Nile Rodgers on David Bowie, Diana Ross, and the songs that defined an era

Our guest this episode, Nile Rodgers, has left an indelible mark on American music, as a guitarist, producer, and leader of the band Chic. Nile was just named one of the “30 Greatest Living American Songwriters” by the New York Times. He co-wrote the No. 1 hits “Good Times,” and “Le Freak,” for Chic. Nile also co-wrote “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, “Let’s Dance” with David Bowie, “I’m Coming Out” for Diana Ross, and “We Are Family” for Sister Sledge. And his life has been as incredible as his musical catalogue. 0:00 Introduction 1:17 Diana Ross, "Upside Down," and "I'm Coming Out" 5:04 Working with Diana Ross 6:16 On songwriting: "I'm a good song rewriter" 8:32 The most Nile Rodgers song: "Everybody Dance" 9:27 The guitar lesson that changed everything 12:44 The art of chucking 14:09 Meeting Bernard Edwards 16:03 Growing up on the Lower East Side 18:00 His mother, his father, and a "variation on a Mormon theme" 21:50 A Thanksgiving Day drug overdose 23:47 Sponsor break – The FLAG Art Foundation 25:43 Writing songs alone on the NYC subway 27:13 Nina Simone's last concert 30:27 How his life shaped his music 31:54 Chic's success and why he didn't want to be out front 37:14 First big concert – 70,000 people and a Heineken 39:08 The night his heart stopped six times 44:27 What makes him such a great collaborator 46:40 Working with Bowie on "Let's Dance" 47:51 Being labeled a "disco producer" and proving them wrong 50:05 Still going strong at 73 ——— New episodes of Alchemy every other Wednesday. 🟠 Sign up for our newsletter https://alchemy.show/ 🟡 Stay connected with Anthony Mason YouTube:    / @alchemywithanthonymason   Instagram:   / alchemywithanthony   &   / anthonymasoncbs   TikTok:   / alchemywithanthony   🟢 If you’re interested in sponsoring Alchemy with Anthony Mason: [email protected] 🔵 For press inquiries: [email protected] 🟣 For bookings: [email protected] About our Founding Sponsor, The FLAG Art Foundation: Alchemy with Anthony Mason is presented by our founding sponsor, the FLAG Art Foundation. The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. In this episode, I’m highlighting two exhibits: 🖼️ Spotlight: Kelly Akashi The Spotlight series includes a new or never-before-exhibited artwork paired with a commissioned piece of writing, creating focused and thoughtful conversations between the visual arts and authors, critics, poets, scholars, and beyond. In this iteration, the Spotlight features Kelly Akashi’s Heirloom (Sundial), 2025-26. A text by Franklin Melendez accompanies the presentation. On view through June 26, 2026 📍The FLAG Art Foundation, New York More info → https://www.flagartfoundation.org/spo... 🎨 Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art The UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer's influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry. On view through November 8, 2026 📍 The V&A South Kensington, London Check it out → https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/sch... Learn more about the FLAG Art Foundation → https://www.flagartfoundation.org 📍 545 W 25th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001 | Wed–Sat, 11AM–5PM 📸 Follow FLAG on Instagram →   / flagartfoundation   About Anthony Mason: Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. And in 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award.