He continues: "But that was the beginning of hip hop and it is all good. I am proud of writing Good Times and I am proud of being the co-author of Rapper’s Delight."

Later this month, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers will bring the disco beat to the main stage at Creamfields for what is a highly anticipated performance.

But there was a time when Nile thought he’d never again be able to sing the songs of Chic, when he lost his long time collaborator and friend Bernard Edwards to pneumonia in 1996.

The pair met back in 1970 and played as the rock band The Boys before joining forces with drummer Tony Thompson to form Chic in 1977.

After Chic first formally split in 1983, the band came back together in the early 90s and began touring and making music again.

It was Nile who found his friend dead in his hotel room in Japan, shortly after they had played to sellout crowds alongside Duran Duran, Sister Sledge and Steve Winwood.

He recalls the experience: "It was so devastating. I could never even comprehend performing Chic music without him. Our music is so happy, it’s music to make you feel good. I could not imagine walking out on stage without him and singing ‘Good times, these are the good times’. It just seemed absurd to me.

"But a brilliant thing happened. The Japanese audience requested I perform a year later to commemorate his passing and they said we want you to come as Chic.

"That was the last thing Bernard had said to me that night before when we were performing. He looked out on the audience and he said: ‘You know Nile this music is bigger than we are. It is nothing to do with us anymore. We don’t mean anything, it is the songs that live’.

"I was saying: ‘Why are you being so philosophical? We have got to go on stage in 10 seconds’. But that was Bernard, he was always the cheerleader in Chic, he always kept us excited.

"That time in Japan was the first time I performed again as Chic. It was wonderful and we continue to do so to this day."

Asking Nile to say who was his favourite artist to work with is rather like asking a mother to choose her favourite child, but he happily obliges.

"David Bowie changed my life (Nile produced Let’s Dance, Bowie’s biggest selling album). I was in a complete depression and he rescued me. Madonna (he produced Like a Virgin), was the biggest record of my life and she’s the person with the biggest work ethic I’ve ever seen.

"Sister Sledge... we never met until the day they walked in the room, they never heard the songs until that day. And of course there is Diana Ross. She fought with us and we won the fight."

Recently Chic wowed fans at the O2 in London where multi- million selling balladeer James Blunt had the misfortune of following their show.

"His songs were wonderful, they were great," says Nile. "But for us every song is a hit. Imagine coming on after a band have played for an hour and a half and every one of their songs is a hit. But he was cool. He was good sport."

* Chic featuring Nile Rodgers play Creamfields 10th Anniversary on Sunday August 24. Tickets start from £53.50 plus booking fee for a Sunday ticket. For more information see www.creamfields.com

Shuttle buses will be in operation to and from the event from St Georges Plateau, Lime Street, on Saturday from 9am and Sunday from 11am. Advance bus tickets can be purchased from www. ticketline.co.uk. Shuttle buses also operate from Manchester, Warrington, Runcorn and Widnes.

Hear Nile Rodgers serenading Emma Johnson at www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/audio