Overview

• Friends and collaborators, including DJ Deonte Pennington, announced his death Monday in posts that led local outlets to report the news.
• Tributes referenced a heart attack as the cause, a detail not independently confirmed by family or authorities in the reports.
• Celebrated as the “Minister of House Music,” he was regarded as a cornerstone of Chicago’s house scene as a vocalist, DJ and producer.
• His breakthrough followed the 1994 Winter Music Conference, where he connected with Louie Vega and wrote lyrics for Barbara Tucker’s “I Get Lifted.”
• He gained international recognition with “Lucky Star” alongside French group Superfunk and collaborated with veterans Mike Dunn and Byron Stingily.