Chaka Khan | Artist
Yvette Marie Stevens aka Chaka Khan is an American singer and songwriter born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Known as the "Queen of Funk", Khan's career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 70s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Khan attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz as a child. She became a fan of R&B music as a preteen and when she was 11 years old she formed a girl group, the Crystalettes. She joined the Black Panther Party after befriending activist Fred Hampton in 1967, and at the age of 13, was given the name Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by a Yoruba Babalawo priest during a naming ceremony (Chaka means "woman of fire"). In 1969 at age 16, Khan ran away from home and began performing in groups around Chicago. She was eventually spotted by two members of a new group called Rufus; the lead singer Paulette McWilliams, decided to leave the band and suggested to Khan that she join. The group was spotted by Ike Turner, who flew them out to Los Angeles to record at his studio Bolic Sound. Turner wanted Khan to become an Ikette; she declined, stating that she was "really happy with Rufus. But Ike's attention was certainly a boost". Khan recorded 11 albums with Rufus, many of which were credited to Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan. In 1978, Warner Bros. released Khan's solo debut album, which featured the crossover disco hit, "I'm Every Woman", written by singers-songwriters Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go platinum, selling over a million copies. As a soloist, Khan's first four albums are the clear standouts; Chaka (1978), Naughty (1980), What Cha' Gonna Do for Me (1981), and Chaka Khan (1982). In all she has released 13 studio albums, but none have eclipsed her early works. Khan's sixth studio album featured the title track "I Feel for You" which was written by Prince and featured a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder. The single became a million-selling smash in the U.S. and UK and helped to relaunch Khan's career. The song also netted Prince the 1985 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. A music video of Khan with breakdancers in an inner-city setting enjoyed heavy rotation on television and helped to solidify Khan's notoriety in popular culture. Khan has been married twice and has two children. Her first marriage was to Hassan Khan in 1970, when she was 17, ending in divorce a short time later. She married her second husband, Richard Holland, in 1976 but that ended in 1979, at a time when Khan was spending a great deal of studio-time with Ike Turner. Khan, who is a cousin of singer Lou Rawls, was ranked at No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Artist Website: chakakhan.com
Featured Albums: Chaka Khan
Related Artists: Rufus, Ike Turner
