The State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois, an exhibit in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, contains a reel-to-reel tape player and turntable belonging to seminal Chicago house producer Frankie Knuckles.
The exhibit, set to remain on display until January 23rd, showcases memorabilia from prominent Illinois music artists. “…The Land of Lincoln has produced some of the most highly celebrated music in rock history,” reads a description on the website. “Musicians, legendary radio stations, and musical gear have shaped the sonic history of Illinois and the world.”
Items like a guitar owned by Dan Fogelberg, Miles Davis‘ trumpet and the Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billboard #1 award for their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are currently on display. Attendees can also listen to a podcast interviewing numerous Illinois musical figures.
Of particular note is a display containing one of Earth, Wind, and Fire‘s costumes alongside a reel-to-reel tape player and turntable belonging to Frankie Knuckles. Often called “The Godfather of House Music,” Knuckles played an important and highly influential role in popularizing the genre in Chicago in the ’80s. In 1997, he received a Grammy Award for “Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical.” He passed away in 2014 at the age of 59 due to complications from diabetes.
For more information on the exhibit, including how to get tickets, on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum website.
