An Oral History Podcast Series with DJ Lori Branch and Hannah Viti.
Chicago house music built a world. Every story about Chicago house music starts somewhere different. A record, a club, a night that changed everything.
Host Lori Branch, a South Side-born DJ and historian who was there at the beginning, invites you into a series of intimate conversations with the pioneers who built the genre. House Music Chicago Testimony is a living archive of sound, community, and the lives behind the music, preserved while we still have the chance.
Season One features Robert Williams, Craig Loftis, Toni Shelton, Dajae, and Vic Lavender. The first episode drops Monday, March 30, 2026. Listen at housemusicchicagotestimony.podbean.com.
House Music: Chicago Testimony is a series of intimate conversations with the people who built Chicago house music. Hosted by DJ and historian Lori Branch, a South Side native who was there at the beginning, each episode goes deep into the stories of pioneers, friends, and well-known Chicagoans without whom the scene would not exist.
These are stories about sound, community, memory, and the lives behind the music, preserved while we still have the chance. The new podcast is produced by Lori Branch and Hannah Viti, and funded by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Events.
DJ Lori Branch is a native of Chicago, hailing from the Englewood and Morgan Park communities. Widely recognized as a pioneering figure in Chicago’s House music scene, she is regarded as one of the first women to serve as both a DJ and promoter in the industry. Lori is featured in several documentaries, including an episode of WTTW’s Chicago Stories series, produced by Barbara Allen and titled “House Music: A Cultural Revolution.”
Lori currently hosts the Vintage House radio program and podcast on WNUR 89.3FM Evanston Chicago and is a member of the Good Girls DJ collective. Additionally, she co-curates the Chicago Home of House Exhibit, currently on display at O’Hare Airport. The exhibit features iconic visual materials and includes a comprehensive timeline detailing significant milestones in Chicago’s House Music history from the mid-1970s through 2023.
Her work is also highlighted in various articles and television specials. She has created and produced multiple short films, such as “40th: The History of Roberts Temple,” as well as a three-part TV drama called “Kevin’s Room.”
Follow Lori at www.instagram.com/djloribranch.
