Me and mom - she was 14 and I was a few months old

Today is Mother's Day in America. My mother and I have always been close, but since I was attacked by cancer we speak to each other almost every day. We're also very close in age because Mom got pregnant with me at 13 years old. I'm the first of her five boys. Because we're so close in age, we have so many things in common - including our senses of humor.

She married my stepfather Bobby when I was seven years old. They were cool beatniks and treated me more like a peer than a child, which is probably why I'm so independent. Now that I'm older, I appreciate that.

My parents are two of the funniest people I've ever known. Bobby died not too long ago. He was as funny as Lenny Bruce and mom is just as hysterical. She just called me and thanked me for her Mother's Day present, and then we laughed the entire time.

At the the end of the conversation, I hung up the phone and thought about how much I love, respect, and understand her. She's beautiful, unorthodox, intellectual, wacky, and unique - "A Real Mother For Ya!"

 

My mom back in the day between the beatnik and hippie epochs

My aunt Midge and her brother Bobby a couple months after he'd married my mom, who took this picture

My Stepdad Bobby with our dog

All of Bev's boys

My mother and Chris Tucker on the set of Rush Hour 2

Mom lead by Honor Guard at my stepfather Bobby's funeral

Bobby's Honor Guard at his flag ceremony for his military service - His ashes are in the box

Lionel Richie, Mom (she loves her animal prints), and me - A Real Mother For Ya

 

Me and Anita Baker - The Real Deal

Every since I showed the Adam Lambert behind-the-scenes videos, I realized that I take greatness for granted. I'm lucky enough to work with mostly great people. I want to share a little more of what my world is like. It's easy to appreciate a performer when their show is choreographed and they're made up, dressed up and the sound mix is perfect.

You know an artist is the "real deal" when they don't have any of the aforementioned benefits and it's just the raw artist. Here is Anita Baker learning CHIC's song "I Want Your Love." All hell is breaking loose around her, but you can tell that This Is the Real Deal.

 

Click on images to enlarge - Use your arrows to navigate

 

"Everybody Dance" 12" single cover

The first song I ever wrote for CHIC was called "Everybody Dance." It cost 10 dollars to record. It was that song that would change my entire life.

A few months after that song was recorded, my partner Bernard Edwards and I would solidify our concept of The CHIC Organization. The success of my first song would put me on a path where the rest of my life I'd interact with glamorous superstars and mega-projects.

There's something ironically wonderful about playing this life changing song wearing street clothes In An Empty Room.

 

Me and Seal

Me and Rod Stewart

Me and Eddie Murphy

Me, Fonzie, and Luther Vandross

Me and Slash

Mikhail Gorbachev, Mary J. Blige and Me

Me and Grace Jones

Dominic Chianese, me, John Oates, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Timbaland, Ruben Blades, Daryl Hall

Catherine Deneuve and me

Me and Cher

Paul Simon and me

Me and Elton John

1983 Photo with David Bowie, Coco Schwab, me and Rick James

 

May 10, 2012 - Update by: @NileRodgers
Yesterday my tech team Casey, D, and me were working all night and I didn't post all of the different languages until late last night. I want the Adam fans around the world to see the Process, so I'm keeping this post up another day. But, I'm adding NEW CLIPS for the folks who've already seen it. It will give you more insight into "THE PROCESS."

Without ever meeting each other, Adam and I booked a studio and decided to Trust the Process

Adam Lambert's new album Trespassing has leaked out. Most of you have already heard the song that I played on called "Shady." What you don't know is the Process. It started with a tweet to me from Adam and Sam Sparro asking me to play on this funky track.

After chatting a bit we realized that there was only one way this could happen. Without ever meeting each other, Adam and I booked a studio - and as John Taylor from Duran Duran would say, we decided to Trust the Process.

 

Adam was professional and focused but he also allowed me to interpret the song my way

This smile of Adam Lambert says it all - This is why I play music

Me and my geek-squad (Casey Bollinger and Diego Sánchez

 

After I sent out my blog yesterday I went out for my early morning walk

After I sent out my blog yesterday I went out for my early morning walk. I left by the back door to take some pictures when I saw it was a really low spring tide. It was the lowest tide I've seen all year (-1.29 feet). I couldn't resist walking out as far as I could.

The bottom was so soft that once I cleared the rocky area I stepped on what felt like a thicker version of quick sand. Adrenaline started rushing through me as my primal defenses kicked in. I got scared as I started to sink but made my way under the boardwalk to take some interesting pictures.

Even though my shoes were wet and muddy I went walking in them. It's been far too long since my last therapeutic walk. It didn't take me long to get back in the groove. The weather was perfect.

As soon as I left my backyard I sang the lyric, "Every day I'm shufflin'... Shuffle-in Shuffle-in" from LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." I started whistling the distinctive synth riff that follows. I only walked about two miles because I had a deep-tissue shiatsu massage scheduled for 6:30 AM.

I happened to be singing the song "CHIC Cheer" as I rounded the corner that leads back to my house. I reached my driveway and I saw something that looked like garbage in front of my house. When I focused the camera on what I thought was garbage I was singing the lyric "CHIC CHIC." This Is 100% True.

 

It was the lowest tide I've seen all year (-1.29 feet)

Under the boardwalk to my dock at low tide

As soon as I left my backyard I sang the lyric, "Every day I'm shufflin'... Shuffle-in Shuffle-in" from LMFAO's "Party Rock"

My shiatsu master arriving at six-thirty AM

As I neared my driveway I saw something that looked like garbage in front of my house

When I focused the camera on what I thought was garbage I was still singing CHIC Cheer's lyric "CHIC CHIC" - I don't know how this landed in front of my house at that moment

LMFAO

Under the boardwalk

When I arrive home I go into the front yard

This is me arriving back home

 

Early yesterday morning I returned to a positive daily routine

Early yesterday morning, I returned to the positive routine that used to be like a religion when I was first attacked by cancer over a year ago. The doctors put me on an exercise routine that mainly consisted of walking a few miles daily. It was therapeutic on so many levels.

I was very concerned with living through each night and waking up the next morning. Walking took my mind off of worrying about dying and helped me celebrate life. Once the general fear of dying nightly left I started becoming a little complacent. Soon I stopped my routine.

When I was on the road with Seal a few months ago, he worked out all the time. He'd said that he wanted to be able to perform at that level for as long as possible.

When it comes to performing, I'll always give 100 percent. I've always relied on will-power, love of music, and my commitment to hard work. I don't feel any different when I'm running and jumping up and down on stage as I did at 17 years old. But I'm smart enough to know that I need to get back into shape.

Life is hard, but it's also beautiful and I want the quality of my life to stay as beautiful as possible. I'm going to redouble my efforts to get back to tip top Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Shape.

 

I own a treadmill so I can walk everyday regardless of weather - There's no excuse for me to not workout

Walking took my mind off of worrying about dying and helped me celebrate life - Here I'm walking in Tokyo

He'd said that he wanted to be able to perform at that level for as long as possible

When it comes to performing, I'll always give 100 percent

I've always relied on will-power, love of music, and my commitment to hard work

I don't feel any different when I'm on stage as I did at 17 years old, although I was 26 in this photo

This is me playing The Bitter End a few weeks ago, BUT I ALSO played here when I was 17 years old!

Life is hard, but it's also beautiful and today in my backyard was beautiful

I'm going to redouble my efforts to get back to tip-top Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Shape

 

I'm feeling better today and I'm sorry I wasn't able to write the blog yesterday

I'm sorry I wasn't able to write the blog yesterday. A few hours before I was to do it, I'd heard that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys had died of cancer. I had no idea he was battling the big C. I've been living in something of a bubble for the last few years since I moved my studio out of New York City.

I vividly remember the first word Adam ever spoke to me. "Ruling!" It was his answer to my question, "How are you doing?" It was at the Palladium nightclub in New York, the night of their concert at Madison Square Garden with Madonna. His answer cracked me up because it was Clever, Quick, and Unexpected - just like Cancer, the disease that claimed him.

I have to see my doctor on Monday to deal with my cancer post-op follow-up blood work. Hours before I'd heard the news about Adam I'd had lunch with someone who has to have chemotherapy treatments every three weeks for the rest of their life. It's the only way doctors can control the size of their inoperable tumor. At the end of lunch I said, "You're my new hero!"

I can't imagine what that must be like to live like that. I've described my various procedures as "one step below medieval torture," but chemo-therapy every three weeks for the rest of ones life seems incomprehensible. That's the reality of Clever, Quick, and Unexpected Cancer.

 

I've been living in something of a bubble for the last few years since I moved my studio out of New York City

The Beastie Boys in front of a Madonna poster

The Beastie Boys also Played wit Madonna at Radio City in New York near the same date they played The Garden, which is almost unheard of

I've described my various procedures as "one step below medieval torture."

RIP Adam Yauch (August 5, 1964 - May 4, 2012)

 

I'm going to take today to reflect. I'll catch up with everyone tomorrow. RIP MCA.

 

 

Q-Tip, me and GZA at rehearsal for my We Are Family Foundation charity

Very Good Times are on the horizon. Soon, Fender Guitars will make an announcement that I am working on a project involving the Hitmaker and Fender. There are lots of ideas being talked about, and we will be able to reveal those as soon as they are solidified.

We are collaborating to make sure that this project reflects the importance and historical value of the Hitmaker in every way, and that players and collectors can all share in this experience.

I wish I could say more. You know that I'm always straight up with you guys. I give you my word that the project's going to be very cool and it concerns my most versatile guitar.

That's the most I can say about the project now but these are Very Good Times.

 

Rehearsing w GZA and Q-Tip

CHIC w Q-Tip and GZA in a rare performance together which brought the house down

Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Tour Jacket

The Hitmaker is the most versatile guitar I've ever played

 

CHIC Organization guitar tech, Terry Brauer

I was looking at some video that my guitar tech Terry shot of the band. This was a few days before my session with Adam Lambert. We were about to rehearse for a cancer charity concert.

Usually when you see me playing with the CHIC Organization, we're tightly rehearsed and playing songs that I've written and produced. But even after all these years, playing music is still fun and recreational as much as it's my livelihood. So this is what I do Behind Closed Doors.

 

My guitar tech Terry and Bruno Mars at rehearsal

Usually when you see me playing with the CHIC Organization, we're tightly rehearsed and playing songs that I've written and produced

In my hotel bed with the Hitmaker Behind Closed Doors

In Le Crib Studio jamming