I Was There, created by filmmaker Vito Nicholas, examines the Chicago legend’s role in the birth of house music and features interviews with the likes of Jamie 3:26 and Robert Owens.
A crowdfunder for an upcoming documentary exploring Chicago house music originator Ron Hardy’s life and legacy has launched today (10 September).
Directed by filmmaker Vito Nicholas, and produced by Elena Winterer and KC Wray, I Was There will be centred in the 1970s Chicago queer underground party scene, where Hardy first cut his teeth mixing disco, soul, funk, italo and more with a reel-to-reel tape recorder and two turntable setup at the Den One nightclub.
Known for his extended sets and frenetic, high-energy style of mixing, he would become the resident DJ of legendary nightclub the Music Box before it closed in 1987. His life was tragically cut short in 1992, when he passed away of an AIDS-related illness. He left few records of his legacy, but is considered by many to be one of the “godfathers” of house music alongside Frankie Knuckles.
I Was There will feature oral history interviews with the likes of Jamie 3:26 and Robert Owens, with filming set to take place in the next 12 months.
For more information and to support the crowdfunder click here, and take a look at some stills from the documentary in the photographs below.
