Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan
Khan in 2012
Khan in 2012
Background information
Birth nameYvette Marie Stevens
Also known asChaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi Khan
Born (1953-03-23) March 23, 1953 (age 71)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
DiscographyChaka Khan discography
Years active1970–present
Labels
Websitechakakhan.com

Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953),[1] better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (/ˈʃɑːkə ˈkɑːn/ SHAH-kə KAHN),[2] is an American singer.[3] Known as the "Queen of Funk",[4] her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. With the band she recorded the notable hits "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel" and the platinum-certified "Ain't Nobody". Her debut solo album featured the number-one R&B hit "I'm Every Woman" (which became a pop hit for Whitney Houston). Khan scored another R&B charts hit with "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" before becoming the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with her 1984 cover of Prince's "I Feel for You".[5] More of Khan's hits include "Through the Fire" and a 1986 collaboration with Steve Winwood that produced a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher Love".

Khan has won ten Grammy Awards.[6] With Rufus, she achieved three gold singles, one platinum single, four gold albums, and two platinum albums. In the course of her solo career, Khan achieved three gold singles, three gold albums, and one platinum album with I Feel for You. She has also worked with Ry Cooder, Robert Palmer, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Guru, Chicago, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, and Sia. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 65th most successful dance club artist of all time.[7] She was ranked at No. 17 in VH1's original list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.[8] Khan has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times as a solo artist and four times as a member of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,[9] the first time in 2012 as a member of Rufus. In 2023, Khan was picked as an inductee in the Musical Excellence category.[10]

  1. ^ Austen, James; Porter, Jake (July 17, 2018). "The making of Chaka Khan". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Campbell, Luenell (October 8, 2020). "Chaka Khan Hated Kanye Sampling 'Through The Fire': He F***ed Up My Song! (Part 12)". YouTube. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Miller, Dylan (April 25, 2022). "5 Questions With Chaka Khan". 068 Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  4. ^ Chick, Stevie (June 11, 2024). "Chaka Khan: 'I found ways to hang on. Substance abuse, and all kinds of other s***'". The Independent. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "Chaka Khan First R&B Artist To Feature Rapper, a trend that would go on to dominate contemporary music". 2Paragraphs. September 15, 2015.
  6. ^ "Chaka Khan". Grammy Awards. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists". Billboard. December 1, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "Rock on the Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll". rockonthenet.com.
  9. ^ Folk, Antwane (February 11, 2021). "Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick and Tina Turner Among 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees". Rated R&B. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Abram, Malcom X (May 3, 2023). "Chaka Khan, queen of funk & R&B, to be inducted into Rock Hall". Cleveland.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.