House Music Chicago Testimony
House Music Chicago Testimony is a series of intimate conversations with the people who built Chicago house music. Hosted by DJ and historian Lori Branch, a South Side native who was there at the beginning, each episode goes deep into the stories of pioneers, friends, and well-known Chicagoans without whom the scene would not exist. These are stories about sound, community, memory, and the lives behind the music, preserved while we still have the chance. Produced by Lori Branch and Hannah Viti. Funded by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Events.
Listen on:
Episodes
5 hours ago
5 hours ago
Before we even called it house music, these people were living it. In Season 1 of House Music Chicago Testimony, host Lori Branch sits down with five legends who were there at the very beginning. Robert Williams, the man who opened the Warehouse and set everything in motion. Craig Loftis, the producer and DJ who was in the booth with Frankie Knuckles and helped shape the sound from the ground up. Toni Shelton, known as Disco Tony, who was sneaking into the Warehouse at 16 and throwing her own parties not long after. Dajae, the voice behind Brighter Days, who almost gave up on singing right before everything changed. And Vick Lavender, deep house artist and co-owner of Bridgeport Records, who has never stopped building something new inside the culture he loves.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. House Music Chicago Testimony launches Monday March 30th. Subscribe now so you don't miss episode one.
Produced by Lori Branch and Hannah Viti. Funded by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Events.
3 days ago
3 days ago
Every story about Chicago house music starts somewhere different. A record, a club, a night that changed everything. Host Lori Branch, a South Side-born DJ and historian who was there at the beginning, invites you into a series of intimate conversations with the pioneers who built the genre. House Music Chicago Testimony is a living archive of sound, community, and the lives behind the music, preserved while we still have the chance. Season One features Robert Williams, Craig Loftis, Toni Shelton, Dajae, and Vic Lavender. Subscribe now. New episodes drop Monday, March 30th.