( CNN ) -- DJ Frankie Knuckles , who died Monday at 59 , is remembered as a legendary producer , remixer and house music pioneer . The Grammy-winning Knuckles combined `` elements of disco , electronic sound , soul and synth into a new genre earned him the title 'Godfather of House Music , ' '' Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said . `` His electrifying remixes and high-energy performances on the turntables packed clubs for decades , and he inspired a generation of DJs , bringing house music to the mainstream , '' Portnow said . Knuckles worked as a remixer with top artists including Whitney Houston , Michael Jackson and Diana Ross . He won a Grammy in 1997 as nonclassical remixer of the year . The mayor of his adopted hometown , Chicago , said Knuckles was one of the city 's `` most treasured cultural pioneers . '' `` Over his long career Frankie made his way into the ranks of those artists and innovators who came to this city not just to contribute to a musical genre , but to create one themselves , '' Mayor Rahm Emanuel said . `` In doing so , he also made his way into the hearts of those who knew him and the many more who followed his work . '' A section of Chicago 's Jefferson Street is officially known as Frankie Knuckles Way . People we lost in 2014 . CNN 's Joan Yeam contributed to this report .
Knuckles combined `` disco , electronic sound , soul and synth into a new genre '' He worked as a remixer with Whitney Houston , Michael Jackson and Diana Ross . Knuckles won a Grammy in 1997 as nonclassical remixer of the year . Chicago 's mayor calls him one of that city 's `` most treasured cultural pioneers ''