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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKHAN, Chaka(b Yvette Marie Stevens, 23 March 1953, Great Lakes IL) Singer, songwriter with a gorgeous voice and loyal fans across 40 years so far. Grew up on Chicago's South Side, began singing early, called 'Little Aretha' and forming the Crystalettes at age eleven, later taking the name Chaka (Fire) when working with the Black Panthers in a breakfast programme. Quit school and worked with group Lyfe and the Babysitters '69, then formed Ask Rufus with Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher, both ex-American Breed: the new soul/dance group became Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan and had nine top 40 single hits '74-9 including 'Tell Me Something Good' (no. 3 '74), 'Sweet Thing' (no. 5 '76); also eleven chart LPs including no. 4 Rags To Rufus '74, Rufusized and Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan '75, both at no. 7. After two more top 15 LPs she went solo while still obligated for two more Rufus LPs; when she made them, Masterjam '79 was again a top 15 LP but Camouflage '81 barely made the top 100. Rufus were on ABC, then MCA; Rufus fans followed her to solo work on WB, but the eclectic use she made of her gorgeous voice confused them: first LP Chaka '78 included no. 21 USA single 'I'm Every Woman', duet with George Benson 'We Got The Love', reached no. 12 in LP chart; Naughty '80 made only no. 43; What Cha' Gonna Do For Me '81 was no. 17, with no. 53 title single, all produced by Arif Mardin with West Coast WB session players. In '82 she released Chaka Khan (no. 52 LP) and Echoes Of An Era on Elektra/Musician, with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, a tribute to '50s jazz; and reunited with Rufus in February that year to record Live: Stompin' At The Savoy '83 on WB, a two-disc set with one side recorded in the studio including top ten hit 'Ain't Nobody', reached no. 50. Solo I Feel For You '84 was a no. 14 LP, helped by no. 3 title hit written by Prince, then Destiny '87, C.K. '88 did much less well, Life Is A Dance/The Remix Project '89 didn't chart, but The Woman I Am '92 was back in the top 100. She had problems with drink and drugs, used rehab more than once (the death of Prince in 2016, who had become a close friend, was one of the things that brought her down), but always bounced back, still beautiful and still with that marvelous voice. She has won 10 Grammies, made 22 albums, published memoir Chaka! Through the Fire 2003, and released her first solo studio album in eleven years in 2018, playing drums on its first single, 'Like Sugar'. |