These two pioneers of the genre developed and popularized the sound of house music in their respective clubs The Warehouse and The Muzic Box. ‘Kings of House’ Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy are celebrated in this poster from 1986. Silk’ Hurley performed at the De La Salle High School gymnasium in the Bronzeville neighbourhood of Chicago.
Courtesy: Almighty & Insane Books and Mario ‘Liv It Up’ Luna Titled Beyond Heaven (2018), the collection visually documents some of the key players as well as lesser-known DJs in the emerging house scene. To pay homage to this moment in music history, publishers Almighty & Insane Books have released a compilation of flyers and house-related ephemera from the years 1983–1989. House music, Chicago’s greatest musical export, had just been born.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city Ron Hardy was spinning a mix of similar tunes at Den One and, later, Muzic Box. Rewind to 1977: Frankie Knuckles has just opened The Warehouse in Chicago’s Southside and he’s playing an original blend of disco, funk, soul, R&B and electro records.
