Rodgers began his career as a session guitarist in New York, playing with the Sesame Street band in his teens, and then working in the house band at Harlem's renowned Apollo Theater, backing artists like Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Nancy Wilson, and Parliament Funkadelic.
He met bassist Bernard Edwards in 1970. They formed a rock band called The Boys (later known as the Big Apple Band) and played numerous gigs around New York City, but despite interest in their demos, they could not get a record contract when the music companies discovered they were black; the discrimination of the day said black artists couldn't play "rock".
These experiences, in addition to activist tenor of the times, led to Rodgers' active involvement in the Black Panther Party in New York City. The 1999 documentary film Public Enemy contains history and interviews with Rodgers about these times. Not the type to give up on their musical dreams, in 1977 Rodgers and Edwards joined forces with drummer Tony Thompson to form the funk/R&B/disco band Chic, and went on to score numerous top ten hits and helped propel disco to new levels of popularity. Their songs "Everybody Dance", "Le Freak" and "Good Times" remain among the most sampled songs of the late 1970s/early 1980s R&B era.
"Good Times" signals the start of the take-off of hip hop music as its sample immensely contributed to the success of Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, the first rap hit ever. Chic dissolved in 1983. As Chic's tight sound and yet rich composition became increasingly popular and sought-after, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers began doing record production, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Rodgers and Bernard Edwards produced, wrote, and performed with the band Sister Sledge.
In 1980 they produced the album diana for Diana Ross, yielding the smash hits Upside Down and I'm Coming Out (which remains Ross' best selling album).
In 1981, Deborah Harry worked with both Rodgers and Edwards on the album Koo Koo.
In 1983, they produced David Bowie's album Let's Dance (to date Bowie's biggest-selling album) with several hit singles, and in 1984 produced Madonna's blockbuster album Like a Virgin, Madonna's breakthrough album, spawning her two signature hits ("Material Girl" and the title track). Rodgers helped develop Madonna's career significantly. Duran Duran worked extensively with Rodgers after he produced the hit single, "The Reflex", in 1983 and followed up with "The Wild Boys" for inclusion on their 1984 live album Arena. Rodgers also produced Sheena Easton's 1985 album "Do You".
In 1986, he produced the entirety of Duran Duran's Notorious album, which yielded a #2 title track hit. During a live set, Simon Le Bon introduced Rodgers, saying "Well, this band went through a difficult time (during Notorious). The band might not have made it if it weren't for this gentleman..." He contributed to numerous other projects and appearances with members of the band throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and in 2002-2003 helped to produce Astronaut, the new album by the original five members of the band.
Also in 1987 Rodgers produced the Grace Jones album Inside Story for Manhattan records.
He formed the short-lived experimental band Outloud in 1987 with acclaimed French session musician/producer/keyboardist, Philippe Saisse; they released a single album, Out Loud, on Warner Bros. Records. Saisse has often played with Rodgers during in the Chic tours.
After a 1992 birthday party where Rodgers, Edwards, Paul Shaffer and Anton Fig played old Chic hits to rapturous response, Rodgers and Edwards organized the reunion of the old band. They recorded new material and played live all over the world, to great audience and greater critical acclaim. In 1996, Rodgers was honored as the Top Producer In the World in Billboard Magazine, and was named a JT Super Producer. That year he performed with Bernard Edwards, Sister Sledge, Steve Winwood, Simon Le Bon and Slash in a series of commemorative concerts in Japan which provided a career retrospective. Unfortunately his longtime musical partner and close friend Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia during the trip, a blow that Rodgers took very hard.
In 1998, Rodgers founded Sumthing Else Music Works music label and Sumthing Distribution, the largest African-American owned independent music label distribution company in America. Sumthing currently focuses on distributing a fast-growing new genre: video game soundtracks. Soundtrack titles include Halo, Halo 2 and the upcoming Halo 3 soundtrack. It has been underminded that he produced a legendary album called A Great Long While By Jamband great's known as Strangefolk where he put his pop and rock know how and incorporated a great Jamband album.
The September 11, 2001 attacks prompted Rodgers to create the We Are Family Project to help begin the healing process. To begin, he organized a re-recording of the song he and his music partner Bernard Edwards wrote for Sister Sledge called "We Are Family" with more than 200 musicians, celebrities, and personalities. Director Spike Lee filmed the "We Are Family" music video and director Danny Schechter filmed a documentary depicting the recording sessions called The Making and Meaning of We Are Family. The film was chosen as a Sundance Film Festival Special Selection in 2002. Rodgers continued the healing process and produced another "We Are Family" recording and music video involving more than 100 beloved children's television characters. The children's music video airs as a public service announcement on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and PBS stations to promote the message of a common humanity. In July 2002, Rodgers officially created the We Are Family Foundation to celebrate the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate people about mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Rodgers received a NY Chapter's Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award and a Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. On September 19, 2005, Nile Rodgers was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony in New York when he was inducted for his many outstanding achievements as a producer, along with former fellow band mate Bernard Edwards. CHIC has been nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times - 2003, 2006 and 2007. In the summer of 2006 Rodgers served as musical director for the tribute concert to Ahmet Ertegün at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. The concert included performances by Chic, Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock and many other artists who were signed to Ertegün's Atlantic Records. In 2007, Rodgers made contributions to the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. He also wrote the title song Love Me Sexy from the movie Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell.
Queen
Nile Rodgers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whose daddy called her queen
And life was filled with joy
Or that was how it seemed
Her happiness she lost
A broken tight-knit bond
Abandoning her trust
And now daddy's not around
Oh, girl, you're a queen
Strong as anything
And when you think love's gone
You still carry on
When she turns sweet sixteen
Her boyfriend called her his queen
A stimulating kiss, that felt like in a dream
Then after another dream
And after another caress
Her body tells the tale
Of her unconsciousness
Oh, girl, you're a queen
Strong as anything
And when you think love's gone
You still carry on (keep on comin')
Oh, girl, you're the queen
If you just believe
And when you think love's gone
You still carry on (you still carry on)
She became a happy wife
Whose husband called her queen
And she believed her life
Was perfect as can be
And when a surprise divorce came down
She rebounded and achieved
The mirror now reveals
What she can finally see
Woman, you're a queen
Strong as anything
And when you think love's gone
You still carry on
Oh, queen (woman, you're a queen)
If you (if you just believe)
(And when you think love's gone)
You still carry on even after love's gone
You're a queen
Yes, you know that you are
When love's gone
And you still carry on
Woman, you're a queen
If you just believe
And when you think love's gone
You still carry on
Woman, you're a queen
The song “Queen” by Nile Rodgers, Chic, Elton John, and Emeli Sandé is a powerful song that encourages women to recognize their own strength, resilience, and worth as Queen. The lyrics tell the story of a little girl whose father called her queen and how her life changed when she lost her happiness and trust. It then progresses to her becoming a sixteen-year-old girl who falls in love and has her first sexual experience. The song then proceeds to a time when the girl gets married and the shock of a divorce that makes her realize her strength and worth as a queen. The song's message is clear: No matter what happens in life, women should never forget that they are queens, and they have the strength to overcome any obstacles life throws their way.
The song’s first verse is particularly impactful as it talks about a little girl whose father called her queen. This line implies that she felt loved, appreciated, and valued. As she grew older and lost that happiness and trust, it highlights how crucial stable parenting is in shaping a child's life. Another impactful verse is when the girl realizes that despite having gone through a traumatic experience, she is still strong and a queen. The song’s lyrics encourage women to believe in themselves and their worth, even after heartbreak and failed relationships.
In summary, “Queen” by Nile Rodgers, Chic, Elton John, and Emeli Sandé is a song about women’s empowerment, resilience, and strength to overcome any obstacles life presents. The lyrics are an inspiration for women to recognize their worth, just like a queen.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a little girl
The story begins with a young girl
Whose daddy called her queen
She was raised by a loving father who referred to her as his queen
And life was filled with joy
Growing up, she experienced a happy life
Or that was how it seemed
But there was an underlying issue that wasn't being acknowledged
Her happiness she lost
Eventually, her joy faded away
A broken tight-knit bond
The once strong bond between her and her father became damaged
Abandoning her trust
She lost trust in the people closest to her
And now daddy's not around
Her father is no longer present in her life
Oh, girl, you're a queen
Despite her struggles, she is still a queen
Strong as anything
She is strong and capable of overcoming any obstacle
And when you think love's gone
Even when love seems lost
You still carry on
She keeps moving forward
When she turns sweet sixteen
As she grows older
Her boyfriend called her his queen
She begins to date someone who treats her like royalty
A stimulating kiss, that felt like in a dream
Their physical relationship was intense and exciting
Then after another dream
Their relationship continued in a dream-like state
And after another caress
Their physical intimacy increased
Her body tells the tale
But her body was the only indication of what was truly happening
Of her unconsciousness
She was unaware of the reality of the situation
If you just believe
The key to overcoming hardship is believing in oneself
She became a happy wife
She eventually married and believed her life was perfect
Whose husband called her queen
Her husband treated her like his queen
And she believed her life
She was content with her life
Was perfect as can be
She thought everything was perfect
And when a surprise divorce came down
But her husband unexpectedly filed for divorce
She rebounded and achieved
Instead of giving up, she bounced back and accomplished great things
The mirror now reveals
When she looks in the mirror now
What she can finally see
She sees the truth
Woman, you're a queen
As a grown woman, she is still a queen
If you (if you just believe)
If she believes in herself
You still carry on even after love's gone
She continues to persevere, even when love is no longer present in her life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nile Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind