David Morales to pay tribute to Frankie Knuckles at Glastonbury

DJ David Morales will pay tribute to Frankie Knuckles at Glastonbury this year, heralding the pioneer of house music at the festival's celebrated NYC Downlow opening party on 26 June.

The festival's "underground gay nightclub" – as part of Block9 – will host a remembrance party for Knuckles, who died in April, aged 59. Morales, his longtime Def Mix partner and close friend, will lead proceedings, playing classic NYC disco and early deep house in tribute to the godfather of the genre. “Frankie was always a leader, never a follower … I can only describe Frankie in one word ... EPIC," writes Morales. "HAIL THE TRUE KING OF HOUSE."

Vocalist Robert Owens will also be singing live, performing Frankie Knuckles & Satoshi Tomiie’s hit Tears. Recorded in 1989, Knuckles teamed up with Owens, the Chicago vocalist and one half of Fingers Inc, as well as Larry Heard and Japanese house producer Satoshi Tomiie.

Frankie Knuckles, pioneer of dance music and one of the most in-demand club producers of his generation, died unexpectedly at home in Chicago. Following Knuckles' death, longtime fan Barack Obama paid tribute to the "trailblazer". "We were deeply saddened to learn of Frankie's passing," said the US president and his wife. "Frankie's work helped open minds and bring people together … and his legacy lives on in the city of Chicago and on dance floors across the globe."

Block9 are Gideon Berger and Stephen Gallagher, a duo who bring their radical set and environment design to Glastonbury each year. Alongside Morales' tribute, NYC Downlow will see DJ Die, Danny Krivit (Body & Soul, NYC), Horse Meat Disco and My Love Is Underground perform.

The celebration begins at 8pm.