{"id":2869,"date":"2026-06-24T14:08:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2869"},"modified":"2026-06-24T14:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:08:46","slug":"super-producer-nile-rodgers-shares-wild-tales-about-walking-out-on-madonna-meeting-david-bowie-advice-from-frank-sinatra-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2869","title":{"rendered":"Super-Producer Nile Rodgers Shares Wild Tales About Walking Out on Madonna, Meeting David Bowie, Advice From Frank Sinatra and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tWith a track record that includes David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk, Diana Ross and many others, Nile Rodgers, co-founder and leader of Chic, is one of the greatest producers and guitarists of the last 50 years, and a legendary songwriter as well \u2014 he\u2019s not only a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he\u2019s been its chairman for eight years. He is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the \u201cMusical Excellence\u201d category.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2867\">New Animated Series \u2018Adventure Time: Bubblegum and Marceline\u2019 Gets HBO Max Order (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tYet even those accolades are just a small segment of the story of his extraordinary life and career: In a far-reaching, nearly 100-minute interview with <em>Variety<\/em>\u2018s Jem Aswad for New York Music Month \u2014 presented by <em>Variety<\/em> and Berklee NYC School of Music \u2014 at his longtime home base, New York\u2019s Power Station Studios, Rodgers spoke about most of the above as well as his musical background, his early years as a member of bands on \u201cSesame Street\u201d and at the Apollo Theater in Harlem \u2014 the latter with a classic story involving Screaming Jay Hawkins \u2014\u00a0the formation and multiplatinum success of Chic, the many records he\u2019s made at the Power Station, and lots more, including a brief story about Frank Sinatra.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAs anyone who has met Rodgers knows, he\u2019s quite a raconteur, so a linear article about the interview is almost impossible. Scroll down for an hour-long video of the interview \u2014\u00a0but first, some brief excerpts to whet the appetite:<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>On the first time he met David Bowie:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cWhen [Bowie] and I first met, it was totally by accident. I was going to this new nightclub called the Continental, and as I was walking in, I saw my good friend Billy Idol walking in, too. [Stands up] I have to act this out, because otherwise you won\u2019t get it. So we both notice this guy at the back of the room by himself. And Billy goes [thick British accent], \u201cBloody hell! That\u2019s David Fuckin\u2019 Bowie!\u201d \u2014 he pronounces it like \u201cBOW-ee,\u201d because that\u2019s how they say his name in England \u2014\u00a0and then he barfs! <em>[Laughter]<\/em>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cSo I didn\u2019t barf, right? So I [got to Bowie first]. I\u2019m over here talking to David, and Billy walks over and does this number \u2026 [he mimes wiping vomit on his sleeve, then extends hand]. And David shakes his hand! I was like, \u2018You are the coolest fucking guy in the world!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>On working with \u2014 and walking out on \u2014\u00a0Madonna:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cMadonna was heaven to me \u2014 I\u2019ve never worked with an artist who worked that hard in my life. And she didn\u2019t even really have to work that hard. We had only met once \u2014 just like with Bowie \u2014 and just from that one meeting, she decided \u2018This guy is going to make my record.\u2019 She came to my apartment and played all these demos and said, \u2018Nile, if you don\u2019t love all these songs, we can\u2019t work together.\u2019 I listened to all the songs, and I said, \u2018Well, Madonna, I <em>don\u2019t<\/em> love all these songs, but when I finish with them, I will.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cSo I guess I didn\u2019t say the wrong thing because I didn\u2019t get fired! She was great \u2014 the only negative thing I could say about Madonna\u2026 because I did quit the record, but I\u2019ll show you how quickly I was re-hired. Every time an assistant would have to go to the bathroom, she wanted to make sure she was the boss \u2014 \u2018Time is money and the money is mine!,\u2019 she\u2019d say \u2014\u00a0she said, \u2018Well make sure he asks me before he goes!\u2019 \u2018Madonna, the guy has to go to the bathroom!\u2019 <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2865\">Pluto Film Acquires Comedy \u2019Chica Checa\u2019 Ahead of Karlovy Vary Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cFinally she was mistreating the guy so much that I got really upset and just said, \u2018Forget it, I can\u2019t work with you anymore.\u2019 I was walking out of the studio, and she comes to the door and goes \u2018Nile, do you think I\u2019m sexy?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201c\u2018Yeah Madonna, you\u2019re one of the sexiest people I\u2019ve ever met.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201c\u2018Well why don\u2019t you wanna fuck me?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201c\u2018Because I\u2019m you\u2019re producer!\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cThen she comes with a brilliant answer: \u2018Well, that didn\u2019t stop the rest of them!\u2019 <em>(Laughter)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cI mean, I thought I\u2019d be making Madonna records for the rest of my life. I only made one, but our relationship has always been fantastic. A couple of years ago, she celebrated her birthday \u2014 I built a little roller-skating rink in Central Park and we skated together. We had so much fun \u2014\u00a0she said, \u2018You just got me out here because you want me to fall on my ass!\u2019 I said, \u2018No, Madonna. All the other skaters work for me, so if you fall on your ass, we\u2019re all going to fall on our asses!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>On returning to the Power Station, 50 years after it opened:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cFifty fucking years \u2014 I feel so old now! Chic was the first band to record here, and when a studio starts making hits, everybody thinks it\u2019s magical. We cut a hit, and the next song was a hit, then the next song was Sister Sledge [\u201cWe Are Family\u201d], that was a hit. Next thing you know, everybody was recording here! The incredible artists that I\u2019ve worked with in these rooms \u2014 [Bowie], Peter Gabriel, Madonna, Sheena Easton. So\u00a0I feel happy every time I come here, but I do feel\u00a0sadness\u00a0because\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0lost so many people that\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0recorded in all these rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>And a brief cameo from Frank Sinatra:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cWhen I was a kid, I used to work at an airport in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport [where many private planes embarked], and I used to see Frank Sinatra. He used to say to me, \u2018Hey kid, why do you think they call it show business?\u2019 \u2018I don\u2019t know, Mr. Sinatra. Why do they call it show business?\u2019 \u2018Because you\u2019ve got to put on a show to do the business!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2863\">Alex de la Iglesia\u00a0Set to Make His Animation Debut With \u2018Ages of Madness: The Howling of the Jinn\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tWatch the interview below: <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this hour-long conversation, legendary producer-songwriter and Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers tells wild stories about David Bowie, Madonna and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[2429,1381,2430],"class_list":["post-2869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-david-bowie","tag-madonna","tag-nile-rodgers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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