Well technology has changed a lot of things, making it possible for just about anyone to make music. But not everybody is a songwriter, so that puts me in a completely different ballpark than the other DJs out here that are writing and producing tracks. I don't stop at tracks, I try to complete the whole package with the song. So working at that level has put me in a completely different place.
Frankie KnucklesI'm a lot more sensitive about music, I think, than most other guys in this particular side of the business. Most of them are beat crazy and beat heavy. I'm more melody. I'm more musical than most of the other ones.
Frankie KnucklesThere are two people that probably influenced me more than anybody out of all the artists out here: that's Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.
Frankie KnucklesI learned to trust women's ears when it comes to hearing music a lot more than other men.
Frankie KnucklesThere is always a point in the party where I wouldn't say I have people in the palm of my hands, but when there is a point in the evening... if you have been to any great party, you know when the whole room becomes one.
Frankie KnucklesI refused to be disrespected. So, at 16, of course, I was a gentleman about it, but I told them and it cost me my job.
Frankie KnucklesThe lack of quality dance music and the fact that here in the United States, house music is not seen as anything viable by the music industry. I figured that this might be another shot at the industry looking at the possibilities of house music and giving it a little bit more legitimacy than what they give it. It's a host of different things, but it's something that I needed to say musically.
Frankie Knuckles