In the latest of a series of interviews with gamechangers from the worlds of culture, business, sports and politics, Amol Rajan speaks to musician Nile Rodgers.
As a songwriter and producer, Rodgers has worked on worldwide hits including David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Sister Sledge’s We Are Family and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. Rodgers tells Rajan about his childhood in 1960s New York City, with his mother only 14 years older than him, falling prey to drug addiction as she brought up her young son. Rajan finds out about the circumstances around Rodgers setting up the band Chic with his musical partner Bernard Edwards and the story behind their sensational record, Le Freak. As one of the most successful black men in the music industry, Rodgers reflects on the racism which still troubles America and the structural inequalities that come with music streaming, and he tells Rajan about the death of his mother in 2020.