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I'm your host Kofi Natambu. This online magazine features the very best in contemporary creative music in this creative timezone NOW (the one we're living in) as well as that of the historical past. The purpose is to openly explore, examine, investigate, reflect on, studiously critique, and take opulent pleasure in the sonic and aural dimensions of human experience known and identified to us as MUSIC. I'm also interested in critically examining the wide range of ideas and opinions that govern our commodified notions of the production, consumption, marketing, and commercial exchange of organized sound(s) which largely define and thereby (over)determine our present relationships to music in the general political economy and culture.

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So please join me in this ongoing visceral, investigative, and cerebral quest to explore, enjoy, and pay homage to the endlessly creative and uniquely magisterial dimensions of MUSIC in all of its guises and expressive identities.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Chaka Khan (b. March 23, 1953): Legendary singer, songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, and ensemble leader

SOUND PROJECTIONS

AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE

EDITOR:  KOFI NATAMBU

SUMMER/FALL, 2015

VOLUME ONE            NUMBER FOUR 

BILLIE HOLIDAY 

Featuring the Musics and Aesthetic Visions of:

ERIC DOLPHY
July 18-24

MARVIN GAYE
July 25-31

ABBEY LINCOLN
August 1-7

RAY CHARLES
August 8-14

SADE
August 15-21

BETTY CARTER
August 22-28

CHARLIE PARKER
August 29-September 4

MICHAEL JACKSON
September 5-11

CHAKA KHAN
September 12-18

JOHN COLTRANE
September 19-25

SARAH VAUGHAN
September 26-October 2

THELONIOUS MONK
October 3-9


 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Chaka_Khan.aspx

Chaka Khan


Singer, songwriter, producer








In his notes to one volume of Rhino Records’ CD series Soul Hits of the 70’s: Didn’t It Blow Your Mind!, Paul Grein called Chaka Khan “the most influential female vocalist in R&B since Aretha Franklin.” This was not the first time that Khan had been compared to the “Queen of Soul.” As a teeny-bopper singing with a group of friends, she became known as “Little Aretha.” But the comparison would have a double edge: many critics accused her of lacking a distinctive style. As Curtis Bagley of Essence remarked, Khan was at the time of her early stardom in the mid-seventies “a new breed of singer: one who was self-taught, not manufactured; one who ignored tradition and recorded exactly as—and what—she wanted to.”

Scoring early hits with the funk-rock group Rufus, she established herself as a solo artist in the late seventies, moving through the following decade with several huge hits, a slew of Grammy awards, and a growing roster of distinguished musical collaborators. Though several reviewers found her solo career spotty and often lamented her choice of material and use of multiple producers on her records, she moved with the times. Her 1992 album The Woman I Am yielded a smash single and further demonstrated her staying power.


Chaka Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in 1953 in Great Lakes, Illinois. Her mother worked at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and her father was a free-lance photographer. Khan described her family as “upper middle class” to Melody Maker’s Ian Pye. She confided in a Rolling Stone interview that when she was ten years old, her grandmother read her palm and told her, “One day, many, many people are going to know your name.” Soon she was showing signs of fulfilling this prediction, singing with her vocal group the Crystalettes at talent shows.

Began Singing in Clubs at 15


At the age of 15, Khan made her professional debut, singing in a Chicago club. She would soon enter what Rolling Stone’s Debby Bull called her “African Awareness Phase,” singing with a group called Shades of Black and another Afrocentric ensemble known as The Pharaohs. An African priest gave her the name Chaka Adunne Adufle Yemoja Hodarhu Karifi. She found strength and a degree of rebellion in the doctrine of the politically radical Black Panther Party and helped organize her school’s Black Student Union. This was no mere phase. Years later she told Melody Maker that she has retained her radical views: “The Panthers were telling the truth—America is the most fascist country; capitalism does suck.”

For the Record…


Born Yvette Marie Stevens, March 23, 1953, in Great Lakes, IL; given the name Chaka Adunne Adufle Yemoja Hodarhu Karifi by an African priest, c. 1970; daughter of a researcher and a free-lance photographer; involved in long-term relationship with Assan Khan (a musician), beginning 1970; married Richard Holland (a songwriter and producer), 1978 (divorced, 1980); children: Milini (daughter); (with Holland) Damien (son).


Began singing as a teenager with vocal group the Crystalettes; worked as a file clerk, 1968; singer and songwriter, 1968—; recording artist, 1972—; joined group Rufus and recorded debut album, 1972; signed with Warner Bros. Records; released first solo album, Chaka, 1978.

Awards: Numerous Grammy awards, including two with Rufus for best R&B performance by a duo or group, for “Tell Me Something Good” and “Ain’t Nobody”; for solo work, including best female vocalist and best vocal arrangement, 1983, for “Bebop Medley,” best R&B single by a female vocalist, 1984, for “I Feel For You,” and best R&B vocal performance, female, 1993, for “The Woman I Am”; honored by International Association of African-American Music for career excellence, 1992.


Addresses: Record company —Warner Bros., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th floor, New York, NY 10019.


She has retained her radical views: “The Panthers were telling the truth—America is the most fascist country; capitalism does suck.”


Soon she dropped out of high school; at sixteen she ran away from home. “When I left I was very broke but very happy,” she told Rolling Stone’s Fred Schruers, “and I wanted to prove to my parents and my peers that I could do it.” At seventeen she entered a quasi-mar-riage—“All we went through were some Indian rites” for the ceremony, she told Rolling Stone in 1974—with Assan Khan, bassist for the Babysitters, for whom she was singing at the time. During this time she worked in an office for $2.60 an hour and sang in the clubs at night with various bands. She was also smoking a lot of marijuana and living a life that—despite her ostensible marriage—was far from domestic. In 1972 she joined up with Chicago’s Ask Rufus, a versatile group made up of former members of the successful pop act American Breed. Ask Rufus was fronted at the time by singer Paulette McWilliams, with whom Khan became close. By the time McWilliams left the band, Khan knew all their songs and was a natural choice for her replacement.

Stole Spotlight With Rufus


The group paid more dues on the club scene, shortened its name to Rufus, and got new management; after many ups and downs they forged a deal with ABC Records. Even with the group’s solid credentials, however, it became clear that the new lead singer would monopolize the limelight. A Down Beat review of a Rufus appearance in Los Angeles in 1973 demonstrates this. After lauding the group’s material and musicianship, reviewer Eric Gaer wrote, “Chaka Khan, black, beautiful female vocalist, hides her true ability until about halfway into the set. But the minute she opens her mouth we know she can put us away—and does.”

The band’s self-titled debut LP made a few ripples—the single “Whoever Is Thrilling You Is Killing Me” did fairly well on black radio—but was by no means a smash. Then superstar singer-performer Stevie Wonder, an admirer of Khan’s who had contributed the song “Maybe Your Baby” to the group’s first record, appeared at a session for their next album. He offered a song called “Tell Me Something Good.” Khan recalled to Rolling Stone that she didn’t like a previous song that Wonder had offered for the session. “So he said, ’What’s your birth sign?’ I said, ’Aries-Pisces, ’ and he said, ’Oh, well here’s a song for you.’ And he wrote Tell Me Something Good.’” The two collaborated on the lyrics. Released as a single in 1974, the song helped the LP on which it appeared, Rags to Rufus, go gold. “Tell Me Something Good” garnered a Grammy Award for best R&B performance by a group or duo. The album also yielded the dance hit “Once You Get Started” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “You Got the Love”; both songs made it into the Top 20. Also in 1974 Khan had her first child, her daughter Milini. Assan was not the father.


The next year saw the release of Rufusized, which also went gold. The group was by now calling itself Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan; as Rolling Stone critic Jim Miller asked, “Is Rufus a group or is it Chaka Khan with a backup band?” Miller answered his own question by declaring that “Rufus has become a vehicle for showcasing Khan and her idiosyncratic voice,” a voice he praised while noting its owner’s tendency toward “histrionic displays.” Miller found the material on the album lacking “the kind of creative spark that animated Tell Me Something Good.’”


Subsequent albums fared well commercially, if not always critically. Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, released in 1976, went gold, as did its Top Five single “Sweet Thing.” Even so, Rolling Stone’s Tom Vickers, while admitting that Khan’s vocals had “calmed down recently,” insisted that she lacked “emotion.” The 1977 release Ask Rufus went platinum and finally earned the approval of Rolling Stone: “With time and experience Chaka Khan has broken away from her screeching Aretha Franklin imitations and found her own voice in both the musical and poetic senses of the term,” wrote Russell Gersten, who dubbed Ask Rufus “one of the year’s best pop albums.” Of 1978’s Street Player, the magazine’s Joe McEwen noted that Khan’s departure from the group was expected and suggested that the group had little to offer without her. “Chaka Khan has been one of the most iconoclastic pop singers of the Seventies, but she has yet to make a substantial album,” McEwen concluded. “It’s about time.”

Solo Career


Khan did in fact embark on a solo career and began recording for Warner Bros, in 1978, though she still periodically recorded with Rufus on ABC and later on MCA, the label that acquired it. Her first solo album, Chaka, received mixed reviews. Melody Maker called it a “clinker,” while Rolling Stone declared: “Here she achieves an emotional depth only hinted at on other albums.” The record went gold and contained the hit “I’m Every Woman.” Produced by R&B wizard Arif Mardin and enlisting members of Rufus and the Average White Band, Chaka was recorded quickly and relatively inexpensively. By 1979 Khan was pregnant again and gave birth to a son, Damien, by her husband, songwriter/producer Richard Holland.


Khan next recorded Masterjam with Rufus; it was produced by Quincy Jones and released in 1980. Rolling Stone, while asserting that Khan was “the group’s most attractive feature, “judged that” the songs aren’t so good. Chaka Khan’s not in top form and neither is Rufus. Masterjam contained three hit singles, including “Do You Love What You Feel.” The same year Khan put out another solo album, Naughty; it featured the hits “Clouds” and “Papillon (Hot Butterfly).” Her 1981 solo LP What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me was a smash, despite another pan from Rolling Stone. “Chaka Khan has grown up into an overly facile stylist,” wrote Laura Fissinger of the album, which includes Khan’s rendition of the jazz classic “A Night in Tunisia.” The album went gold. In 1981 Khan also appeared on the Rufus album Camouflage and provided the soundtrack for the public television production of the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.


Khan’s marriage to Holland ended in 1980, and she took Milini and Damien and moved to New York to live with her boyfriend, Harlem schoolteacher Albert Sarasohn. She appeared with Chick Corea and his group of stellar musicians for the jazz standards album Echoes of an Era in 1982 and released her next solo album, Chaka Khan, that same year; for the latter project she enlisted the help of producer Mardin and experimented with a wide variety of styles. Perhaps the most ambitious track on the album is “Bebop Medley,” which touches on a handful of jazz classics. Stereo Review, while acknowledging that with Khan “you either like her or you don’t,” called the album “a sizzling summary of the state of her art” that demonstrated her evolution into “a solo artist whose performance is as classy as it is brassy.” Khan won two 1983 Grammies for “Bebop Medley.” She also shared a trophy with Rufus for their single “Ain’t Nobody” from that year’s Live Stompin’ at the Savoy


The 1984 solo releaseI Feel for You went platinum, thanks in large part to the smash title track. The song was written by Prince and featured pioneering rapper Grandmaster Melle Mel and a harmonica part by Stevie Wonder. Khan walked off with another Grammy, this time for best R&B vocal performance. “Khan has always been a singer of great range and eclectic tastes,” opined Don Shewey in his Rolling Stone review, “but they’ve never been shown to greater advantage than on I Feel for You.”


Khan didn’t please the critics as much with her 1986 album Destiny, however. “Her attempt to be every singer for every taste falls into the gaps between the formats,” read the Rolling Stone review of Destiny. “I’m a big gambler with life,” Khan told Essence in 1986, adding that she felt daunted by the prospect of singing jazz: “There is a conscious part of me that doesn’t think Chaka is a very good jazz singer.” That same year, she drew attention for her backing vocals on Steve Winwood’s hit single (and video) “Higher Love.”


In 1988 Khan released C.K., which sports collaborations with Prince and jazz legend Miles Davis. Prince contributed two songs, “Eternity” and “Sticky Wicked”; Khan also recorded Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” For New Yorker critic Mark Moses, “Once you’ve relinquished the hope that Khan will ever make a consistent solo album—this is a career that is crying out for a ’best of compilation to make sense of it—the record reveals charms (and, even more surprising, an unshowy depth) that you wouldn’t have dared to let yourself expect.”Melody Maker called the album “just dandy.” To the latter periodical Khan admitted disgust at the cobbled-together release Life Is a Dance. “I didn’t do this LP,” she said. “Warner Brothers did it totally themselves without my knowledge and without my consent and it pisses me off a lot.” The record contains a number of collaborations between Khan and other artists over a ten-year period.

Oversaw Next Project


Khan took a sabbatical after C.K., relocating to Europe—she has homes in London and Germany—and envisioning her next project. It would take a few years to germinate, with Khan (now going only by the name Chaka) co-writing several songs and undertaking the task of overseeing the project herself. “Usually I’d hire a producer and let him do the work of pulling the sessions and songs together,” she was quoted as saying in a Warner Bros, press release. “But this time, I wanted to take that responsibility myself. It was a little scary at first, making all the decisions, but I learned a lot, and having done it, I know I could never go back to the way it was.” The result was the 1992 album The Woman I Am. The album’s single “Love You All My Lifetime” was a Number One single on the Billboard Dance chart and the R&R Urban chart. “Her fiery contralto is in total command” on all of the album’s tracks, read a Time review, “swooping effortlessly from a raunchy growl to a soulful wail. The result is frisky, hip-shaking music. Go ahead,” concluded the review, citing a line from “Once You Get Started” by Rufus, “party hearty.”Pulse! called The Woman I Am “a superb album,” though Entertainment Weekly gave it a “C-” grade, labeling the multi-producer approach unfocused and closing its review with the question: “Where is Rufus when we need them?”


Chaka, as usual, cared little for reviews. “I think this is the best representation of me, the person, that I’ve ever done,” she said of The Woman I Am in the Warner Bros, press release. “There came a point in my life where I really wanted to get serious and this is the result. I’ve always been my own biggest competition so I guess if I feel good about it, I must be doing something right.”


Chaka joined a number of singing stars—Wonder included—for the Hallelujah Chorus section of Quincy Jones’s 1992 endeavor A Soulful Celebration, which puts a rhythm and blues spin on Handel’s classic Messiah. She was honored the same year by the International Association of African-American Music for her career work as a recording artist. Having come a long way from the funky siren of “Tell Me Something Good,” she further demonstrated her staying power in the music world.

Selected discography


With Rufus


Rufus (includes “Whoever Is Thrilling You Is Killing Me” and “Maybe Your Baby”), ABC, 1974.

Rags to Rufus (includes “Tell Me Something Good,” “Once You Get Started,” and “You Got the Love”), ABC, 1974.

Rufusized, ABC, 1975.

Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (includes “Sweet Thing”), ABC, 1976.

Ask Rufus, ABC, 1977.

Street Player, ABC, 1978.

Masterjam (includes “Do You Love What You Feel”), MCA, 1980.

Camouflage, MCA, 1981.

Live Stompin’ at the Savoy (includes “Ain’t Nobody”), MCA, 1983.

Solo releases on Warner Bros. Records


Chaka (includes “I’m Every Woman”), 1978.

Naughty (includes “Clouds” and “Papillon [Hot Butterfly]”),1980.

What Cha’Gonna Do for Me (includes “A Night in Tunisia”), 1981.

Chaka Khan (includes “Bebop Medley”), 1982.

I Feel for You (includes” I Feel for You”), 1984.

Destiny, 1986.

C.K.(includes “Eternity,” “Sticky Wicked,” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”), 1988.

Life Is a Dance, 1989.

The Woman I Am (includes “Love You All My Lifetime”), 1992.

With others


Ry Cooder, “Down in Hollywood,”Bop ’Til You Drop, Warner Bros., 1979.

Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, and others, Echoes of an Era, Elektra, 1982.

Steve Winwood, “Higher Love,”Back in the High Life, Island, 1986.

Quincy Jones, “I’ll Be Good to You,”Back on the Block, Qwest,1989.

Jones, “Hallelujah Chorus,”A Soulful Celebration, Warner Bros.,1992.

Whitney Houston, “I’m Every Woman,”The Bodyguard (soundtrack), Arista, 1992.

Sources


Books


Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul, revised edition, St. Martin’s, 1989.

Periodicals


Down Beat, October 11, 1973.

Entertainment Weekly, May 1, 1992; May 15, 1992.

Essence, January 1986.

Jet, June 10, 1985.

Melody Maker, July 12, 1975; December 9, 1978; April 14, 1984; February 9, 1985; January 7, 1989; June 3, 1989.

New Yorker, March 20, 1989.

Pulse!, July 1992.

Rolling Stone, October 24, 1974; March 27, 1975; January 29, 1976; April 8, 1976; May 19, 1977; April 6, 1978; January 25, 1979; April 5, 1979; March 20, 1980; August 6, 1981; November 8, 1984; February 14, 1985; October 9, 1986.

Stereo Review, April 1983.

Time, May 11, 1992.

Upscale, August/September 1992; October/November 1992.

Additional information for this profile was obtained from liner notes by Paul Grein to Soul Hits of the 70s: Didn’t It Blow Your Mind!, Volume 13, Rhino Records, 1991; and from a Warner Bros, publicity biography, 1992.

—Simon Glickman


http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/03/ain_t_nobody_like_chaka_khan_10_songs_that_will_school_a_new_generation.html







Ain’t Nobody Like Chaka Khan: 10 Songs That Will School a New Generation

Her music and voice have made a lasting impact on popular culture. These classic tunes will introduce her to the younger generation.



chakakhan
Chaka Khan
Don Arnold/Getty Images
Editor’s note: This week we’re celebrating the birthdays of phenomenal performers who not only share late-March birthdays but who also have voices that have defined their generations. First up is the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan. On Wednesday we’ll celebrate the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and on Thursday we’ll celebrate the boss, Diana Ross. Then, on Friday, the irrepressible Mariah Carey. Read our essay on the divas here.

Born Yvette Stevens on March 23, 1953, Chaka Khan rose to fame as the lead singer of Rufus in the late 1970s. Her voice fueled the funk-music movement in the same way her idol Aretha Franklin’s voice did for soul and R&B. She has inspired generations, and her music continues to influence artists across the musical spectrum. Now, as we celebrate the 62nd birthday of the Queen of Funk, here are 10 songs that made her a household name.

1. “I’m Every Woman”
Children of the 1990s probably think Whitney Houston was the first artist to sing this classic, but it was actually Khan who made the song a hit in 1978. Released as the lead single from her debut solo album, Chaka, “I’m Every Woman” was co-written by husband-wife songwriting team Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The song made Khan a bona fide star and proved that she could soar as a solo artist.

2. “I Feel for You”
Khan is also no stranger to covering other artists’ songs and making them hits. In 1984 she released her version of “I Feel for You,” which was written and originally recorded by Prince on his self-titled album in 1979. Khan’s take on “I Feel for You” became one of her biggest commercial successes as a lead solo act, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The riffing harmonica by Stevie Wonder and Melle Mel’s rapping also deserve some credit for giving the song a special boost to the top.

3. “Sweet Thing”
It would be a mistake to assume that Khan is just a talented singer. She co-wrote—along with Rufus guitarist Tony Maiden—“Sweet Thing,” one of her most popular songs with Rufus, proving that she is multidimensional. “Sweet Thing” has been covered by dozens of artists who have been inspired by Khan’s sweet, yet complex vocal performance. The most notable version is by Mary J. Blige, on her What’s the 411? debut album.

4. “Stay”
All true funk-music fans should know “Stay.” Recorded with Rufus and released on the Street Player album in 1978, the song features Khan’s signature powerful upper register soaring over music superbly arranged to complement her voice. “Stay” was co-written by Khan alongside Rufus drummer Richard “Moon” Calhoun.

5. “What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me”
Despite her rise to fame as a face of the funk, many of Khan’s hits as a solo artist have been in the field of R&B and soul. “What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me” is one of those singles, and it features Khan singing with more restraint than in her previous releases. The song earned her a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance in 1982.

6. “Clouds”
Before Houston became a global icon, she honed her skills as a background singer. Joining her mother, Cissy Houston, and a young Luther Vandross, Whitney got one of her first tastes of the spotlight on Khan’s single “Cloud,” from her Naughty album.

7. “Papillon (aka Hot Butterfly)”
Vandross earned several credits on Khan’s Naughty album. Perhaps his best work as a background singer is on “Papillon (aka Hot Butterfly),” where his milky baritone provide a perfectly balanced contrast with Khan’s piercing soprano. “Papillon” never became a big hit for Khan, yet the song is still a fan favorite 35 years after its release.

8. “Through the Fire”
Kanye West famously sampled Khan’s “Through the Fire” on his debut single, “Through the Wire,” and it launched him onto the charts as a future force in hip-hop. However, nothing compares to the original. “Through the Fire” was written for Khan’s I Feel for You album in 1984. When West performed his updated take on Khan’s classic hit at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, he brought his inspiration to the stage, helping to introduce her to a new generation of fans.

9. “Tell Me Something Good”
Khan and Rufus’ first big hit on the Billboard charts came via a little help from Wonder. “Tell Me Something Good” was written by the music legend for the group’s second album, Rags to Rufus. It earned Rufus the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1975. The trophy was Khan’s first-ever win at the ceremony. Since then she has won nine more.

10. “Ain’t Nobody”
If Khan ever recorded a truly timeless song, it’s “Ain’t Nobody.” With production ahead of its time, the record is a seamless combination of funk, R&B, dance and disco. It is a masterpiece suited to almost every era of popular music since its release in 1983. It’s no wonder that “Ain’t Nobody” is widely regarded as one of Khan’s signature songs and remains a staple on her concert set list.

Trent Jones is an editorial fellow at The Root. He also produces a daily video commentary called #Trents2Cents. Follow him on Twitter.

http://irockjazz.com/2013/05/chaka-khan-achieving-musical-immortality/

Chaka Khan: Achieving Musical Immortality


Added by on 
May 24, 2013
By Paul Pennington

 


chakakhan14c_600
In a career that includes ten Grammy-Awards, multiple platinum albums, and an influence immeasurable in scope, all I can think about is “Be Bop Medley.” It seems strange, I know. Here we are celebrating four decades of Chaka Khan and for whatever reason my mind is fixated on this solitary composition.

I, of course, have a healthy respect for the classics: “Tell Me Something Good,” “I Feel For You,” “Sweet Thing,” etc., however, “Be Bop Medley” is just different. What we’re talking about is a song constructed with the building blocks of jazz – its players, the architects of an entire musical tradition. This isn’t “some singer” singing over “some jazz songs.” This is Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and layered within this historical mélange are the vocals of Chaka Khan.

That’s bold in every sense of the word.

iRock Jazz recently sat down with Chaka Khan to discuss her audacious journey through life and music.

iRJ: Chicago is known for its rich cultural traditions and more recently the violence currently sweeping the city. What was it like growing up on the South Side?

CK: When I grew up, it wasn’t as violent. Well, it was violent in another way. There was the Civil Rights Movement going on there that brought on quite a bit of violence, but children weren’t shooting children at that time. There’s a different kind of violence going on there now that is truly disheartening. But it’s always been a tumultuous city with the racial element that’s going on, as it is in almost every city in America. But it’s also a culturally rich environment. I took a lot from that. I can truly say that I am proud to be from that city.

iRJ: Many artists, particularly those that are African-American, talk about growing up in the Pentecostal or Baptist tradition. You however, were raised as a Roman Catholic. How did that influence your music?

CK: In my church we sang a lot of Gregorian chants. And those are beautiful, beautiful pieces of music. But at home, I had a very wide and rich set of genres of music that I was into. I listened to a lot of jazz and a lot of opera and classical music. So I had a very diverse experience with music. The strongest I’d have to say was jazz. So it’s not that the Catholic Church influenced me that profoundly musically, it just opened my ear to another level or another sort of place, adding to the whole experience.

chakakhan18_600

iRJ: A personal favorite of many is “Be Bop Medley,” which you recorded in 1982. What influence has jazz played in your career?

CK: A profound one [laughs]. My dad was considered a beatnik or a bebopper. I was a daddy’s girl and when I was very young, he used to take me out to The Point in Chicago – play congas, drink wine, smoke weed, you know. So I got a lot of rich and great stuff from him. In fact, my slave or Christian name, Yvette, comes from a Stan Getz song. So jazz played a very large role in my musical background.

iRJ: Who were some of your musical influences growing up?

CK: Sarah [Vaughan]. Ella [Fitzgerald]. Etta [James]. Billie [Holiday], of course. You know, the girls [laughs]. Many of the jazz singers. And a lot of horn players more so than singers. I loved Dizzy [Gillespie]. I loved Miles [Davis]. I loved Bird [Parker]. For me, working with Miles was like a nun working with Jesus Christ [laughs]. It’s the only analogy I can think of. So I definitely think the horn players were my number one influence and then came the singers. Then there was Aretha [Franklin] and Gladys [Knight]. Those were my main influences.

chakakhan15_milesdavis_600Chaka and Miles Davis

iRJ: You mention your name change? What are the origins of that?

CK: My name change was a spiritual thing. I was practicing the Yoruba culture and religion at that time. So Chaka is my Yoruba name, one of many. Chaka means “fire,” “war,” the color red, the planet Mars – all those things. Now Khan in India is just like Jones or Washington [laughs]. That came from my first husband’s last name. He’s half black and half Indian, born in New Delhi. So that’s how my name came about.

chakakhan16_dizzygillespie_600Dizzy Gillespie and Chaka

iRJ: During that time you were involved with Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party. What was that experience like?

CK: I loved Fred Hampton to tears. I loved him deeply. I loved the party. I loved what they were about. I loved the whole ideology. I worked with the Breakfast for Children program. That was something that, as small as it may seem, was a big thing. It was something that I really could do and accomplish. I did at one time have a gun. I had to throw it away, because I was getting ulcers. Once you get a gun you have to use it. And that just wasn’t my style…unless I was threatened, but that’s a whole other thing [laughs]. But I had no reason to use it at that time. I don’t even know if I could have. I came to the conclusion that there was another way to do this. I was meant to be of service to someone, to help somebody. So that’s the road I took.

iRJ: Growing up in that Civil Rights period, what was your connection to the activism found in a lot of the art during that time?

CK: A lot of people are political-minded with their music. Personally, I see it as the language of the angels and as a tool for healing, more so than taking it from the activist point of view. That certainly has its place too. I have sung some stuff that has had some political overtones, but for the most part I want to heal. That is my main thing. To inspire and to empower, that’s definitely where I’m coming from.

chakakhan11_300 

iRJ: You’ve made a lot of changes recently – most notably your diet and overall appearance, particularly a weight loss. How has this transformation affected you internally and with the public?

CK: I think it’s sad that there’s this kind of visual thing. I much rather see a sangin’ gorilla than a non-singing Cinderella. You know what I mean? What we do is meant to be listened to. It’s audio. It’s audio-based. Now it’s become a carnival. It’s a circus. And that does bother me a little bit that people are so involved and so about what a person looks like. The beauty of a person is spirit and I just think that a lot of the focus is in the wrong area.

iRJ: Speaking of change, you’re now raising your son’s daughter. In making that commitment, how has that affected your career and personal life?

CK: I feel very blessed and lucky to practice a parenting skill that I did not possess when I was raising my own children. God and the universe has given me another chance to do a better job and so that’s how I’m looking at it. I’m more present. My priorities have changed. And frankly, I was a different person back then. I was away from my children, because I had to be. With parenting, it’s a thing that you learn. There’s no book. I’ve gained some wisdom in that area that I did not have before. I did the best I could with what I had. And they’re alive [laughs]. I can say that. But I think things maybe – would have turned out differently, for the better, if I had, had the wisdom I have now.

chakakhanfoundation_300 

iRJ: Why did you start the Chaka Khan Foundation? And what’s happening with that right now?

CK: Everybody wants to help somebody. Most people just don’t know how to go about it. I have obtained a status in life where I can help many people at one time. It’s just about being of service. That’s important. If you can be of service to one person, it’s just as big as being of service to 20 million, because the will pay it forward. It’s all about paying it forward. And that’s why we are here – to help one another. It’s just one of our fundamental purposes. And that is why I do what I do, because there is a need for that.
iRJ: What is your advice and rising singers or musicians?
CK: Be sure that you have talent [laughs]. That’s number one. Stay true to your calling. Also, stay humble and open to learning. Don’t buy into the bullshit hype. Excuse my French. Because that’s not what it’s about. It ain’t about that. It’s so much more spiritual and beautiful than that. That’s the best advice I can think of right now.

iRJ: You’ve been performing for such a long time now, looking back what do you want your legacy to be?

CK: That I actually leave a legacy [laughs]. That would be great. Achieving musical immortality – that would be wonderful.

The reason that I am drawn to “Be Bop Medley” is because it encompasses everything that we’ve grown to love about Chaka Khan. When we hear her sing within the measures of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” we are not listening to simply a vocalist. I take issue with even calling her that. Vocalists sing words, Chaka Khan molds sound. She carries an instrument – just like “Diz”, just like “Bird”, just like “‘Trane”. And when she plays it, she does so with the virtuosity of those exact same geniuses. She is brazen, even in the company of giants. That’s what separates Chaka Khan from the others and that is why we still revel in her work.

As we engage in “100 Days of Chaka,” we do so acknowledging that this is far from a eulogy or even a final hurrah before riding off into the sunset. Chaka Khan is a living, breathing form, one that will continue to make timeless art for years to come. We celebrate her now because we can. Adulation is never premature for those that deserve it. And none deserve it more than Chaka Khan.

http://www.mtv.com/artists/chaka-khan/ 

Discography

See All


THE MUSIC OF CHAKA KHAN: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH MS. KHAN:   

Rufus & Chaka Khan - "Stay":

 

Chaka Khan & The Metropole Orchestra:


TV recording from a concert that she did in The Netherlands, 2010: 

 

00:00 - I Feel For You
03:50 - Ain't Nobody
08:35 - What Cha' Gonna Do For Me
12:32 - Please Pardon Me
14:50 - Hollywood
18:10 - Angel
23:15 - Through The Fire
29:30 - Medley - You Got The Love
34:03 - Tell me Something Good
36:36 - Sweet Thing
40:20 - I'm Every Woman

I Feel For You - Ain't Nobody - What Cha' Gonna Do For Me - Please Pardon Me - Hollywood - Angel - Through The Fire - You Got The Love - Tell me Something Good - Sweet Thing - I'm Every Woman

Rufus & Chaka Khan - "Sweet Thing":

 

"Everlasting Love" - Rufus featuring Chaka Khan:

 

Chaka Khan - "Ain't Nobody":

 

Born 23rd March 1953, Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Illinois, U.S.A., Chaka Khan was raised on Chicago's South Side, and at the age of 11 formed her first group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells; a few years later, she adopted the African name Chaka Khan while working on the Black Panthers' breakfast program. After quitting high school in 1969, Khan joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting to join another dance band, the Babysitters; neither was on the fast track to success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher to form Rufus.

Debuting in 1973 with a self-titled effort on the ABC label, Rufus was among the preeminent funk groups of the decade; distinguished by Khan's dynamic vocals, the group earned half a dozen gold or platinum albums before she went solo in 1978.

Chaka began her solo career with the hit, "Im Every Woman," a tune written especially for her by the songwriting team of Ashford & Simpson. Since then, Chaka has recorded nine albums and been honored with five Grammy Awards. Her solo hits include "What Cha Gonna Do For Me?" "Clouds," "Papillion," "I Feel For You," and "Through The Fire."

Rufus & Chaka Khan - "Best of Chaka Khan & Rufus":


 

Tracklist:

Pack'd My Bags - 0:00
Everlasting Love - 5:07
Blue Love - 9:58
Hollywood - 13:19
Sweet Thing - 17:28
Ain't Nobody (Live) - 20:49
You Got The Love - 25:12
Once You Get Started - 29:57
Stranger to Love - 34:32
Dance Wit Me - 38:10
Tell Me Something Good - 42:10
At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up) - 46:50
Do You Love What You Feel - 51:12
Stay - 55:43
Smokin' Room - 1:01:25
Stop On By - 1:05:48 -
Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend) 1:10:43
What Cha' Gonna Do For Me - 1:13:50
I Finally Found You 1:17:44
Heaven Bound - 1:21:47
Destiny - 1:25:34
I'm A Woman (I'm A Backbone) - 1:30:01
I Got The Right Street (But The Wrong Direction) - 1:33:17
Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe - 1:36:34
Better Days - 1:40:08
Somebody's Watching You - 1:44:25
Maybe Your Baby - 1:47:37
Night Moods - 1:51:51
This is My Night - 1:56:12
Papillon (Aka Hot Butterfly) - 2:02:27
Clouds - 2:06:35
I'm Every Woman (extended mix) - 2:14:15  

Through The Fire - 2:22:38
Stronger Than Before - 2:27:26
Got To Be There - 2:31:48  

Love Me Still - 2:35:42
Angel - 2:39:11
Half Moon - 2:43:38
Your Smile - 2:46:55 

Haulin' Coal - 2:50:20
One Million Kisses (Remix) - 2:55:29
Keep It Coming - 3:01:23
Right Is Right - 3:04:42
Life Is A Dance (Remix) - 3:07:57
Love The One You're With / Sit Yourself Down - 3:14:21
We Got The Love ft.George Benson - 3:20:48
I'm In The Mood For Love - 3:24:16
Hail To The Wrong - 3:28:06
You Belong To Me (Ft. Michael McDonald) - 3:31:49
Pack'd My Bags/You Got The Love (ft. Tony Maiden) - 3:35:49
Slow Dancin' (feat. Rick James) - 3:41:44  

Chaka Khan Live In Pori Jazz July 18,2002 (Full concert):

   

Personnel:

Chaka Khan, vocals
Melvin Davis, b, cond
Ricardo Rouse, g
Earl R. Johnson, Jr. , keys
Chad Wright, dr
David Kochanski, keys
Audrey Wheeler, backing voc
Karen Bernod, backing voc
Sandra St. Victor, backing voc

Chaka Khan (2014):  Interview


Audio Player


Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:45 — 64.5MB) 

Chaka Khan 2014

Chaka Khan is one of the world’s most gifted and celebrated musicians, with a rich musical legacy, the 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner is looking forward to a celebration of a lifetime. A songwriter, actor, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur and activist, Chaka Khan has influenced generations of recording artists. She has the rare ability to sing in seven music genres, including R&B, pop, rock, gospel, country, world music and classical. Affectionately known around the world as Chaka, she is revered by millions of fans as well as her peers for hertimeless, classic and unmatched signature music style and ability. The late, great Miles Davis often said, “She [Chaka] sings like my horn.” And the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin says, “[Chaka] is a one- of- a -kind, premier vocalist.”


Throughout her legendary career, Chaka has released 22 albums and racked up ten #1 Billboard magazine charted songs, seven RIAA certified gold singles and ten RIAA certified gold and platinum albums. Chaka’s recorded music has produced over 2,000 catalogue song placements. “I am honored and blessed to celebrate 40 years in music and entertainment” says Chaka. “I am so humbled by the love, support and gracious spirit of my fans worldwide and the continuous support my peers have shown over the years. Throughout my 40-year career, I have been through the fire a few times over and I’m still here as a living testament to God’s love and grace. Next year, I will be celebrating 40 years in the business and 60 years on earth, which equals one hundred percent Chaka.”.. Read more

Biography courtesy of Chaka Khan



Playlist:


01 – Chaka Khan – What Cha´Gonna Do For Me (What Cha´Gonna Do For Me, 1981)
02 – Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman (Chaka, 1978)
03 – Chaka Khan – I Feel For You (I Feel For You, 1984)
04 – Chaka Khan – One For All Time (Funk This, 2007)


Background music during the interview:


Rufus & Chaka Khan – Ain’t Nobody, Tyrone Davis – I Had It All The Time, Billie Holiday – Come Rain Or Come Shine, Rufus & Chaka Khan – Stay, Rufus – Slip N’ Slide, Rufus & Chaka Khan – Change Your Ways, Chaka Khan – Life Is A Dance, Chaka Khan – Clouds, The Color Purple (Original Broadway Cast Recording) – The Color Purple, Chaka Khan – Through The Fire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Khan

Chaka Khan



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan in Chris March 01.jpg
Background information
Birth name Yvette Marie Stevens
Also known as Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan
Queen of Funk
Born March 23, 1953 (age 62) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1970–present
Labels ABC, Warner Bros., Reprise, MCA, NPG, Burgundy
Associated acts Rufus, Prince, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Ashford & Simpson, George Benson, Luther Vandross
Website www.chakakhan.com

Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens, March 23, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter whose career has spanned four decades, beginning in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. Widely known as the Queen of Funk, Khan has won ten Grammys and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.[1] She has seven gold singles, seven gold albums, and three platinum albums.

Contents

1953–1972: Early life

Chaka Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953 into an artistic, bohemian household in Chicago, Illinois. She was the eldest of five children to Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman, and has described her father Charles as a beatnik and her mother as 'able to do anything'. Raised in the Hyde Park area, 'an island in the middle of the madness' of Chicago's rough South Side housing projects.[2] Her sister Yvonne later became a successful musician in her own right under the name Taka Boom. Her only brother, Mark, who formed the funk group Aurra, also became a successful musician. She has two other sisters, Zaheva Stevens and Tammy McCrary, the latter of whom is her current manager.[3]

Chaka Khan was raised as a Catholic. She attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz as a child. Khan became a fan of rhythm and blues music as a pre-teen and at eleven formed her first all-female singing group the Crystalettes, which included her sister Taka. In the late 1960s, Khan attended several civil rights rallies with her father's second wife, Connie, a strong supporter of the movement, and joined the Black Panther Party after befriending fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton in 1967.[4] While a member, she was given a name change to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman. In 1969, she left the Panthers, dropped out of high school, having attended Calumet High School and Kenwood High School (now Kenwood Academy),[5] and began to perform in small groups around the Chicago area, first performing with Cash McCall's group Lyfe, which included her then boyfriend Hassan Khan, whom she would later marry.

Khan was asked to replace Baby Huey of Baby Huey & the Babysitters after Huey's death in 1970. Their group disbanded a year later. While performing in local bands in 1972, Khan was spotted by two members of a new group called Rufus and soon won her position in the group, replacing rock and roll singer Paulette McWilliams. They later signed with ABC Records in 1973. Prior to Khan signing with the label, she married on-and-off boyfriend Hassan Khan, changing her stage name to Chaka Khan.

Career


1973–1978: Early career with Rufus


Main article: Rufus (band)

In 1973, Rufus released their eponymous debut album. Despite their fiery rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's acclaimed Talking Book and the modest success of the Chaka-led ballad "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)", the album failed to garner attention. That changed when Wonder himself collaborated with the group on a song he had written for Khan. That song, "Tell Me Something Good", became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, later winning the group their first Grammy Award. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "You Got the Love", which peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, helped their second parent album, Rags to Rufus, go platinum, selling over a million copies. From 1974 to 1979, Rufus released six platinum-selling albums including Rufusized, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, Ask Rufus, Street Player and Masterjam. Hits the group scored during this time included "Once You Get Started," "Sweet Thing," "Hollywood," "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)," and "Do You Love What You Feel."

The band gained a reputation as a live performing act with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage attire, which sometimes included Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass, she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of her compositions were collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between her and Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained a member of the group, she signed a solo contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without her participation including 1979's Numbers, 1980's Party 'Til You're Broke and 1983's Seal in Red.

1978–1983: Early solo career and final years with Rufus


Chaka was Khan's first album and it was given Gold Certification by the US.

In 1978, Warner Bros. Records released Khan's solo debut album, which featured the crossover disco hit, "I'm Every Woman", written for her by songwriters Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go gold, selling over a million copies. Khan also was a featured performer on Quincy Jones' hit, "Stuff Like That", also released in 1978.

In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced Masterjam, which featured their hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sang with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of her band mates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1979 she also duetted with Ry Cooder on his album Bop Till You Drop. In 1980, while Rufus released Party 'Til You're Broke, again without Khan, she released her second solo album, Naughty, which featured her on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the minor disco hit "Clouds" and the R&B ballad "Papillon".

Also in 1980, she had a cameo appearance as a church choir soloist in The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release, Camouflage and the album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me. The latter album went gold. The same year, Khan appeared on three tracks on Rick Wakeman's concept album 1984. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz-oriented Echoes of an Era and a more funk/pop-oriented self-titled album Chaka Khan. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Be Bop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal scatting in the song.[6]

In 1983, following the release of Rufus' final studio album, Seal in Red, which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, Stompin' at the Savoy - Live, which featured the studio single, "Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success reaching number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.

1984–1996: Solo success

In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album, I Feel for You. The title track was the first single released. Originally written and recorded by Prince for the eponymous follow-up to his debut album Prince in 1979, it had been previously recorded by The Pointer Sisters and Mary Wells. Khan's version featured a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder and an introductory rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel. This version of the song became a million-selling smash in the U.S. and United Kingdom, and it helped to relaunch Khan's career. "I Feel For You" topped not only the U.S. R&B and dance charts, but achieved great success on U.S. pop charts, and reached number one in the United Kingdom as well. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984, and remained on that chart for 26 weeks, well into 1985. Additionally, it hit #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. It was listed as Billboard′s number 5 song for the year 1985, and netted Prince the 1985 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. In addition to the song's successful radio airplay and sales, a music video of Khan with break dancers in an inner-city setting enjoyed heavy airplay on television and helped to solidify Khan's notoriety in popular culture.

Other singles which helped the I Feel For You album to go platinum included "This is my Night" and the ballad "Through the Fire", the latter of which was also very successful on the adult contemporary charts. Khan was featured in Steve Winwood's 1986 number one hit, "Higher Love". That same year, a duet was planned with Robert Palmer for the song "Addicted To Love". However, her manager declined to allow the duet to be released, citing the desire to not have too much product from her in the marketplace at one time; she was still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album's liner notes, and the song became an international hit.[7] Khan followed up her successful I Feel For You album with 1986's Destiny and 1988's CK. Khan found more success in the late 1980s with a remix album, Life is a Dance - The Remix Project, which reached the top ten on the British albums chart. As a result, she performed regularly in the United Kingdom, where she maintained a strong fan base.

In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with Ray Charles and Quincy Jones on a new jack swing cover of The Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones' Back on the Block. The song reached number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B chart, later winning Ray Charles and Khan a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of The Woman I Am, which was a success thanks to the R&B songs "Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right".

Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to The Woman I Am which she titled Dare You to Love Me, which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the United Kingdom. That same year, she provided a contemporary R&B cover of the classic standard, "My Funny Valentine", for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her greatest-hits album, Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release Dare You to Love Me.[8]

Since 1998

In 1998, Khan signed a contract with Prince's NPG Records label and issued Come 2 My House, followed by the single "Don't Talk 2 Strangers", a cover of a 1996 Prince song. Khan later went on a tour with Prince as a co-headlining act. In 2000, Khan departed from NPG and in 2004 released her first jazz covers album in twenty-two years with 2004's ClassiKhan. She also covered "Little Wing" with Kenny Olson on the album Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Three years later, after signing with Burgundy Records, Khan released what many critics called a "comeback album" with Funk This, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis & Big Jim Wright pic= 990 The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the Mary J. Blige duet, "Disrespectful". The latter track went to number one on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while Funk This also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album. The album was notable for Khan's covers of Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and Prince's "Sign o' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie.[9]

In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, felt very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Bros.) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer's original recording of 'Addicted to Love' – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now."[8] In 2009, Khan hit the road with singers Anastacia and Lulu for Here Come the Girls.

In 2009, Chaka was guest singer with the song "Alive"[10] on Billy Cobham's album Drum ' n voice 3. In 2010, she contributed to vocals for Beverley Knight's "Soul Survivor", collaborated with Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show Phineas and Ferb, and performed two songs with Japanese singer Ai on Ai's latest album The Last Ai. Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas.

On May 19, 2011, Khan was given the 2,440th Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Her family was present when the singer accepted the honor, as was Stevie Wonder, who had written her breakout hit "Tell Me Something Good". On September 27, 2011, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee announced that Khan and her former band Rufus were jointly nominated for induction to the hall. It was the collective's first nomination 13 years after they were first eligible. The group were nominated partly due to Khan's own storied reputation, including her own solo career in conjunction with her years with Rufus. Recently, Khan rerecorded her song, "Super Life", under the title "Super Life: Fear Kills, Love Heals" with Eric Benet, Kelly Price, and Luke James in tribute to Trayvon Martin, a teenager who was killed on February 26. A number of celebrities also joined in the recording including Loretta Devine, Terry Crews, Eva Pigford, and reporter Kevin Frazier.

On December 6, 2012, Chaka Khan made a controversial decision to perform at a benefit for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF originally invited Stevie Wonder, however after a successful lobbying campaign by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Wonder withdrew and was replaced by Khan who was able to raise $14 million for the IDF. This support contravened her earlier support for the Black Panther Party that publicly supported a Free Palestine. [11] [12] [13]

On July 27, 2013, Khan was honored 40 years after signing her first recording contract with a ceremonial renaming of Blackstone Avenue between 50th and 51st street (where her former high school, Kenwood Academy, sits) as Chaka Khan Way and on July 28 the city declared the day Chaka Khan Day. She performed at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion on the 28th.[14] Khan is working on her new album called iKhan which is said to be released in 2015. In August 2014, Khan served as grand marshal at the 85th annual Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic in her hometown of Chicago.[15]

On August 27, 2015, Khan was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 21 of Dancing with the Stars.[16] She is paired with professional dancer Keo Motsepe.[17]

Personal life

Khan has been married twice and is the mother of two children, daughter Indira Milini and son Damien Holland. Her first marriage was to Hassan Khan, in 1970, when she was 17. They divorced a short time later. Milini's birth was the result of a relationship between Khan and Rahsaan Morris.[3] Khan married her second husband, Richard Holland, in 1976. The marriage reportedly caused a rift between Khan and several members of Rufus, in particular, Andre Fischer. Khan dated a Chicago-area schoolteacher in the mid-1980s in the middle of her solo stardom. Following their separation, Khan moved to Europe, first settling in London, later buying a residence in Germany.

Khan is vegan, saying she adopted the diet to lose weight and combat high blood pressure and Type-2 diabetes.[18] In the past, Khan struggled with drug abuse and alcoholism. Her drug use, which at times included cocaine and heroin, ended in the early 1990s. Khan had an on-and-off struggle with alcoholism until 2005 declaring herself sober. In 2006, her son Damien Holland was accused of murder after 17-year-old Christopher Bailey was shot to death. Khan testified on her son's behalf defending her son's innocence. Holland claimed the shooting was an accident and was found not guilty.[19] Though she sang at both the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a "Democratic-minded person".[20]

In December 2011, Khan won permanent custody of her granddaughter, Daija Jade Holland, after reporting that Daija's mother, the girlfriend of Khan's son Damien Holland, was unable to raise her due to her drug addiction. The media reported that Khan's son was also addicted to drugs.[21]

Khan was featured in a 2013 episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories where she told the story of a shadow man who followed her on tour for years until she met a guardian angel who admonished her to change her life or die.[22]

Awards


Grammy Awards

To date, Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus. She has received 22 Grammy Award nominations, including three as a member of Rufus.
Year Nominated work Award category Result
1975 "Tell Me Something Good" (as Rufus) Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group Or Chorus Won
1978 Ask Rufus (as Rufus) Nominated
1979 "I'm Every Woman" Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Nominated
1982 What Cha' Gonna Do For Me Nominated
1983 Echoes of an Era Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female Nominated
1984 Chaka Khan Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Won
"Ain't Nobody" (as Rufus) Best R&B Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal Won
"Be Bop Medley" (with Arif Mardin) Best Vocal Arrangement For Two Or More Voices Won
1985 "I Feel For You" Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Won
1986 I Feel For You Nominated
1987 Destiny Nominated
1991 "I'll Be Good To You" (with Ray Charles) Best R&B Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal Won
1993 The Woman I Am Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Won
1996 "Love Me Still" (with Bruce Hornsby) Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture Or Television Nominated
1997 "Missing You" (with Brandy, Tamia & Gladys Knight) Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals Nominated
"Never Miss The Water" (with Meshell Ndegeocello) Best R&B Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal Nominated
"Stomp" (with Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal & Luniz) Nominated
1998 "Summertime" Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Nominated
2003 "What's Going On" (with The Funk Brothers) Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance Won
2007 "Everyday (Family Reunion)" (with Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams & Carl Thomas) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals Nominated
2008 "Disrespectful" (with Mary J. Blige) Won
Funk This Best R&B Album Won

Soul Train Awards

United Negro College Fund Award

  • 2011 UNCF: Award of Excellence (Recipient)

American Music Award nominations

To date, she has had four American Music Award nominations.
  • 1985 Favorite Female Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner)
  • 1985 Favorite Female Video Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner)
  • 1982 Favorite Female Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Stephanie Mills)
  • 1981 Favorite Female Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Diana Ross)
References:[19][23]

SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com

  • Inducted: Female Artist* (December 2012)

Discography

Main article: Chaka Khan discography

See also

References





  • "10-Time Grammy Award-Winning Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame Nominee Music Legend Chaka Khan Headlines the Biggest Lesbian Event in the World: The DInah 2012 | The Original Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend 2014". Thedinah.com. Retrieved June 4, 2014.

  • Peterson, Gilles (September 27, 2014). "Words and Music with Chaka Khan". BBC 6 Music (Interview). Retrieved September 27, 2014.

  • "Chaka Khan (I)". IMDb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.

  • "Chaka Khan – Biography on Bio". Thebiographychannel.co.uk. Retrieved July 14, 2011.

  • "Kenwood Academy High School". CPSalumni.org. Retrieved February 18, 2012.

  • allmusic ((( Chaka Khan : Overview )))

  • Wolf, Buck. "Robert Palmer Never Meant to Turn Us On – ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved February 18, 2012.

  • "Interview, thestar.com February 9, 2008". thestar.com. Retrieved October 8, 2014.

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  • Khan, Chaka (July 29, 2013). "The City of Chicago Honors Ten-Time GRAMMY® Award Winner Chaka Khan with Street Naming". Sacramento Bee (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved July 31, 2013.

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    1. "Chaka Khan @ The Envelope Awards Database". Retrieved October 8, 2014.

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