Legendary house label Trax Records co-founder, Larry Sherman, has died, aged 70

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Larry Sherman, co-founder of legendary Chicago house label TRAX Records, has died, aged 70.

The sad news was broken on Thursday (9th April) by Marshall Jefferson, who tweeted that Sherman had died of heart failure. It was later confirmed by TRAX Records, who shared a statement to the label’s official social media channels. 

Sherman founded TRAX Records in 1984 with Jesse Saunders and Vince Lawrence. The label went on to become an essential force in house music’s nascence, releasing some of its most important early tracks including Larry Heard’s ‘Can You Feel It’, Marshall Jefferson’s ‘Move Your Body’ and Frankie Knuckles’ ‘Your Love’. In 1987, the label released Phuture’s ‘Acid Trax’, which lead to the coining of the term “acid house”. 

Sherman’s legacy is a complex one however, with an alleged history of not paying royalties, not providing artists with proper contracts, and using cheap, poor quality vinyl. He is survived by his daughter Tessa Sherman and his widow Sandee Sherman. 

Larry Sherman, head of Trax Records has died of heart failure, R.I.P.

Sending love x pic.twitter.com/2uQrm31VKJ

— Marshall Jefferson (@MarshallJeffers) 9 April 2020