Bernard Edwards

Bernard Edwards' supple, big bottom bass lines powered platinum hits by Chic, the '70s dance/pop band that he co-founded with guitarist/songwriter/producer Nile Rodgers. The group scored three gold singles and one platinum single including two number one pop/R&B singles, "Le Freak" and "Good Times"; two platinum albums, C'est Chic and Risque; and one gold album, Chic. A Chic live recording, Live at the Budokan, was released February 23, 1999, through Rodgers' Sumthing Distribution. The bassist co-wrote and produced all of Chic's records as well as those the duo produced for Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, and others. Edwards later produced and played in '80s supergroup Power Station ("Some Like It Hot"); produced ABC's "When Smokey Sings," Ross' "Telephone," and Rod Stewart; and played bass on the Rodgers-produced Madonna LP Like a Virgin and Jody Watley's "Don't You Want Me." Born October 31, 1952, in Greenville, NC, Edwards met Rodgers in 1970. They began playing at New York jazz clubs and taverns. Meeting drummer Tony Thompson they formed the Big Apple Band, which backed the live concerts of vocal group New York City. The two can be heard on Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band's gold single "A Fifth of Beethoven" (number ten R&B, number one pop, spring 1976). Forming Chic, the group sold their instruments to raise money to record tracks to secure a major-label record deal. They received the inevitable rejections until they finally got a deal with Atlantic Records through president Jerry Greenberg. Their first single, "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," started out as a huge dance club hit and went gold hitting number six R&B/pop on Billboard's charts in fall 1977. The debut LP issued in December 1977, Chic, went gold, peaking at number 27 pop in spring 1978....