Chess Records was formed by two Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, in 1950. They moved to this location in 1956 and stayed here until 1965.

During that time, they recorded many influential blues and early rock and roll songs. Some of the artists that recorded here include Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon. Chuck Berry recorded "Johnny B. Goode" here. The Rolling Stones recorded "2120 South Michigan Ave" here on their American tour in 1964.

Chess Records moved a couple of times before being consumed by another subsidiary in 1975. Since then, the building has been purchased and is the headquarters of Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation.

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After Jimi Hendrix saw how much it cost to rent studio time for Electric Ladyland, he and his manager Michael Jeffrery decided to turn the Generation Club they had recently invested in into a studio. After several construction upgrades and expenses, Electric Lady Studios had their opening party on August 26, 1970.

Although Jimi Hendrix only recorded there for four weeks before he died, numerous landmark albums have been recorded there since: Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy (1973) and Physical Graffiti (1975), The Clash’s Combat Rock (1982), Weezer's first two albums, Run-DMC's Tougher than Leather (1988) and the White Stripes’ De Stijl (2000) are just some of the more noteworthy creations.

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For the commencement speech to the graduating class of 2005, writer David Foster Wallace delivered a speech on education as a tool for consciousness, empathy and compassion.

The speech at the Bailey House was later turned into a 144-page book published by Little, Brown.

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The NPR news quiz game Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! has been taping at this auditorium on Thursday evenings since 2005.

The show, hosted by Peter Sagal since shortly after it's introduction in 1998, features a rotating cast of comedic panelists, and often travels the country to tape in other cities. To get tickets at the Chase for Wait, Wait, visit the WBEZ website.

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Norman Petty, along with his wife Vi and guitarist Jack Vaughn, hit it big in 1956 with the tune "Mood Indigo." The single sold half a million copies, and he used part of the proceeds to build this studio.

Petty went on to record numerous artists at the studio: Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox, Waylon Jennings, Charlie "Sugartime" Phillips, Sonny West, Carolyn Hester, Terry Noland and Buddy Holly.

Several of Buddy Holly's most famous tracks were recorded at this studio, and Petty served not only as the recording engineer, but also as Holly's manager, and ultimately the executor of Holly's unfinished work after he died unexpectedly in a plane crash.

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