Nile Rodgers is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, composer, arranger, and author. He is best known as the co-founder of the band Chic, known as Big Apple Band at the time of its formation in 1972.
Born Name
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr.
Nick Name
Nile
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Lower East Side, New York City, New York, United States
Residence
- New York City, New York, United States
- Westport, Connecticut, United States
Nationality
Education
He attended Manhattan School of Music in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.
Occupation
Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Record Producer, Musician, Composer, Author, Arranger
Family
- Father – Nile Rodgers Sr. (Percussionist) (Passed away in 1970), Bobby Glanzrock (Stepfather)
- Mother – Beverly Goodman
- Siblings – None
- Others – Bunchy Goodman (Half-Brother) (TV Personality), Robert “Spike” Mickens (Trumpeter, Member of Kool and the Gang (1964–1986)), Leroy Rodgers (Paternal Grandfather), Lenora “Nora” Clare (Paternal Grandmother), Frederick Lee “Fred” Gooden (Maternal Grandfather), Alice Clarice “Goodie” Mickens (Maternal Grandmother), Eugene Rodgers (Paternal Great-Grandfather), Pauline Shorter (Paternal Great-Grandmother), Cleveland Gooden (Maternal Great-Grandfather), Annie Lee Dennard (Maternal Great-Grandmother), Percy Stanley Mickens (Maternal Great-Grandfather), Mabel Ethel Randall (Maternal Great-Grandmother). He also has 4 other half-brothers.
Manager
Nile Rodgers is represented by –
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA) (Talent Agent) in Los Angeles, California, United States
- Hipgnosis Songs Ltd. (Royalties) in London, England, United Kingdom
Genre
Disco, R&B, Rock, Soul, Funk
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Clarinet, Flute
Labels
- Warner Music Group
- Sumthing Distribution
- Atlantic Records
- Virgin Records
- Buddah Records
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 10½ in or 179 cm
Weight
73 kg or 161 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Nile Rodgers has dated –
- Lamya
- Nancy Hunt (1998-Present)
Race / Ethnicity
Mixed (Black and White)
He has African-American, 1⁄4 African-Bahamian, 1⁄16 Iroquois Native American, and 1⁄32 Irish ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Long dreads haircut
- Gap in his front teeth
Brand Endorsements
Nile founded a charity titled We Are Family Foundation in the past.
Religion
He is not religious.
Nile Rodgers Facts
- His mom gave birth to him at the age of 14. She also had 3 back-alley abortions because she didn’t want kids and Nile described those people as “butchers”.
- His biological dad was rarely present but had an influential role in Nile’s life up until he died in 1970. Nile even convinced him not to jump out of the 4th floor of a building in New York City once.
- Both his mom and stepfather were addicted to heroin as did all of his half-brothers. Nile started using drugs at the age of 13 but preferred and cocaine.
- He suffered from asthma as a child and was sent to a separate home while recovering. While there, he witnessed s*xual abuse that left a mark.
- He learned to play the guitar at the age of 16 and later became known for his “chucking” style of playing.
- The 1st song he learned to play on the guitar was A Day in the Life (1967) by The Beatles.
- In the early 1990s, at a party with , Nile mixed cocaine and alcohol and eventually passed out. He woke up and found out his heart stopped 8 times in the hospital and was on the brink of death.
- He stopped using drugs and abusing alcohol in 1994 after he saw a tape of his poor performance.
- Nile released his autobiography titled Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny in late 2011. Rolling Stone rated it among the top 10 on their list of “25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time”.
- He was diagnosed with prostate in October 2010 and was in remission by 2013. Doctors also discovered 2 different within one mass in his kidney in 2017. In July 2019, Nile stated he was cancer-free.
- He nicknamed his signature guitar “The Hitmaker”. It is a 1960 Fender Stratocaster that uses a 1959 neck and bought it in Miami Beach, Florida. Fender released a limited edition recreation, named Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster, in January 2014.
- He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 by in the category of “Award for Musical Excellence”.
Featured Image by Eddie Janssens / / CC BY-SA 4.0
Facts of Nile Rodgers
- full nameNile Rodgers
- Date of Birth September 19, 1952
- Age 72 years 2 months
- Horoscope Virgo
- Lucky Number 9
- Lucky Stone Sapphire
- Lucky Color Green
- Best Match for Marriage Taurus, Capricorn
- weight73 kg
- height5 ft 10½ in