Frankie Knuckles- One Foot in the Grave

Acid house legend Frankie Knuckles chatted candidly again this week about having to have one of his feet amputated following illness in 2008, in an interview promoting the re-release of his seminal 80s house anthem Your Love.

The enormously influential house pioneer developed bone disease following a snow boarding accident in 2000 which worsened as he ignored doctor’s orders to rest for a year, he told the Guardian. By 2008 the disease was beginning to travel up his leg threatening his heart, requiring immediate amputation.

"I'm like, fine, take it, let's get it over with," he recalled this week (in an interview with the Guardian’s Dorian Lynskey.

When I saw it was gone I had a good cry, but when I woke up the next morning I felt 1,000% better. I didn't realize how much pain I'd been in until it was gone. It was like all of a sudden the sun came out."

His impressively sunny outlook matched his demeanour when he first revealed details of the operation in 2009, in a typically upbeat posting on Defected Records’ Forum.

“I didn’t have a problem losing my foot. After all, I still have another,” he quipped, “But I did have a problem losing my life. This is the only one I have.”

Your Love by Frankie Knuckles presents Director's Cut featuring Jamie Principle is out now on Nocturnal Grooves (click here to buy: http://bit.ly/oikIpg )

Frankie is interviewed by Derrick May at the Amsterdam Dance Event next Saturday (October 21: http://bit.ly/qo808x )