A Brief History of Ron Hardy’s Music Box

Any history of Chicago house music would be incomplete without a triple fold LP size chuck saved for Music Box. In 1982, after, five years as its resident, Frankie Knuckles left The Warehouse (widely credited as the inspiration behind the term “house”) to set up the Power Plant. After a couple months of closure, founder Robert Williams reopened in a new location and looked to Ron Hardy to stem the flow of dancers following pied piper Knuckles. The club was soon renamed Music Box and with it, Hardy established himself as the custodian of a piece Chicago dance history. His combative, experimental style set him apart from contemporaries reaching for similar records and pioneers like Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Adonis, DJ Pierre and Chip E all debuted work from his booth. Perhaps most notable was ‘Acid Tracks’ from Phuture, which cleared the floor the first three times it was played that night then sent the club wild on the fourth.

A law against after-hours clubs led to the demise of Music Box in 1987 and, sadly, Hardy’s fight with drug addiction only afforded him five years beyond that, but the legacy both club and DJ had on their city in such a short time is testament to their importance. In honour of both, Global Roots leader Thris Tian charts a brief (alternative) history of the club with some key tracks.

Full article: click here