The Godfather of House Music was 59 years old.

Sad news: legendary house DJ Frankie Knuckles has reportedly passed away, with both DJ Deeon and Paul Johnson confirming the news.

Knuckles was born in The Bronx in 1955 and began DJing in New York in the ’70s with Larry Levan. After moving to Chicago in 1977 he played at the famed Warehouse and then his own club, The Power Plant. He remained an integral part of house music throughout the decades, producing seminal records ‘Your Love’, ‘Baby Wants To Ride’ and ‘Tears’ and continuing his DJing career to the present day. In 2004, Chicago named a street after him where the old Warehouse once stood.

RBMA and Bill Brewster have already paid tribute with a playlist of 50 classic tracks from The Warehouse. You can also stream a radio recording of Knuckles DJing in 1986.

It’s not yet clear how Knuckles died, but a statement is expected to be released today (April 1).