I can’t quite believe we’re here – Season 14! And what a way to kick things off because today’s guest is nothing short of musical royalty. Nile Rodgers is a man whose music has shaped generations. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, he’s the genius behind some of the biggest songs in history, think Le Freak, Good Times, and We Are Family. As the co-founder of CHIC, he pioneered the sound of disco and funk, but his influence didn’t stop there. From producing Let’s Dance for David Bowie to Like a Virgin for Madonna, working with legends like Diana Ross, Duran Duran, and Daft Punk, Nile’s fingerprints are all over some of the most iconic records of all time. And that’s before we even get to Get Lucky, the global smash hit with Daft Punk and Pharrell that introduced his magic to a whole new generation.
Beyond his music, Nile’s life is an incredible story of resilience, of reinvention, and creativity. His journey from the streets of New York to the biggest stages in the world is filled with extraordinary moments which he shares with us today. And since we recorded, Nile has had even more reason to celebrate, because at the Grammys, Beyoncé officially made history by winning Country Album of the Year – Nile worked with Beyoncé on the record which we discuss on the episode today, and he’s long been an advocate for breaking boundaries in music, so I can only imagine how much joy that moment brought him.
We spoke in December at the stunning Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, in a beautiful suite overlooking the rooftops of the city. If you’re new to the podcast, this interview is not how my voice typically sounds, I was ill and could barely speak unfortunately, but that didn’t get in the way of what I look back on as a magical conversation.
Destination Recap:
- New York city, New York, USA
- Sao Paolo, Brazil
- Power Station Recording Studio, New York, USA
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Japan
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
- Iceland
- Montana, USA
- Kazakhstan
Nile and CHIC will be touring across the UK and Europe this summer, bringing the good times (literally!) to a stage near you.
With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today’s episode.
Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok – I’d love to hear from you. And if you can’t wait until then, remember there’s the first 13 seasons to catch up on, that’s over 145 episodes to keep you busy there.
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