Nile Rodgers

Nile Gregory Rodgers (born 19 September 1952 in New York) is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and music producer.

He co-founded Chic with bassist Bernard Edwards and drummer Tony Thompson, a key late-1970s act that shaped the funk/R&B/disco scene with songs such as Everybody Dance, Le Freak, and Good Times.

Chic’s distinctive sound and songwriting led Rodgers and Edwards to move into producing for other artists, together or separately; they notably wrote and produced for Sister Sledge.

In 1980 they produced Diana Ross’s album *diana*, which yielded the hits *Upside Down* and *I’m Coming Out*. In 1983, Nile Rodgers produced David Bowie’s *Let’s Dance*, which became Bowie’s best-selling album. The following year, he produced Madonna’s breakthrough album *Like a Virgin*, featuring the signature tracks *Material Girl* and *Like a Virgin*.

He also worked with Deborah Harry on her 1981 album *Koo Koo*. For Duran Duran, he produced the 1983 single *The Reflex*, then *The Wild Boys*, and handled full production of the 1986 album *Notorious*. He also produced Sheena Easton’s *Do You* in 1985 and Grace Jones’s *Inside Story* in 1987.

In 1987, he formed the experimental group Outloud with French keyboardist and producer Philippe Saisse, releasing a self-titled album.

After Chic re-formed in the early 1990s, his longtime partner Bernard Edwards died in 1996. In 1998, Rodgers founded the label Sumthing Else Music Works and the distribution company Sumthing Distribution, specializing in particular in video game soundtracks.

Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, he launched the *We Are Family Project*, re-recording We Are Family with more than 200 public figures, and created the We Are Family Foundation to promote respect and cultural diversity.

Nile Rodgers was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and has been honored repeatedly for his work as a producer. He is also known under the aliases Tommy Jymi and The N.