Motherfox has been played on NTS in shows including The Numero Group, featured first on 30 January 2025. Songs played include Fallen Into Love.

When Chicagoans think of popular local bands of the 70’s and 80’s, Motherfox was probably not considered a household name. Yet, for fifteen years Motherfox performed regularly throughout the greater Chicago area (Indiana and Wisconsin included) in venues such as the Regal Theatre, the High Chaparral, Northwestern University, and Rush University. When the band finally retired, they left a legacy of close to 2000 live performances, several hundred studio sessions, and numerous collaborations on recordings; some of which made the Billboard charts. As a mater of fact, the major strength of Motherfox was each band member’s versatility. They all proved to be talented song writers, producers, and entertainers. What’s more is that they were always in demand as a studio session rhythm section. It wasn’t uncommon to listen to an album featuring your favorite local artist and hear Motherfox performing as the rhythm section. Motherfox started humbly back in 1967 as four kids just trying to imitate the Rock-n-Roll artists of that era. Little did they know that, months later, they would be playing their first “gig” as pre-teens in front of the Maple Park Homeowner’s Association. Encouraged by a loving crowd, they performed songs of the era confidently with choreographed movement and matching outfits. Thus, the band was born. Over the next several years the band continued to gain experience by performing the music behind local singing groups and solo vocalist. They easily adapted to musical styles such as R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock, Gospel, and even Polkas. Also during these years the band performed under various names, the earliest being “The Nation Survivors”. As with most bands, personnel varied, and Motherfox expanded or contracted depending on the demands of the audiences. One of the more memorable performances came in 1968 when they were part of the winning act at the Regal Theater talent show. First prize included a recording contract and an opportunity to meet the headline artists that night. Gladys Night and the Pips were the headliners, but interestingly, the warm-up act for Gladys that evening was The Jackson Five. The introductions to both Gladys and the Jacksons were cordial and inspirational. Eventually the band added a lead vocalist and began working in various clubs along the “Chitlin” circuit. Over time, several lead vocalists came and went, but the band managed to maintain its nucleus and continued to build a solid reputation. There was even a four-year stretch where the band performed on local campuses literally every Friday and Saturday. Coincidentally, this was also the beginning of the Disco era. As a result, certain audiences and Record Labels started demanding that artists dumb down their music to conform to the single-beat disco style. Insurrection was on the rise.
As Disco rose in popularity, the creative voices of Soul and R&B artists grew increasingly frustrated as radio stations and record labels refused to introduce new talent while continuing to promote the Disco versions of established artists’ catalogs. Nonetheless, Motherfox continued to perform, but the band members were slowly growing apart as they each searched for outlets to express their creativity. Ultimately, after one last attempt at producing, marketing, and distributing their only remaining independent project, the band gradually stopped performing live. For the next few years, the rhythm section worked with big-bands and small Jazz ensembles. Some members continued writing and producing for various artists and projects, but Motherfox, the band, would be no more.