controlled position and the emotion within Frankie I think came out through his work and music rather than through his character.
Frankie was someone who lead the music world into a new era and whether you appreciated house or not at that time, his importance to popular music and the influence that he had over it will last forever.
