Looking to simplify your personal and business finances? That’s understandable, since dealing with finances can be complicated.  Let’s walk through five ways to simplify your personal and business finances so you can breathe easy at night knowing your finances are under control!

1. Plan for the Future

We’ve all been told to plan for the future, but what does that mean for finances that may ebb and flow? Planning for the future is important whether you’re making a plan for your personal or business finances. One way to do this is by planning for your retirement as early as you possibly can. Maybe choose an amount that you’re willing to put away for your retirement every month regardless of what is going on in your life, except for emergencies. 

That means no pulling money from your retirement fund either unless the money is going to something more important than your future welfare. Remember, retirement may come earlier than you think. In 2016, the average age of retirement was 65 for men and 63 for women.

2. Refinance Your Car

One way to simplify your personal finances is to refinance your car. Right now is a great time to do so because auto refinance rates starting at as low as 2.74% in places like Colorado. 

You would typically get an auto refinance if you’re unhappy with your current loan or if you just want to lower your monthly car payment. Auto refinances can also include changes to the terms of your loan contract or service contract and your interest rates. This is a good option for you if you calculate how much money per month you spend on your car and realize that you thought you were spending or could be spending much less. 

3. Separate Business Funds From Personal Funds

If you run a business, it’s a smart idea to keep your personal funds and your business funds separately so you can make sure you and your family are taken care of even if your business isn’t doing so well at the moment. 

Likewise, pouring business funds into your personal account may cost you money in the long run, especially if this money could have gone to things like the quality of your product or the maintenance of your workplace. 

4. Get Professional Tax Advice 

Even if you’ve done your taxes yourself for years, there’s always something to learn from visiting a tax professional. After all, tax professionals are paid to look for small things that the average person wouldn’t notice when it comes to filing taxes. 

Also, if you’re looking for a bigger tax refund this year, a professional may be able to help you with that. For example, a survey done in 2017 found that self-filers had an average tax return of $1775, while those who filed with a professional had an average tax return of $2615. 

5. Be Inclusive 

If you’re running a business, being inclusive is not only important to uplifting the diverse communities of America, but it also helps save America money in the long run. For example, the racial wealth gap in America has cost the economy $16 trillion since the year 2000. 

The racial wealth gap stems from a long history of businesses being unfair to marginalized communities by making it more difficult for them to access credit, fair loans and more. You can even contribute to making the economy more inclusive if you aren’t a business owner by buying from businesses that are run by marginalized communities or that support marginalized communities. 

Simplify Your Finances Today

Hopefully, with these five, easy tips we’ve given you to simplify your finances, you can even start today if you wanted to. Remember, refinance your car, check up on your retirement plan, create separate accounts for your business and personal funds, get professional tax advice before you submit your taxes and be inclusive if you’re a business owner. 

#5 Waiting in a TSA line at O’Hare Airport

#4 Being woken up by the dog at 2:30 am

#3 Deciphering Medicare enrollment

#2 Buying a car

#1 GETTING A PHONE UPGRADE

Yesterday was the day. Verizon’s offer on discounts for trading in older iPhones for the new iPhone 13 models ends at the end of this week, so Barb and I decided that it was a good time to upgrade our beaten up, cracked, perfectly functional, old phones for some spiffy new ones. And of course, Laury’s phone was to be included, under terms of her “forever plan.”

The nearby Verizon dealer we tried to visit was closed, despite posted hours that indicated it should have been open. So we headed north on Milwaukee Avenue to where we remembered another dealer to be, only to find they had moved. A Google search identified the newest location, and we drove over. I should have known by then it was going to be a rough day!

One lucky break; there were no other customers in the store when we entered–we just beat the rush, customers who came in later than we did were facing two-hour waits.

With the store empty, we were pounced on by a sales associate immediately. Our pouncing sales rep surely recognized us as a big whale to reel in. He raced us through the various different iPhone 13 models, eager to sell us the iPhone Pro Max Super-Deluxe-Fancy-Pants-with Five Cameras model. He was clearly disappointed when we chose the more “mid-level” selections, but he was not to be thwarted in getting us to spend every possible cent.

The upgrade/option parade began. “Don’t you want more memory? Sure, this is enough for now, but maybe you will wish you had a few hundred more gigabytes two years from now. And your unlimited plan is OK, but if you pay $40 more per month you will get a more unlimited plan plus a bunch of streaming apps you probably won’t use. And don’t you need insurance? The cost per month is more than you are paying for the phones, but don’t you want the peace of mind?” The only hustle missing was the “let me talk to our manager and see what we can do for you…”

Somehow we resisted all most of his pitch. Yes, in addition to our phones, we did leave the store with an assortment of cases, screen savers, and a wireless charger that I will be returning today because it doesn’t work.

I won’t go into how much hair I pulled out transferring the data from my old phone to the new one. I am sure our incredibly slow home wi-fi has something to do with the 3-hour ordeal, but maybe Barb had it right when she told me my brain clearly lacked the memory and storage for another update.

I don’t mind. I may be growing oldish, but at least I have a shiny, new, blue, iPhone. If only I could get it to talk to my watch…

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Southern Illinois players celebrate Saturday’s 35-17 win with fans at Saluki Stadium. (photo courtesy siusalukis.com)

A scintillating kickoff return, a 23-tackle performance and a sack total that flashes back 18 years all translated into a trio of player of the weeks awards for Illinois FCS players.

Southern Illinois returner Izaiah Hartrup, Western Illinois safety Darius Joiner and Eastern Illinois defensive lineman Jordan Miles were all lauded by their respective conferences for their standout performances in Saturday victories.

Hartrup attack

Southern Illinois’ Hartrup’s 70-yard kickoff return was the factor in the redshirt freshman being named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

It was also a major ignition to SIU’s 35-point second half rally past rival Illinois State before a family weekend crowd at Saluki Stadium.

“I knew we needed a spark,” Hartrup said in the postgame. “I was really hoping coach would say we could take that kick return out. I knew as soon as he gave me the signal to do it, I was going to make a big play.”

Hartrup also caught a career-high seven passes for 82 yards, including an incredible one-handed grab on a key, 47-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Joining in the fun

WIU’s Joiner registered a career-high 23 tackles — 14 solo — as the Leathernecks shut out Youngstown State in the second half and rallied for a 38-35 win.

Those numbers resulted in Joiner being named Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Joiner’s 23 total tackles ranks sixth-best in program history for a single game.

Joiner, a transfer from Jacksonville State, has recorded double-digit numbers in tackles in all four games this season.

The Alabama native also has one interception.

Joiner appeared in five games in his second full year at Jacksonville State during 2019, including three straight to start the season. His previous single-game high in tackles was seven against Southeastern Louisiana that season.

A Jordanesque outing

Miles played a key role in EIU’s 28-14 win at Tennessee Tech to open the Panthers’ Ohio Valley Conference schedule. Thus, the freshman from Indianapolis was selected as the league’s defensive player of the week.

Miles finished with four tackles, three of which were sacks.

Miles became the first EIU player in 18 years to collect three or more sacks in a game.  The last was Kory Lothe with four sacks on Nov. 8, 2003, ironically enough against Tennessee Tech.

Miles’ final two sacks of the game both ended Tennessee Tech’s final two possessions of the game as both were strip sacks that ended in EIU recovered fumbles.

His three sacks on the season leads the OVC, while his 7.5 tackles for loss for the season also leads the conference and ranks 22nd in the FCS.   Miles two forced fumbles place him 32nd among FCS leaders.

Miles added two quarterback hurries and EIU’s defense recorded five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and four turnovers gained.

Salukis hold steady in one poll; up a slot in the other

The rousing comeback victory over rival Illinois State kept Southern Illinois at its No. 7 ranking in this week’s FCS STATS Perform poll.

SIU also moved up a spot to seventh in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll. Southern was No. 8 last week.

The Salukis (3-1 overall, 1-0 in Missouri Valley) fell behind 17-0 before a fast and furious rally propelled SIU to the win in front of 8,618 fans in Carbondale.

SIU trailed 10-0 at halftime and had only picked up two first downs in the opening two quarters.

“I’m not a huge yeller,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said afterward. “They (the players) know the standards and what needs to take place. Our leadership was outstanding. We all needed to just take a deep breath.”

Ignited by a 70-yard kickoff return by Hartrup, SIU began its climb to victory. Another key play came when the Salukis stuffed an ISU fourth-and-one run at the SIU 6.

The Salukis then overwhelmed the Redbirds (2-2, 0-1) in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns.

Southern’s defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout and applied heavy pressure to ISU quarterback Jackson Waring, sacking him four times, including a key strip-sack by Jordan Berner.

Stats Perform FCS Top 10

1. Sam Houston (3-0, 1-0 AQ7), 1,208 points (32 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Week 4 Result: 45-35 win at then-No. 25 Central Arkansas

2. South Dakota State (3-0, 1-0 Missouri Valley), 1,195 (10)

Previous Ranking: 2; Week 4 Result: 44-0 win at Indiana State

3. James Madison (3-0, 1-0 CAA), 1,162 (5)

Previous Ranking: 3; Week 4 Result: Open week

4. Montana (3-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 1,089 (3)

Previous Ranking: 4; Week 4 Result: 39-7 win over Cal Poly

5. North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 1,070   

Previous Ranking: 5; Week 4 Result: Open week

6. Eastern Washington (4-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 964

Previous Ranking: 6; Week 4 Result: 50-21 win at Southern Utah

7. Southern Illinois (3-1, 1-0 Missouri Valley), 909  

Previous Ranking: 7; Week 4 Result: 35-17 win over Illinois State

8. UC Davis (4-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 859

Previous Ranking: 12; Week 4 Result: 17-14 win at then-No. 14 Weber State

9. Delaware (2-1, 1-0 CAA), 842

Previous Ranking: 8; Week 4 Result: Open week

10. North Dakota (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 785

Previous Ranking: 10; Week 4 Result: Open week

  Dani Ben-Ari

   
Parella motorsports Holdings (PMH) has announced the SpeedTour Formula Development Series, for up-and-coming racing talent ages 14 and up, SpeedTour Formula Development will provide young drivers with an additional step in expanding their education and experience before making the jump from karting to open wheel. 

“After getting involved in the Road to F1 ladder with Formula 4 U.S. and Formula Regional Americas, I realized that there was a need in the development system for young drivers that wasn’t being met by the industry,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “In today’s world, young drivers have had to go from karting right up to F4 U.S.; that’s a big jump. There was a niche that developed with the need to lay the proper foundation for wheel-to-wheel racing and allow drivers time to hone their race craft. SpeedTour Formula Development will help fill that gap. With Scott Goodyear at the helm, I’m confident this series will leave a positive, lasting impact.”

“Making the move from karting to open wheel competition can be daunting,” stated Scott Goodyear, Race Director for F4 U.S. and FR Americas. “We’re looking to change that with SpeedTour Formula Development. The series will focus on education and driving skill as much as competition. I learned a lot during my 14+ years at the top levels of CART and IndyCar, and I’m excited to share that with this group of kids as they start on their own racing career paths. I want them to leave the SpeedTour Formula Development Series knowing how to race safely, but also how to race smart.”

In addition to providing the extra step for development and challenge, the SpeedTour Formula Development Series will also present unique scholarship opportunities to help talented karters reach the next level in their career, despite economic circumstances. In partnership with Radford Racing School and Kaizen Autosport, major karting organizations will identify and recommend talented drivers to earn one of nine scholarships for the racing schools. The drivers will then be eligible for a SpeedTour Formula Development competition license upon the successful completion of their course. 

Points will be awarded in the series, allowing a champion to be crowned at the end of the season. The winner of the 2022 SpeedTour Formula Development Championship will earn an entry fee scholarship for the 2023 F4 U.S Championship. 

Keeping budget in mind, the series will utilize the existing F4 U.S. chassis. With low entry fees, the series will be sanctioned by PMH and will participate in SpeedTour event weekends hosted by the organization. The official schedule for the inaugural season is composed of four weekends. In addition, drivers will also have the opportunity to participate in three optional test events to introduce them to circuits where F4 U.S. will also compete in 2022.  

2022 SpeedTour Formula Development Series Schedule: 

March 24-27           Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

April 8-10                 NOLA Motorsports Park

May 27-30               Lime Rock Park

October 14-16        Utah Motorsports Campus

Optional Test Events:

May 19-22                Road America

June 23-26              Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course

October 6-9            VIRginia International Raceway

Fans of Jane Austen, who is your favorite Austen hero? The repentant Darcy, the honorable Knightley, the gallant Wentworth?

Did you think of Henry Tilney? He is overlooked because Northanger Abbey, a spoof of the gothic novel, is not usually ranked near the top among Austen’s novels. As I embark on a rereading of the six novels beginning with Northanger Abbey, the earliest written, it occurs to me that Austen created in Henry Tilney a feminist hero two centuries ahead of his time.

“He must be entirely misunderstood, if he can ever appear to say an unjust thing of any woman at all, or an unkind one of me,” Henry’s sister Eleanor tells the heroine, Catherine Morland.

“In every power, in which taste is the foundation, excellence is pretty fairly divided between the sexes,” Henry himself says.

Unlike Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy, Henry doesn’t need to change. He is fine from the start. He is respectful toward Catherine from their first meeting, interested in what she has to say, and solicitous about making her comfortable. Some critics think the better-educated Henry lectures her, but his remarks can also be seen as helping her formulate her own opinions. Readers who note his sarcasm about female interests and abilities are missing the joke. Eleanor urges him to stop bluffing because Catherine “is not used to your odd ways.”

Henry is funny, intelligent, and well-read. His conversation is immensely entertaining; no other Austen hero has so much to say on so many topics. He thinks for himself and is unafraid to mock social conventions or oppose his tyrannical father. Catherine’s guilelessness attracts him. When she fears she has alienated him by suspecting his father of murder, Henry’s extra attentiveness assures her otherwise.

Women’s interests draw Henry’s respect. When Catherine says that gentlemen read “better books” than novels, he answers, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” He can even discuss the quality of the muslin used in dress making. “My sister has often trusted me in the choice of a gown,” he tells Catherine’s astonished guardian.

Because I think that even those who will never read a Jane Austen novel should not miss on on Henry Tilney’s sparkling conversation, I’m listing here my favorite Henry and Catherine scenes. You can find them in Project Gutenberg’s online edition of Northanger Abbey. They are understandable outside the context of the book.

Chapter 3, beginning with the second paragraph: Henry and Catherine’s first meeting at a dance, where Henry speaks about the typical chatter in Bath, women’s journal writing, and his knowledge of muslin

Chapter 10, beginning with “This was the last sentence by which he could . . . ”: Another dance; this time Henry compares dancing with marriage

Chapter 14, beginning at the start: Catherine takes a walk with Henry and Eleanor and is treated to his opinions on novels, the precise use of words, and landscape painting

Chapter 19, beginning with the second paragraph: Henry’s thoughts on jealousy and constancy in romantic relationships

Chapter 20, beginning with “‘And are you prepared to encounter all the horrors . . .’”: Henry’s teasing Catherine about the “horrors” — the scary aspects of an old castle — awaiting her at Northanger Abbey

Chapter 25, beginning with “‘I am sorry . . .’”: Henry consoles Catherine when she learns that her brother was jilted

Austen scholars have debated whether she was a feminist. I see no reason to doubt that Henry Tilney expresses Austen’s own opinions. In fact, from what her biographers tell us about her personality and attitudes, she may have created no other character, male or female, more like her.

You may have noticed that the words plumber and dumber share five letters, including a silent b. I don’t know if that means anything, but you can click HERE to find more words with the silent b.

At the beginning of the summer I posted a negative review in a local online group because Dave the plumber, a guy I had employed for small jobs over the years, kept ghosting me.

After a few weeks of missed appointments and a punchlist of inane excuses, I found another plumber, whose name also happened to be Dave.

The original Dave worked at a local hardware store and I had identified him as such in my review, to which Dave took great umbrage. He was unhappy that my review of his performance – or lack thereof – had clearly identified him.

It wasn’t just Dave’s excuses that were inane though, it was everything he said.

After Dave saw my review, he texted me an apology. Then he recanted his apology, saying that his services would no longer be available to me, which was the problem in the first place.

Dumb, with a silent b. There’s just no fixing it.

Back in April, when Dave wasn’t returning my calls or texts (problems with his phone, he said), I found him at the hardware store and asked if he was planning to do the job for me or not.

He said he would and we agreed upon a time – a time for which Dave would once again be a no-show – and we did a little hardware store chit chat.

I complained that the lumber I needed for my summer project had doubled since the previous year, to which Dave replied, Carter 2.0.

I assumed Dave got that term from one of the lying liars on Fox.

Yes, Carter fueled inflation by expanding the money supply, but Nixon and the war in Vietnam set the table for inflation, which ramped up in 1972 and 1973.

Carter didn’t take office until 1977 and it was an Iranian oil workers strike that sent oil prices skyrocketing, causing gasoline shortages and increases across the board of consumer products.

The day before our conversation, a government report called CPI (Consumer Price Index) indicated a major inflationary uptick in the previous month – March, 2021 – which would have included price comparisons for President Joe Biden’s first month in office.

Hardly enough time for him to have had any impact at all on consumer prices.

While it was true that the price of lumber in March of 2021 had doubled from the previous year, in June of 2020 – while Donnie Trump occupied the White House – many types of treated lumber had become completely unavailable.

If President Biden gets the blame for higher lumber prices, does he also get credit for those prices plummeting in July of 2021?

Either he’s in charge of everything or he’s not.

The kind of price increases we’re seeing now is directly caused by the disruption of suppy chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The argument could be made that an intelligent, science-based, unselfish response to the pandemic might have prevented the severity of those supply chain disruptions, but that’s a past we can not change.

Right now there are dozens of ships loaded with needed goods waiting for a chance to offload those goods at American ports.

The reason that that they’re moored out at sea in limbo is because of a shortage of dock workers and truck drivers, a direct result of the pandemic.

COVID-19 has taken a toll across our economy and economies around the globe.

If you haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet, you may already be too late.

Dave also blamed price increases on Biden’s $15 an hour minimum wage, a policy that doesn’t exist. Dave and everyone else stuck in the Fox bubble are probably unaware that the federal minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour.

Dave also said that he didn’t care about the minimum wage because he made most of his money from his side job – as a plumber.

So, fuck you if you’re working for minimum wage and don’t have a side gig.

Right now we’re facing the possibility of a government shutdown and the first ever U.S. default on debt because of the looming debt ceiling.

Republicans – and the lying liars of Fox – are trying to paint this as some sort of Democratic spending spree.

The TRUTH is that the debt limit needs to be expanded to pay for money voted on and spent by Republicans during the previous administration.

Dave doesn’t know anything about CPI, what it measures or what information it represents.

From his comments over the years, it’s obvious that Dave doesn’t know much about anything, but that doesn’t stop him from adding his opinions to the Fox echo chamber.

In Georgia Saturday night, lying liar Donnie Trump said that the audit in Arizona proved that he won the election when, in fact, just the opposite is true.

Donnie lost 99 votes, President Biden picked up 233 votes. Congratulations, again, Mr. President.

If you happen to run into Dave at the hardware store – or anywhere – try not to engage him in conversation. He will, no doubt, tell you about Donnie’s victory in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Sadly, the Dave’s of the world only hear what Donnie wants them to hear. Your words will fall on deaf ears.

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Watch Jeff Berkowitz’s interview w/GOP GOV candidate Jesse Sullivan, Part 2, airing this week in Chicago (and much of rest of state), Cable and Web 

Jesse Sullivan: “Someone has to remind [Gov Pritzker] Chicago is in IL and [violent street] crime there is his problem, too and he has to … try to solve it…”

Part 2 of our two-part Jesse Sullivan, GOP GOV Primary candidate interview, airs in Chicago tonight at 8:30 pm and midnight on Cable Ch 21 (CAN TV).

Interview topics, add’l viewing areas for Sullivan, Part 1 and Part 2, listed below.

You can also watch the Sullivan interview, Part 2, 24/7 by clicking here.

You can also watch the Sullivan interview, Part 1, 24/7 by clicking here.

Both parts of the interview were taped on September 14, 2021

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Jesse Sullivan (R-Petersburg, IL): Someone has to remind [Gov Pritzker] Chicago is in IL and [rampant street] crime there is his problem, too, and he has to roll up his sleeves and try to solve it…

“No. 1, just the morale side of our law enforcement- to say, thank you [to police]…for every day sacrificing for …our communities– and that is a message I will be delivering loud and clear…”

“Some people say, if you are supporting law enforcement… you are against our minority communities…my wife is Hispanic, our kids are [Hispanic]- like we have [a] black foster daughter.”

“In 95% of the Chicago homicides, minorities were the victims. If you love people, you will want to keep our streets safe…so supporting law enforcement, that’s one of the central issues of our campaign. We cannot have a city of crime and still attract the businesses of the future to come here to Chicago.”

[From 17:26-18:58, part 2 of the Berkowitz interview of Jesse Sullivan, GOP GOV candidate, airing on “Public Affairs” and the Illinois Channel].          

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The show also airs in Chicago:

-tomorrow, Tuesday, 9 pm, Ch 21 (as part of the Illinois Channel, 2 hr package)  

-Saturday, 9 am, Cable Ch 21

-Sunday, 8:30 am, Cable Ch 19 and

Rockford this Thursday, 8:30 pm on Cable Ch 17 and in areas surrounding Rockford and

-around much of the State (North, Central and South) this week on the Illinois Channel (Check your local listings)

-Part 2 of the interview will also air next week in 25 Chicago metro North & Northwest suburbs, Aurora and Highland Park (See details posted at this blog later this week)

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Part 1 of the Sullivan interview airs in:

-Highland Park tonight and Wed, 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 19

– Aurora tonight, Wed and Saturday, 6 pm, Cable Ch. 10 (ACTV-10)

–25 Chicago Metro north & northwest suburbs, tomorrow (Tues) night, 8:30 pm on Comcast Ch. 19, 35 (See post at this blog tomorrow afternoon for more specific airing details)  

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Topics discussed in Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview with GOV candidate Jesse Sullivan (R-Petersburg, IL) include:

-Gubernatorial blanket mandates on mask wearing and business lock-downs across the State

-Gubernatorial failure to protect the most vulnerable (elderly and those with pre-existing conditions) from Covid19

-Gubernatorial discrimination against small businesses in lock-downs

-Gubernatorial failure to protect citizens from violent street crime

-Always allow an exception for “Life of the mother” if abortion is banned

-Should there also be exception to a ban on abortion for rape and incest

-How to work in a very blue state to reduce the number of abortions

-The importance of assisting mothers in pre-natal, birth and post birth healthcare

-the impact of IL’s very high over-all taxes on its residents and businesses

-The State’s obligation to protect public safety and reduce crime, especially violent crime

-The meaning of multi-million-dollar IL gubernatorial campaign contributions

-The impact of escalating inner city IL crime on attracting and growing businesses in IL

The ARC Music Festival is a first time musical feat that paid homage to Chicago’s well-known history of its house music pioneers and culture, while entertaining thousands on Labor Day Weekend.

A collaboration of 60 renowned deejays gathered from around the world to participate in ARC Music Festival’s debut event.  Over 3000 visitors  descended in Chicago’s Union Park for a two-day weekend of house and techno music concerts that featured extravagant light shows and non-stop dancing.

ARC Music Festival Chicago, Union Park. Sept. 4th & 5th, 2021. Photographer: Kursza.
Photo Courtesy, Auris Presents.

The outdoor festival was produced by Chicago-based Auris Presents and offered four stages; The Grid, Expansions, Elrow & The ARC Car, all with its own exotic theme, while praising the boldness of famous deejays like the late Frankie Knuckles, who help create the original house music genre of the ’80s.
“House music remains Chicago’s gift to the music world,” says festival producer Nick Karounos, “a sound that has shifted shape and style as it travels, relinquishing boundaries and connecting fans.”

Kevin Abdullah interview. Photo Courtesy, Toni Shelton’s Queen Of House Music film documentary.

In the late ’70s, Frankie Knuckles, highly recognized as the originator of house music, ventured from New York to Chicago for an assignment from Robert Williams, owner of U.S. Studios to deejay at the Warehouse.

Award winning singer Terisa Griffin and Producer Toni Shelton. Photo Courtesy, Toni Shelton’s Queen Of House Music film documentary.

“It was the way he enhanced the climax of the songs with crossover techniques that made his mixes so dance-able,” Kevin said.  “So when Frankie blended disco with R&B hooks while performing at the Warehouse in Chicago, the dance music became popular, which coined the phrase ‘house’ to describe the music played at the Warehouse.”

Toni Shelton is the producer of The Queen of House Music film documentary along with Emmy Award winning Editor Don Howze.  She’s been promoting house music parties since she was a teenager in the mid ‘80s.  Toni has been honored with local and national awards for her contribution to the house music genre that span over three decades.

L-R. Rob Taylor, Keith Fobs, and Andre’ Hatchett. Photo Courtesy, Toni Shelton’s Queen Of House Music film documentary.

“We were just kids when we had our first experience of dancing to house music,” says Toni.  “If you wanted to party and feel the experience of love, fun and music all at the same time, then my house parties were the place to be!”

Toni was familiar with the ARC Music Festival through their social media campaign and says the roster of deejays were the most popular from around the world. “The ARC Music Festival had these elaborate ads that were colorful with a lot of deejays using stage lighting effects” says Toni. “I loved the energy and loved seeing that house music has become more popular worldwide.”  

Some of Toni’s first house parties were held at local clubs throughout  Chicago.  She hired several of her close friends to deejay her parties, who were some of Chicago’s best house deejays like Andre’ Hatchett, Keith Fobs, Rob Taylor,  Kenny Ray and the multi-Grammy nominee Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley.  
“They loved Frankie Knuckles’ musical style and deejay techniques,” expresses Toni, “and still today, each of my deejays are sought out around the world to work parties from Hollywood to Jamaica.”

ARC Music Festival Chicago, Union Park. Sept. 4th & 5th, 2021. Photographer: Kursza.
Photo Courtesy, Auris Presents.