‘I knead the audience, like a baker!’ House music legend Peven Everett on life after cancer and vanquishing the ‘Disco Sucks’ movement

At We Out Here festival in Dorset this August, thousands sang along to Peven Everett's performance of 'Gabriel', one of dance music's most celebrated anthems. The Chicago-born musician, known for his prolific output across house, neo-soul, hip-hop, and samba, is preparing to join Gorillaz for their Chicago tour stop, marking his first time on stage with them since 2022.

Everett's career gained significant momentum two years ago when he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. 'A part of me feels like I let the people down by getting sick,' he admits. 'I missed a step.' Now having completed treatment, the 51-year-old is the subject of a new documentary by Denholm Hewlett, son of Jamie Hewlett, the visual artist behind Gorillaz.

Musical prodigy

Before becoming a house music icon, Everett was a trumpet prodigy by age 12 and was raised by jazz royalty. He gave up a scholarship at Boston's Berklee College of Music to tour with mentor Betty Carter and the Marsalis brothers. At 21, a 1995 New York Times article questioned whether he might be the next Miles Davis.

Everett returned to Chicago to care for his ailing mother, where he teamed up with producer Roy Davis Jr. Their collaboration yielded 1999's 'Watch Them Come' and the classic 'Gabriel.' The track's Live Garage Mix resonated in UK clubs, reaching No. 22 in the charts when rereleased in 1997.

Influence and recognition

Gilles Peterson, founder of We Out Here, considers Everett alongside Detroit's Moodymann and Amp Fiddler as 'the closest thing dance music has to a Prince-type figure.' Damon Albarn of Gorillaz praises him as having 'a once-in-a-generation voice.' Everett's improvisational approach to performances has been compared to Prince, who Everett claims attended one of his shows in the mid-to-late 2000s and subsequently explored more dance music.

Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk once told Everett that their hit 'Music Sounds Better With You' under the name Stardust was created using 'Gabriel' as a template. 'That was funny,' Everett recalls. 'They were like, "Yo, we made Stardust because of Gabriel." I guess it's kind of a compliment.' Despite his influence, Everett has faced challenges in gaining mainstream recognition.

DIY approach

Everett runs a DIY enterprise, self-releasing more than 50 albums on his Studio Confession Entertainment label. 'He'd make an album in one week and then burn it on to CDs and sell them at record stores in Chicago,' says Denholm Hewlett. 'People haven't been able to keep up.' This independent approach has allowed Everett to maintain control of his catalogue while pursuing his artistic vision.

Everett sees himself as carrying forward the legacy of Marvin Gaye and Barry White in the face of the racist, homophobic 'Disco Sucks' movement. 'That didn't sit right with me, it was hateful,' he says. 'It tarnished great music. So I said, guess what? I'm gonna make the records that I know should have happened right after.' Despite his struggles, Everett remains optimistic about his future in music.