Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan is an American singer and songwriter born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois. After performing with several local groups, she joined the funk band Rufus in 1972 and adopted the stage name under which she became known. Rufus released its self-titled debut in 1973, followed by Rags to Rufus in 1974; its Stevie Wonder-penned single “Tell Me Something Good” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the group its first Grammy Award. Further Rufus albums included Rufusized in 1974, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan in 1975, which produced “Sweet Thing,” and Ask Rufus in 1977. Chaka Khan launched her solo career with Chaka in 1978, led by the Ashford & Simpson composition “I’m Every Woman,” while continuing to record with Rufus on albums such as Masterjam in 1979 and Camouflage in 1981. She reunited with the group for Stompin’ at the Savoy – Live in 1983, whose studio recording “Ain’t Nobody” topped the R&B chart and won a Grammy. Her solo albums Naughty, What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me, Echoes of an Era, and Chaka Khan appeared between 1980 and 1982. Chaka Khan achieved another major crossover success with the Prince-penned “I Feel for You” in 1984, featuring Melle Mel and Stevie Wonder; the recording reached number 3 in the United States and won the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female. The album of the same name also contained “Through the Fire.” Chaka Khan subsequently appeared on Steve Winwood’s chart-topping “Higher Love” and released Destiny in 1986, ck in 1988, and the Grammy-winning The Woman I Am in 1992. She worked with Prince’s NPG Records on Come 2 My House in 1998, explored orchestral standards on ClassiKhan in 2004, and returned with Funk This in 2007, which won Grammys for Best R&B Album and for the Mary J. Blige collaboration “Disrespectful.” The funk-oriented Hello Happiness followed in 2019, preceded by “Like Sugar.” Chaka Khan released “Woman Like Me” in 2022 and received the Musical Excellence Award from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. She collaborated with Sia on “Immortal Queen” and performed an NPR Tiny Desk concert in 2024 before touring with Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Stephanie Mills in The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage during 2025 and 2026. In 2026, Chaka Khan received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, while I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical premiered in London. She then released “Chakzilla,” “Boogie’s in My Soul” with Snoop Dogg, and “Curious Subject” ahead of Chakzilla, her first studio album since 2019, released in September 2026.