Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide. Formed as the Big Apple Band in 1972 with bassist Bernard Edwards, Chic released their self-titled debut album in 1977; it featured the hit singles " Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" and " Everybody Dance". The 1978 album '' C'est Chic'' included " I Want Your Love" and " Le Freak", with the latter selling more than seven million singles worldwide. The song " Good Times" from the 1979 album ''

Risqué Risqué may refer to: * Material deemed slightly indecent or liable to shock, especially sexual suggestiveness * ''Risqué'' (album), 1979 recording by American disco band Chic * Risque (comics), mutant character first appearing in Marvel Comic ...

'' was a number one single on the pop and soul charts, and became one of the most-sampled songs of all time, predominantly in hip-hop, starting with the Sugarhill Gang's " Rapper's Delight". With Edwards, Rodgers wrote 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" and " Upside Down" (for

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

). After Chic's breakup in 1983, Rodgers produced albums and singles for other artists, including

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

's '' Let's Dance''; "

Original Sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...

" by

INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...

;

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

's " The Reflex" and " Notorious"; and

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

's '' Like a Virgin''. He also worked with artists including

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

, Nervo, Jake Shears,

the B-52s The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant grocer's apostrophe, apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate ...

, Keith Urban,

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...

, Avicii, Kygo,

Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...

, the Vaughan Brothers, Bryan Ferry,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

, Benjamin Ingrosso and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

. He won three Grammy Awards in 2014 for his work on

's ''

Random Access Memories ''Random Access Memories'' is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late Music history of the United States in the 1970s, 1970s and e ...

'', and two in 2023 for his work with

on her album ''

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

''. In 2018, Rodgers co-founded Hipgnosis Songs Fund, a publicly traded music

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

investment company. Rodgers is a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

via the Musical Excellence category in 2017. He has received six

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement/Special Merit Award. Known for his chucking guitar style, in 2014 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' wrote that "the full scope of Nile Rodgers' career is still hard to fathom". In 2023, ''Rolling Stone'' placed Rodgers 7th on a list of the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, writing: "There's 'influential,' then there's 'massively influential', then there's Nile Rodgers... a true innovator who never slows down, still making history with his guitar."

Early life

Rodgers was born on September 19, 1952, in the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, to Beverly Goodman. She gave birth to Rodgers when she was 14. His biological father, Nile Rodgers Sr., was a travelling

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

who specialized in

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

beats and 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. In 1959, Goodman married Bobby Glanzrock. Rodgers described Glanzrock in his 2011 autobiography as a "

beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...

PhD, whose observations had angles that would make

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

contemplate his cool."

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

, and Lenny Bruce often visited their home in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

. Glanzrock and Goodman were addicted to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

, and Rodgers began using drugs at 13. Before learning to play the guitar at 16, Rodgers played the

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

and the

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

. As a teenager, he played guitar with African, Persian, Latin, jazz and

Boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a music genre, genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly by stateside Puerto Ricans with ...

bands. He became a subsection leader of the

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...

branch of the New York

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

. He was raised as a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Rodgers' cousin, trumpeter Robert "Spike" Mickens, was a member of

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...

from 1964 to 1986.

Career

1970s: Formation of Chic, "Le Freak", Sister Sledge

Rodgers met bassist Bernard Edwards in 1970 while working as a touring musician for the ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' stage show. Together they formed The Big Apple Band and initially worked as back-up musicians for the vocal group

(" I'm Doin' Fine Now"). New York City's one hit allowed them to tour extensively, opening for

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

on the American leg of their first world tour in 1973. The band dissolved after their second album failed to yield a hit. Rodgers and Edwards subsequently joined forces with drummer Tony Thompson to form the Boys, playing gigs up and down the East Coast. Although there was label interest, record companies passed on the band after discovering its members were black, believing that black rock artists would be too hard to promote. As the Big Apple Band, Rodgers and Edwards worked with Ashford & Simpson and

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA certification, RIAA-certified ...

, among others. Since another New York artist,

Walter Murphy Walter Anthony Murphy Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American composer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for the instrumental " A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which topp ...

, had a band called The Big Apple Band, in 1977 Rodgers and Edwards changed the band's name to Chic. Inspired by

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...

, Chic developed a sound that was a fusion of jazz, soul, and funk grooves with melodies and lyrics with a European influence. Between gigs, they recorded the song "Dance, Dance, Dance", with then-boss

on vocals. Originally released by

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foundin ...

, it was a hit when it was re-released by Atlantic in the summer of 1977. Atlantic picked up an album option with Rodgers and Edwards, who quickly wrote more songs, and Chic's self-titled debut was released in November. The band scored numerous top ten hits, including " Le Freak", " I Want Your Love", " Everybody Dance", " Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", " My Forbidden Lover", and " Good Times" becoming club/pop/R&B standards. "Le Freak" was

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

' only triple platinum selling single at the time, and "Good Times" shot to No. 1 in August 1979 despite that year's " Disco Sucks" campaign. The success of Chic's first singles led Atlantic to offer Rodgers and Edwards the opportunity to produce any act on its roster. They chose Sister Sledge, whose 1979 album, '' We Are Family'', hit #3 on the ''Billboard'' charts, charting well into 1980. The first two singles, " He's the Greatest Dancer" and the title cut " We Are Family" both reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, and No. 6 and No. 2, respectively on the pop chart. In April 2018, "We Are Family" was selected to be preserved in the Library of Congress.

1980s: Diana Ross, David Bowie, INXS, Madonna, Duran Duran

The 1979 disco backlash derailed Chic, and Edwards retreated from work, while Rodgers' drug use accelerated. Rodgers and Edwards delivered their final Atlantic album under contract, '' Believer'', in 1982. They completed one of their last projects together in 1980, writing and producing the album '' Diana'' for

, which yielded the hits " Upside Down" and " I'm Coming Out". They produced Deborah Harry's 1981 solo album '' Koo Koo'', and produced the hit "Spacer" for the French disco act Sheila and B. Devotion. During the same time period, Chic's song " Good Times" was sampled on the Sugarhill Gang's " Rapper's Delight", the first multiple-platinum hip hop single. The song continued to influence the sounds of others, including

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

's 1980 #1 hit "

Another One Bites the Dust "Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British Rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen. Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group's eighth studio album ''The Game (Queen album), The Game'' (1980). It was a worl ...

", and Blondie, who had a #1 hit with "

Rapture The Rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Chr ...

". Following Chic's breakup, Rodgers released his first solo album, '' Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove''. With Chic no longer occupying most of his time, Rodgers was free to focus on working with other artists. He produced David Bowie's biggest selling album, '' Let's Dance'', which yielded the hit singles "Let's Dance", "China Girl", and "Modern Love". He produced the single "Original Sin" by

, and in 1984, he produced

's album '' Like a Virgin'', which scored four hit singles including its title track, " Material Girl", and "Dress You Up". He worked extensively with

, remixing their biggest-selling single, "The Reflex", producing "Wild Boys" on their 1984 live album, ''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

'', and co-producing the album '' Notorious''. In 1985, Rodgers produced albums for

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress who achieved recognition in an episode of the reality television series ''The Big Time (TV series), The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to gain a ...

, Thompson Twins,

, and others, and performed at

Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...

with Madonna and the Thompson Twins. He was named the #1 Singles Producer in the World by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' at the end of the year. At the end of the decade, he produced albums for

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...

('' L is for Lover''), Earth Wind and Fire's vocalist

Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...

, and performed on " Higher Love" with

Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a guitarist, keyboard player, and vocalist prominent for his dis ...

, as well as on records for

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

, and others. In 1989, he co-produced the B-52's multi-platinum album ''

Cosmic Thing ''Cosmic Thing'' is the fifth studio album by American New wave music, new wave band the B-52's, released in 1989 by Reprise Records. It contains the hit singles "Love Shack", "Roam" and "Deadbeat Club". The music video for "Love Shack" won the a ...

''; it reached No. 4 on the ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

'' album chart, and yielded the singles "Love Shack", and "Roam". He produced '' Workin' Overtime'',

' return to

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, and the soundtracks for '' Alphabet City'', ''

Gremlins ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voic ...

'', '' White Nights'', and '' The Fly''. He later composed an orchestral soundtrack, his first, for the film '' Coming to America''.. Rodgers formed the short-lived experimental band Outloud in 1987, with

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...

's guitarist, composer, and vocalist Felicia Collins and French session musician, producer, composer, and keyboardist Philippe Saisse; the trio released a single album, ''Out Loud'', on Warner Bros. Records.

1990s: Production, reformed Chic and death of Edwards, Sumthing Else

In September 1990, shortly after the death of

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...

, the Rodgers-produced Vaughan Brothers album ''Family Style'' was released. He produced records for

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, David Lee Roth, Ric Ocasek, the Stray Cats and others early in the decade, and worked on the soundtracks for '' Thelma and Louise'', '' Cool World'', and '' The Beavis and Butt-head Experience''. Rodgers and Edwards reformed Chic in 1992 and recorded new material for the album '' Chic-Ism''. In 1996, they released a Japan-only album consisting of old Chic material rerecorded with guest vocalists, '' Chic Freak and More Treats''. Edwards and Rodgers performed with Sister Sledge,

, and Slash in a series of commemorative concerts in Japan. Edwards died following a concert on April 17, 1996. Rodgers discovered his body. He later said that he "cried like a baby and suffered intensely but eventually realised the best tribute to him would be to carry on and be the best I could be." A year later, Rodgers returned to Japan to pay homage to Edwards, and in 1999, Rodgers released '' Live at the Budokan'', a live recording of Edwards' final performance. The album was not overdubbed or changed in order to keep the recording pure. Rodgers started playing live concerts again while composing and producing music for the film soundtracks '' Beverly Hills Cop III'', '' Blue Chips'', ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...

'' and '' Feeling Minnesota'', working with

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, among others. In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. released " Mo Money Mo Problems" sampling Rodgers and Edwards' song " I'm Coming Out" from Diana Ross's platinum album '' Diana''. "Mo Money, Mo Problems" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for two weeks and was nominated for the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1998, Rodgers founded Sumthing Else Music Works record label and Sumthing Distribution, an independent music label distributor. Sumthing focused on distributing video game soundtracks, and released the world's first 5.1 surround DVD game-soundtrack album. Its titles include the '' Halo'', ''

Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...

'', ''

Gears of War ''Gears of War'' (also referred to as ''Gears'') is a media franchise centered on a series of video games created by Epic Games, developed and managed by The Coalition (company), The Coalition, and owned and published by Xbox Game Studios. The ...

'' and '' Borderlands'' series.

2000s: Film and video game soundtracks, We Are Family Foundation

In the early 2000s, Rodgers worked extensively on film and video game soundtracks, including ''

Halo 2 ''Halo 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. ''Halo 2'' is the second installment in the ''Halo'' franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclai ...

'', '' Rush Hour 2'', '' Snow Dogs'', and '' Semi-Pro'' starring

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...

, who co-wrote the title song " Love Me Sexy" with Rodgers. In 2002, Rodgers returned to work again with the original five members of Duran Duran when he co-produced ''

Astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...

''. The album rose to No. 3 in the UK. Following the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, Rodgers brought together more than 200 musicians and celebrities to record "We Are Family". It was recorded in New York at Avatar Studios (previously The Power Station, where the original recording of "We Are Family" took place in 1978), and in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

at the

Record Plant The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...

. The accompanying music video was directed by

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

. An 80-minute documentary, ''The Making and Meaning of We Are Family'', directed by Danny Schechter, premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

in 2002. In a collaboration between

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

and PBS, more than 100 children's television characters participated in a "We Are Family" children's music video, and on March 11, 2002, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and PBS aired the video to promote tolerance and diversity on the 6-month anniversary of 9/11. In July 2002, Rodgers co-founded the We Are Family Foundation with his life partner, Nancy Hunt. A non-profit organization that promotes "cultural diversity while nurturing and mentoring the vision, talents, and ideas of young people who are positively changing the world", it is dedicated to the vision of a global family.

2010s: Autobiography, Daft Punk, Songwriters Hall of Fame, ''It's About Time''

In 2010,

Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

released a four-CD

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

, ''Nile Rodgers Presents The Chic Organization, Volume 1: Savoir Faire'', which for the first time collected tracks from all of the acts produced by The Chic Organization up to their original break-up in 1983. Rodgers provided liner notes for the set, which was also reissued in 2013. Rodgers' critically acclaimed autobiography, ''Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny'' was published by Spiegel & Grau, a

Random House Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...

imprint, in late 2011. It was named one of the top 10 of the 25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time by ''Rolling Stone''. In February 2012, Rodgers announced that he was collaborating with electronic band

for their latest album, "teasing out their R&B influences". The record, ''

'' was released in 2013. Rodgers co-wrote and played guitar on three tracks: " Give Life Back to Music", " Lose Yourself to Dance", and " Get Lucky". In April, "Get Lucky" entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 3, only 24 hours after its release, and two weeks later rose to No. 1. In an interview with

Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...

, Rodgers said, "I've had big records and Number 1s; I have had records that were Number 1 in the United States but nowhere else ... I've had records which have done well n the UK but not in the States. But to have this ubiquitous record, that is a hit everywhere ... It's amazing to me! I'm out on the road and I can hear it wherever I go. I'm flabbergasted!" "Get Lucky" became one of the UK's biggest-selling singles of all time.

released ''Nile Rodgers Presents The Chic Organization Up All Night (The Greatest Hits)'', a compilation album featuring songs written, played or produced by Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for Chic and various artists, including Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, Carly Simon, Debbie Harry, Johnny Mathis, Sheila & B. Devotion and Norma Jean Wright. ''Up All Night'' reached No. 2 on the UK Compilation Album Chart for the week ending July 13, 2013. In October 2013, Rhino released ''Nile Rodgers Presents The Chic Organization Up All Night (The Greatest Hits Disco Edition)'', which included a medley taken from Chic ft. Nile Rodgers' live performance at the 2013

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

. Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were nominated to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2013. In January 2014, Rodgers performed "Get Lucky" with

on the Grammy Awards, along with

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

, with a medley including elements of Chic's " Le Freak" and Wonder's " Another Star". Rodgers won three Grammy Awards for his work with Daft Punk on ''

'', including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. In March, ''

'' named Rodgers one of the 50 Most Important People in EDM, stating, "The full scope of Nile Rodgers' career is still hard to fathom, and it's not just ongoing, it's in overdrive." In December, NARAS announced that "Le Freak" would be inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame. Rodgers' solo single "Do What You Wanna Do ( IMS Anthem)" was released on August 10, 2014 to benefit the We Are Family Foundation. A year later, in March 2015, Rodgers released Chic's first single in more than 23 years, " I'll Be There", with a live streamed concert from The Roundhouse in London. The song was produced using original Chic outtake tapes from the 70s, with Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson, and vocalists Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin. The song went to #1 on Billboard's Dance Music Chart on June 20, 2015. In August, Rodgers launched FOLD Festival (FreakOut! Let's Dance), a multi-day event with a diverse line-up of artists including

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

, Keith Urban,

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...

, Ginger Minj, Chic and others. Rodgers collaborated with

to remake Chic's hit, "I Want Your Love" for

Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...

's Spring/Summer 2016 collection video in lieu of a fashion show. Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 9, 2016. In 2017, after 11 nominations for Chic, Rodgers was inducted into the

with an award for Musical Excellence. "It's sort of bittersweet," says Rodgers. "I'm quite flattered that they believed that I was worthy, but my band Chic didn't win. They plucked me out of the band and said, 'You're better than Chic.' That's wacky to me ... I am flattered and I think it's cool, but I feel like somebody put me in the lifeboat and told my family they can't get in." On the evening of 25 June 2017, Rodgers and Chic returned to the

, as headliners on the Pyramid Stage, for an audience of close to 100,000. In September of the same year, a version of George Michael's song "

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

" was released, credited to "George Michael featuring Nile Rodgers." The track, released as a B-side by Michael's label in 1990, was reworked by Rodgers and featured him prominently on guitar. It was Michael's only posthumous release. In June 2018, "Till the World Falls", the first single from Nile Rodgers & Chic's first album since 1992, '' It's About Time'', was released. The song featured Mura Masa, Cosha and

Vic Mensa Victor Kwesi Mensah (born June 6, 1993), known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days (band), Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing ...

. The album was released in September 2018, and hit the Top 10 in the UK. It was the first Chic record to hit the Top 10 in 25 years. Two singles from the album were subsequently released: "Sober" featuring

Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is an English singer. He rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single " Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, '' Born to Do It'', was released in 2000, to great commercial success. In to ...

and

Stefflon Don Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), known professionally as Stefflon Don, is an English rapper. She rose to fame with her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" (featuring French Montana), which peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart, ...

, and "Do You Wanna Party" featuring LunchMoney Lewis. In December 2018, Nile Rodgers & Chic began their first UK arena tour. They were nominated for a Brit Award in the "Best International Group Category", in January 2019. In July 2018, Rodgers co-founded Hipgnosis Songs Fund with Merck Mercuriadis. An IP investment and song management company, Hipgnosis Songs Fund went public later that year. In November 2018, to mark the 40th anniversary of "Le Freak", Rhino/Atlantic released ''The Chic Organisation 1977-79'', a 6-CD box set containing Chic's first three albums, Sister Sledge's ''We Are Family'' and a collection of rarities, including a facsimile of Chic's first single – a 12″ promo for "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" released by Buddah Records in 1977. In January 2019, Rodgers offered 600 free tickets to furloughed US Federal workers during the US Government Shutdown to the Nile Rodgers & Chic concert at the MGM National Harbor in Washington, DC. He played at Cardiff Castle on July 12, 2019, and on February 17, 2020, he participated in Eric Clapton's tribute concert for Ginger Baker.

2020s: Keith Urban, Beyoncé, Grammys, Coldplay

Rodgers has hosted a podcast on

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

since August 2020. Titled ''Deep Hidden Meaning'', he has interviewed guests including David Foster,

Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1944) is an American lyricist, singer, songwriter, and painter. Early life and career Carole Bayer was born in New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She gradu ...

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...

, and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

. It was nominated for a British Podcast Award in 2024. On November 13, 2020, Rodgers was featured on " Stop Crying Your Heart Out" as part of the BBC Radio 2's Allstars' ''

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

'' charity single. The single debuted at number 7 on the Official UK Singles Chart and number 1 on both the Official UK Singles Sales Chart and the Official UK Singles Download Chart. Among other artists, in 2021, Rodgers worked with Jack Savoretti (for his album '' Europiana'') and Keith Urban. In April 2021 he teamed with Urban and Breland on the music video for "The Cage", a track from Urban's 2020 album '' The Speed of Now Part 1''. He produced '' The Big Decider'', the first album by

The Zutons The Zutons are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool, in 2002. The band currently consists of Dave McCabe (vocals, guitar), Abi Harding (saxophone), Jay Lewis (guitar), Neil Bradley (keyboards) and Tim Cunningham (bass). The band's ...

13 years. In the summer of 2021, Rodgers, with Constellation Immersive, launched DiscOasis, an ongoing 1970s-themed disco and roller skating pop-up party at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Rancho Palos Verdes. Developed in part to provide an outside experience during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, DJs select music from crates of records that Rodgers hand picked from his personal collection. In July 2022, Hipgnosis Songs Fund was valued at US $2.69 billion. An asteroid approximately 300 million miles away from Earth was named nilerodgers (191911) in honor of Rodgers' 70th birthday in 2022. Rodgers donated $1 million to the We Are Family Foundation, the organization he co-founded, to mark both his birthday and the foundation's 20th anniversary. Rodgers performed " Modern Love" and " Let's Dance" with Josh Homme, Omar Hakim and

Gaz Coombes Gareth Michael "Gaz" Coombes (born 8 March 1976) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Supergrass. He first entered the music scene aged 14 as the lead singer of the band The Jennifer ...

at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium on September 3, 2022. In 2023, Rodgers won two

, for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best R&B Song (" Cuff It"), for his work with Beyoncé on her 2022 album ''

''; in the same occasion, he also received the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

. In the same year, he was featured on the title track of South Korean girl group

Le Sserafim Le Sserafim ( ; ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music, a sub-label of Hybe Corporation, Hybe. The group consists of five members: Sakura Miyawaki, Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. ...

's album ''Unforgiven''''.'' He also collaborated with Duran Duran on their single " Black Moonlight", one of three original songs on Duran Duran's Halloween-inspired album ''

Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of death, summoning represen ...

''. Finally, he starred in the 2023

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...

eyewear campaign. In October 2023, he re-united with Chic for a live performance at NPR's '' Tiny Desk Concert'': the half-hour set included "Le Freak". "Let's Dance", "Get Lucky" and "Soul Glo", a fake commercial jingle Rodgers wrote for the 1988 film '' Coming to America.'' Nile Rodgers at SXSW London June 2025 1

In January 2024, the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

announced that Rodgers would receive its 2024 Crystal Award. Presented during the opening session of the event, the announcement stated that Rodgers would be honored for his "efforts to make the world a more peaceful, equal and inclusive place through his music, his commitment to fighting systemic racism, inequality and injustice, and by championing innovative youth voices." In March, he was named Polar Music Prize Laureate, together with

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish conducting, conductor and composer. He is the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Sw ...

. He was among many star guitarists to contribute to a new version of

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

's " Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, produced the song "Electric Energy" (with Ariana DeBose and

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...

) for Maetthew Vaughn's film '' Argylle'', and worked with Alfie Templeman on his second studio album, '' Radiosoul,'' featuring on the track "Just A Dance". He provided guitar on Norwegian DJ Kygo's self-titled fifth studio album, on the track "For Life", also featuring English singer Zak Abel. He also provided additional guitar on British

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

band

's song "Good Feelings", which features vocals from Nigerian singer

Ayra Starr Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Benin Republic. She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit song "Ru ...

. The song was included on the band's tenth studio album '' Moon Music''. Rodgers again worked with Beyonce on her 2024 album, ''Cowboy Carter''. He was nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance as a writer of " Levii's Jeans" (featuring Post Malone).

Television and film

Soundtracks and scores

In 1982, Rodgers and Edwards produced the soundtrack for the movie ''Soup for One.'' As Chic, they wrote and performed three songs, including the film's title track. Edwards and Rodgers also wrote and produced Carly Simon's "Why", a top 10 hit in the UK that helped resurrect Simon's career. The soundtrack, which also featured Sister Sledge, Debbie Harry, and Teddy Pendergrass, was a bigger hit than the film. Rodgers became increasingly in-demand as a producer and composer for film and television following the success of the ''Soup for One'' soundtrack. In 1984, he produced

's theme for the television series '' Moonlighting''; he wrote, produced and scored the soundtrack for '' Alphabet City'', and in 1986 and worked with Laurie Anderson on her concert film, '' Home of the Brave''. In 1988, in addition to producing the soundtrack for '' Earth Girls Are Easy'', he composed the orchestral score for Eddie Murphy's '' Coming to America''. He also served as film's music supervisor, and wrote and produced its title track, a hit for The System, and wrote the jingle for the Soul Glo commercial, "the most iconic fake ad in cinematic history." In 1999, he executive produced, scored, music-supervised and appeared in ''Public Enemy'', a documentary about the Black Panthers. In a review of the soundtrack, critic Maria Blandford wrote: "The disc realistically supports the conflicting and controversial nature of this historical period, and opens the arena for present-day discussion and evaluation...this recording is an examination of the American conscience." Between the mid-1980s and the late 2000s, songs written, produced or performed by Rodgers (and/or Chic) were included in the films or on the soundtracks for ''

Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...

'' ("Le Freak"), '' Thelma and Louise, Rush Hour 2, Cool World,

Beavis and Butthead Do America ''Beavis and Butt-Head Do America'' is a 1996 American adult animated comedy road film based on the MTV animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head''. The film was co-written and directed by series creator Mike Judge, who also reprises h ...

'' (in collaboration with

), ''

Summer of Sam ''Summer of Sam'' is a 1999 American crime thriller film about the 1977 David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) serial murders and their effect on a group of fictional residents of an Italian-American neighborhood in The Bronx in the late 1970s. It focu ...

, Space Jam'' (with Seal), '' Feeling Minnesota'' (with Bob Dylan), '' Curdled,'' Bowie's '' Cool World'', '' Snow Dogs'', '' White Hot,

That's Dancing! ''That's Dancing!'' is a 1985 American compilation film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the '' That's Entertainment!'' series, this film not only focuses specifically on MGM films, but ...

'' and '' The Fly'', among others. He scored the film '' Blue Chips'', and reunited with Murphy to score ''Beverly Hills Cop III.'' He also produced a remake of "Axel F", from the first ''Beverly Hills Cop,'' which he performed with Richard Hilton.Vargas, J. A. (2004, Dec 09). "Musicians are making tracks to video games; popularity of interactive play has artists battling to be heard, INAL edition'' The Washington Post'' In 2008, he cowrote Semi-Pro's "Love Me Sexy" with

, who starred in the movie. In the 2010s, music by Rodgers was featured in movies including ''

Arctic Tale ''Arctic Tale'' is a 2007 American documentary film from the National Geographic Society about the life cycle of a walrus and her calf, and a polar bear and her cubs, in a similar vein to the 2005 hit production ''March of the Penguins'', which ...

'', ''Trolls'' and ''Bridget Jones's Baby, a''s well as on the TV shows ''

Vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

The Get Down ''The Get Down'' is an American musical drama television series created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis. The series debuted on Netflix on August 12, 2016, and was cancelled after one season. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the s ...

,'' and ''Horrid Henry,'' among others. In 2019, he collaborated with

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

on the soundtrack for the film ''Cats.'' In 2023 it was announced that he and The-Dream were co-writing music for the Mark Anthony Green horror film, ''Opus.''

Television and film appearances

Since his 1978 debut with Chic on ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

'', Rodgers has performed on more than 150 television programs. He has been the subject of documentaries including the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''Nile Rodgers: The Hitmaker'', ''Front and Center: Songwriters Hall of Fame: Nile Rodgers'' on PBS, Arte France's ''Nile Rodgers: Secrets of a Hitmaker'', and the short film ''Composing America: The Musical Talents of Nile Rodgers''. The BBC also broadcast ''Nile Rodgers: How To Make It in the Music Business'', a three-hour, three part special. In 2018, ''Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Nile Rodgers'' premiered on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

. Rodgers has appeared in documentaries about David Bowie, Diana Ross, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Rick James, George Michael, Duran Duran, Daft Punk, Public Enemy, Madonna, Avicii, Studio 54, the Seventies, the Eighties, the Nineties, recorded music, girl groups, the disco era, disco, house music, funk, and soul music. He was featured in the 2023 BBC documentary about

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

, ''Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock’n’Roll.'' Rodgers most frequently plays Fender Stratocasters, as well as Gibson Les Pauls and archtop guitars such as the Gibson ES-300 and D'Angelico New Yorker. He auctioned more than 100 guitars and bass guitars from his personal collection to benefit We Are Family Foundation in December 2021.

The Hitmaker

Rodgers plays a 1960 Fender

Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporati ...

with a 1959 neck, nicknamed The Hitmaker, which he acquired as a trade-in at a shop in

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Exceptionally light, it has a maple fingerboard and a worn white finish. Rodgers claims it has a unique sound. After Rodgers purchased the guitar, Edwards taught him how to play it in a chop chord style, which he called "chucking". In his autobiography, Rodgers wrote: "He fingered the chords with his left hand, and his right hand would continuously play sixteen notes to the bar while accenting the main parts of the rhythm ... One lesson was all I needed. For the next few nights straight, while my roommate pursued all manner of trysts, I was having a love affair in the bathroom with my new ax. In just a few days, I'd emerge as a chucking funk guitarist who knew more jazz chord inversions than most of my R&B counterparts." The Fender Custom Shop introduced a limited edition Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster, a recreation of Rodgers' guitar, in January 2014.

Personal life

In the early 1990s, Rodgers woke up in the hospital to learn that his heart had stopped eight times and he was alive due only to the actions of the doctor who was filling out his death certificate. He stopped using drugs and alcohol in 1994 after a friend showed him a tape of a performance during which he was inebriated. Rodgers was diagnosed with an aggressive form of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

in October 2010. He documented his illness on a blog called ''Walking on Planet C''. He was given the all-clear in 2013. In 2017, a growth on his right kidney was diagnosed as two different cancers within one mass. The mass was surgically removed in November 2017. He said he expected a 100% recovery. At his performance at the Hollywood Bowl, on July 4, 2019, Rodgers announced that he was "100% cancer-free." Rodgers lived in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

until July 2021 when he moved to Miami, Florida with his life partner, Nancy Hunt.

Works

Selected discography

Chic * '' Chic'' (1977) * '' C'est Chic'' (1978) * ''

'' (1979) * '' Real People'' (1980) * '' Take It Off'' (1981) * '' Soup for One'' (soundtrack, Chic/various artists) (1982) * '' Tongue in Chic'' (1982) * '' Believer'' (1983) * '' Chic-ism'' (1992) * '' It's About Time'' (2018) Solo * '' Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove'' (1983) * '' B-Movie Matinee'' (1985) * '' Chic Freak and More Treats'' (1996) Outloud * ''Outloud'' (1987) Soundtracks * '' Soup for One'' (1982) * '' Alphabet City'' (1984) * '' Coming to America'' (1988) * '' Earth Girls Are Easy'' (1988) * ''White Hot'' (1989) * '' Beverly Hills Cop III'' (1994) * '' Blue Chips'' (1994) * '' Curdled'' (1996) * ''Public Enemy'' (1999) * ''

Rise of Nations ''Rise of Nations'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Big Huge Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft Game Studios in May 2003. Designed as a fusion of concepts from turn-based strategy games with the real-time strat ...

'' (2003) Game * '' Halo 2 Soundtrack'' (2004) Game * '' Conker: Live & Reloaded'' (2005) Game * '' Perfect Dark Zero'' (2005) Game * '' Halo 3 Soundtrack'' (2007) Game Live albums * '' Live at the Budokan'' (1999) * '' Up All Night'' (Chic, various artists) (2013)

Selected production discography

* '' Norma Jean'', Norma Jean Wright (1978) * '' We Are Family'', Sister Sledge (1979) * '' King of the World'', Sheila B. Devotion (1980) * '' Love Somebody Today'', Sister Sledge (1980) * '' diana'',

(1980) * ''

I Love My Lady ''I Love My Lady'' is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was completed in 1981 but not released in its entirety until December 8, 2017, when it was included in the box set ''The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collec ...

'',

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

(1981, released in 2017) * '' KooKoo'',

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie (band), Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1 ...

(1981) * '' Let's Dance'',

(1983) * '' Talkback'',

Spoons Spoons may refer to: * Spoon, a utensil commonly used with soup * Spoons (card game), the card game of Donkey, but using spoons Film and TV * ''Spoons'' (TV series), a 2005 UK comedy sketch show *Spoons, a minor character from ''The Sopranos' ...

(1983) * "Trash It Up", Southside Johnny (1983) * "

(1984) * '' Like a Virgin'',

(1984) * " The Reflex", " The Wild Boys",

(1984) * "Out Out'",

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...

(1984) * '' Flash'',

(1985) * '' She's the Boss'',

(1985) * '' Here's to Future Days'', Thompson Twins, (1985) * '' Do You'',

(1985) * ''When The Boys Meet The Girls'', Sister Sledge (1985) * '' Home of the Brave'',

Laurie Anderson Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work encompasses performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting,Amirkhanian, Cha ...

(1986) * '' Notorious'',

(1986) * '' Inside Story'',

(1986) * ''

'',

The B-52's The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, k ...

(1989) * '' Workin' Overtime'',

(1989) * '' Family Style'', Vaughan Brothers (1990) * "Real Cool World",

(1992) * '' Good Stuff'', The B-52's (1992) * ''

Black Tie White Noise ''Black Tie White Noise'' is the eighteenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 5 April 1993 through Savage Records in the United States and Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Conceived following Bowie's marri ...

'',

(1993) * '' Your Filthy Little Mouth'', David Lee Roth (1994) * "We Are Family", Nile Rodgers All Stars (We Are Family Foundation) (2001) * '' Only a Woman Like You'', Michael Bolton (2002) * ''

'',

(2004) * " Hotel Room Service" (Songwriter for Pitbull) (2009) * "Shady",

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his dynamic vocal performances that combine his theatrical training with modern and classic genres. Lambert rose to fame in 2009 after ...

ft. Sam Sparro and Nile Rodgers (2012) * " Get Lucky" ft.

and Nile Rodgers, ''

'',

(2013) * " Give Life Back to Music", ''Random Access Memories'', Daft Punk (2013) * " Lose Yourself to Dance" ft. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, ''Random Access Memories'', Daft Punk (2013) * "Lay Me Down", Avicii featuring

and Nile Rodgers ''

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

'', (2013) * " The Other Boys", NERVO ft.

, Jake Shears and Nile Rodgers, Collateral (2015) * "Pressure Off",

ft.

and Nile Rodgers, Paper Gods (2015) * "Sun Don't Let Me Down", Keith Urban ft. Nile Rodgers & Pitbull (2016) * "

Telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...

ft. Nile Rodgers (2016) * "Fantasy",

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

ft. Nile Rodgers (2017) * "Le Canzoni alla Radio", Max Pezzali ft. Nile Rodgers (2017) * "Till the World Falls", Nile Rodgers, Chic, Mura Masa ft. Cosha &

(2018) * "Sober", Nile Rodgers, Chic, ft.

(2018) * "Do You Wanna Party", Nile Rodgers, Chic, ft. LunchMoney Lewis (2018) * "Emotional", Michelle Treacy (2019) * "Summer Lover", Oliver Heldens ft. Devin & Nile Rodgers (2019) * "Roses",

ft. Nile Rodgers (2020) * "Cielo", Manuel Medrano ft. Nile Rodgers (2020) * "One More", '' Times'', SG Lewis (2020) * " Agua",

Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (; born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee (), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to worldwide prominence in 2004 with the song "Gasolina". Dubbed the "Honorific ...

ft.

Rauw Alejandro Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer. His accolades include two Latin Grammy Awards, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and an IHea ...

& Nile Rodgers (2022) * "When Someone Loves You",

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...

& Nile Rodgers (2022) * "

Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...

ft. Nile Rodgers (2023) * "Freak 54 (Freak Out)", Pitbull with Nile Rodgers (2023) * "lock / unlock",

j-hope Jung Ho-seok (; born February 18, 1994), known professionally as J-Hope (; stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, ...

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they ...

with Benny Blanco & Nile Rodgers (2024) * "Levii's Jeans" with Beyonce and

Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His music blends various genres including hip-hop, Pop music, pop, Contemporary R&B, R&B, Tra ...

(2024) * "Exodus - Blue Nile Mix" Akiko Moriyako ft. Nile Rodgers (2024)

Autobiography

Collaborations

* '' Diana'' —

(1980) * '' King of the World'' — Sheila and B. Devotion (1980) * '' KooKoo'' —

(1981) * '' Let's Dance'' —

(1983) * '' Hearts and Bones'' —

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

(1983) * '' Like a Virgin'' —

(1984) * '' Do You'' —

(1985) * '' Boys and Girls'' — Bryan Ferry (1985) * '' She's the Boss'' —

(1985) * '' L Is for Lover'' —

(1986) * '' True Colors'' —

(1986) * '' So'' —

(1986) * '' Inside Story'' —

(1986) * '' Inside Out'' —

(1986) * '' Workin' Overtime'' —

(1989) * '' Move to This'' — Cathy Dennis (1990) * ''

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

'' —

(1990) * '' Other Voices'' — Paul Young (1990) * '' Family Style'' — Vaughan Brothers (1990) * '' Fireball Zone'' — Ric Ocasek (1991) * '' Hat Full of Stars'' —

(1993) * ''

'' —

(1993) * '' Mamouna'' — Bryan Ferry (1994) * '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' —

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

(1995) * '' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'' —

(1997) * '' Mind Body & Soul'' —

Joss Stone Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...

(2004) * '' Olympia'' — Bryan Ferry (2010) * ''Les chansons de l'innocence retrouvée'' — Etienne Daho (2013) * " Lay Me Down" — Avicii and

(2014) * '' Avonmore'' — Bryan Ferry (2014) * ''

Velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

'' —

(2020) ("Roses") * " Out The Cage" — Keith Urban and Breland (2020) * "Nothing Left but Family" —

Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. Ferguson began her television acting career in 1999 with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' and made her motion picture acting debut in 2004 with the Swedish slash ...

(2020) * "No Words Needed" — Rebecca Ferguson (2021) * " Who's Hurting Who" — Jack Savoretti (2021) *" Cuff It" — Beyonce (2022) * '' Legendaddy'' —

(2022) * "Passion'' — Roosevelt (2022) * ''Pre-Code Hollywood'' — Jonathan Bree (2023) * ''

'' —

LE SSERAFIM Le Sserafim ( ; ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music, a sub-label of Hybe Corporation, Hybe. The group consists of five members: Sakura Miyawaki, Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. ...

(2023) * ''Hope on the Street Vol. 1'' —

J-Hope Jung Ho-seok (; born February 18, 1994), known professionally as J-Hope (; stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, ...

(2024) * "For Life" — Kygo and Zak Abel (2024) * ''Radiosoul'' — Alfie Templeman (2024) * " Honey Boy" —

Purple Disco Machine Tino Piontek (born 12 February 1980), better known by the stage name Purple Disco Machine, is a German nu-disco and house music record producer and Disc jockey, DJ. Early life and career Tino Piontek was born in Dresden on 12 February 1980, an ...

, Benjamin Ingrosso and Shenseea (2024) * ''This is the Moment (ft. Nile Rodgers)'' — Son Mieux (2024)

Recognition

References

External links

*
''Tiny Desk Concert'' performance, October 2023

We Are Family Foundation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodgers, Nile 1952 births Living people American rhythm guitarists African-American guitarists African-American record producers American dance musicians African-American songwriters American funk guitarists American rock guitarists American soul guitarists American male guitarists American rhythm and blues guitarists Grammy Award winners Record producers from Connecticut Musicians from Westport, Connecticut American remixers Chic (band) members American lead guitarists Mirage Records artists Record producers from New York (state) African-American rock musicians Songwriters from New York (state) Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American guitarists The Honeydrippers members 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians American male songwriters African-American Catholics Articles containing video clips