History and Significance

From 1957 to 1967, the building housed the studio and recording company that beget legendary recordings by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Ramsey Lewis, Ahmad Jamal, Aretha Franklin, and dozens of others. Many of these musicians were southern-born African-Americans who had come to Chicago in the wake of the "great migration" of the early and mid-20^th century. Recordings such as "Johnny B. Goode," "Rescue Me," and "Red Rooster" were all recorded at Chess, and in the 1960s, the Rolling Stones immortalized the address in the Blues instrumental "2120 S. Michigan Avenue," much of which was recorded there. The two-story, brick and terra-cotta-faced building was designated a Chicago City Landmark in 1990.

The Chess Brothers purchased 2120 South Michigan Avenue in 1957, hired 20-year old Jack Weiner to design their state-of-the-art studio, and proceeded to "turn the music industry on its ear." The unique "Chess" sound that emanated from its walls was a result of its musicians, studio (where none of its four walls were parallel — with several held on "clips" to allow desired reverberation), and electronic tube equipment. The room’s acoustical dynamics were key to defining the "Chess" sound.

Music made at Chess is the basis for all rock ‘n’ roll we hear today. Chess was a very significant record label that made a huge impression on European groups, including the Rolling Stones, who took their name from the widely popular Muddy Waters tune, "Rollin’ Stone."

Chief among the Blues greats who worked here was Willie Dixon, prolific songwriter, producer and bassist. No single songwriter to emerge from the Chicago Blues scene can boast a body of work as prolific and influential as that of Dixon’s. He contributed literally hundreds of song compositions to the burgeoning Chicago Blues scene and played a major role in putting Chicago on the map and dubbing it "The Blues Capital of the World." Chess executive Dick LaPalm remembers "…there wasn’t a Blues recording made by Leonard or Phil Chess where Willie wasn’t in the room. In spite of whoever is credited as producer, when you get right down to it, Willie was the guy."

In his later years, Willie Dixon founded the Blues Heaven Foundation to protect the Blues artists of the past and to inspire future generations with the straightforward power of the Blues tradition. His widow, Marie Dixon, and other Foundation donors including MCA Records and John Mellencamp, restored this modest building to its 1957 appearance to serve its music education programs for children, students, Blues musicians and music enthusiasts. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, has donated 17,000 instruments to schools and established numerous educational programs. The Foundation also provides free legal services to Blues musicians to aid them in obtaining royalties and maintaining other creative artist rights. The building is open for public tours.

Preservation Needs

The Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation has been able, in large part, to return the building to its historic 1957 appearance and it was opened to the public in 1997. However, further restoration of the recording facilities is still needed to fully re-capture the heart and look of its 1950’s and 60’s heyday.

Future work on the building, for which funding support has not yet been raised, includes the reinstallation of the 1950-60s recording studio. Much of the studio’s original equipment, which would be installed in this studio, is now in storage in the Willie Dixon archive and/or held within the care of its original designer/engineer, Jack Weiner. Fortunately, Weiner is still living and his expertise will be consulted during this reinstallation process. Cost estimates for the entire studio reinstallation project range between $1.5 and $2.5 million and includes: (1) documentation of the original studio design and installation; (2) documentation of original studio operation instructions; (3) reconfiguration of the original studio walls; (4) repair, restoration, and reconstruction of acoustical systems; (5) reconstruction of studio control room; and reinstallation of original recording equipment. Project also involves the restoration of original equipment and a survey effort to locate recording equipment not held within Dixon or Weiner archive. It is anticipated that documentation of the original studio design and installation (the first step in the restoration process) will cost approximately $50,000.

Other needs include (no costs associated as yet):

• Construction of new studio (requested by major artists). New studio would be in new building constructed adjacent to 2120 — currently a vacant lot. City essentially donated adjacent lot to Chess in an effort to help maintain the integrity of 2120 and plan for its future needs.
• Funding for educational programs, including "Blues in the Schools." Have given over 17,000 instruments to schools, expanded scholarship programs, and provided artist legal education and other assistance.
• Funds to create climate control atmosphere so that sensitive Dixon archives can be fully installed in the building.