Nile Rodgers' influence stretches all over Coachella, beaming the sound of a better future
AUSTIN, Texas - In the lobby of the upscale-gunslinger Driskill hotel last month, guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers was recounting everything from his great friendship with David Bowie to lost New York bohemia, suburban racism and dropping acid with Timothy Leary when a middle-aged British woman walked up to his table.
Rodgers is a hard-to-miss guy in a breakfast crowd at South by Southwest, one of the music industry's largest festivals and conferences. His long braids and beret cut the same rock star look at 65 as they did when he founded his group Chic in the '70s. As the woman approached, she was giddy.
"Oh, my God, oh, my God," she said, fumbling with her phone. "My husband has something he really wants to say to you,
