'Godfather Of House' Frankie Knuckles Dies At 59

The "Godfather of House" has died.

Legendary DJ and music producer Frankie Knuckles passed away Monday, aged 59.

The official cause of death is currently unknown, but some reports suggest it was from complications related to Type II Diabetes.

Tributes have flooded in from fellow DJs across the world.

"A legend has fallen. All hail Frankie Knuckles an inspiration to us all," wrote award-winning spinner Vince Lawrence on his Facebook page.

"I am devastated to write that my dear friend Frankie Knuckles has passed away today. Can't write any more than this at the moment. I'm sorry," wrote David Morales on Twitter.

And Questlove Jenkins added: "jesus man. Frankie Knuckles was so under-appreciated. he was the dj that dj's aspired to be. true dance pioneer."

Born in the Bronx in 1955, Knuckles first played disco in New York alongside Larry Levan - before moving to Chicago in the 1970s.

It was there he started spinning at The Warehouse - the club credited with giving birth to the house music genre - before opening up his own venue The Power Plant in 1983.

A prolific producer, he formed Def Mix Productions with Morales - and worked with stars including Diana Ross, Chaka Khan and Michael Jackson.

His break as an independent artist came in 1991 when Virgin released his debut album "Beyond the Mix" - containing seminal singles "The Whistle Song," "Rainfalls" and "Workout."

The City of Chicago renamed a stretch of Jefferson Street, near the site of the original Warehouse club, as "Frankie Knuckles Way" in 2004.

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