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There is before Chaka Khan, and there is after. Few artists in the history of recorded music can claim that distinction that their voice, presence, and sheer force of talent permanently altered what was possible. Chaka Khan can.
Born Yvette Marie Stevens on the South Side of Chicago, she became Chaka Khan long before the world caught up with her. She came to prominence at 18 as the lead voice of Rufus, a multiracial band whose sound defied every category radio programmers tried to put them in. What followed was not a career so much as a force of nature: 23 studio albums, over 2,000 recorded songs, collaborations spanning six decades.
In November 2023, Chaka was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence Award. In 2026, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award the highest honor the Recording Academy bestows.
On 7 May 2026, Chaka Khan released the first new music in over 7 years with “Chakzilla”. Co-written with and featuring Sia, co-written and produced by Greg Kurstin. A new era of her music began.
The full “Chakzilla” album follows on 18 September 2026, featuring collaborations with Sia, Snoop Dogg and Lenny Kravitz. Single releases include, ‘Boogie’s In My Soul ft. Snoop Dogg and Sia’ (22 May), and ‘Cool U Down’ (31 July).
‘I’m Every Woman’ the West End musical based on her life and music premieres in London July 2026.
Chaka Khan has recorded across more than ten genres including, R&B, soul, pop, jazz, gospel, rock, country, dance, classical, and world music not as a crossover exercise, but because no single genre could define her artistry. She has performed on six continents, built a devoted international audience across generations, and influenced virtually every significant female vocalist in history.
It began with Rufus, the Chicago band she joined as a teenager in the early 1970s. Stevie Wonder wrote their debut single, ‘Tell Me Something Good,’ after hearing her sing. It won a Grammy. The hits that followed, ‘Ain’t Nobody,’ ‘Sweet Thing,’ ‘Once You Get Started’ were soul at its most precise: groove-driven, emotionally specific, impossible to ignore.
Her 1978 solo debut single ‘I’m Every Woman’ was not just a hit; it became a declaration. In 1984, ‘I Feel for You’ written by Prince, featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica made history as one of the first mainstream songs to integrate rap (Grandmaster Melle Mel), reaching audiences that had never heard of Rufus. She lent her voice to Steve Winwood’s ‘Higher Love’ and Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love,’ both Grammy winners. Everything she touched, she elevated.
Her catalogue now runs to 23 studio albums, 10 certified gold or platinum by the RIAA, 10 Billboard number ones, and 11 Grammy Awards from 22 nominations. She has collaborated with Prince, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, Sia, Snoop Dogg, Lenny Kravitz, and Dizzy Gillespie, a list that reads less like a discography and more like a history of popular music itself.
“She sings like my horn.”
— Miles Davis
“She’s a one-of-a-kind, premier vocalist.”
— Aretha Franklin
“When she performs you feel the truth coming out. Beautifully honest.”
— Joni Mitchell
“Chaka is the Godzilla of chanteuses.”
— Sia
Chaka made her West End debut in 1995 in ‘Mama I Want to Sing.’ In 2008, she stepped into the leading role of Sophia in Oprah Winfrey’s Tony-nominated Broadway production of The Color Purple. Her NPR Tiny Desk Concert became one of the most-viewed performances in the series’ history. In 2024, she curated the artist lineup for London’s renowned Meltdown Festival. Her signature fragrance, ‘Chaka by Chaka Khan,’ is available now. Original artwork is available online at chakakhan.com
Founded in 1999 and co-led with her sister Tammy Michelle, the Chaka Khan Foundation reflects nearly three decades of advocacy and service. What began as a mission supporting women in recovery from trauma and substance abuse, autism advocacy, and youth education in underserved communities has evolved into a focused commitment to advancing mental health and wellness initiatives for neurodivergent individuals. Rooted in compassion and informed by lived experience, the Foundation works at the intersection of music, healing, and human connection to create pathways for awareness, support, and transformation. chakakhanfoundation.org
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2026) · Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Musical Excellence Award (2023) · 11 Grammy Awards · BET Lifetime Achievement Award · Soul Train Legend Award · Hollywood Walk of Fame · Nordoff & Robbins Global Impact Award · Honorary Doctor of Music, Berklee College of Music (2004) · Chaka Khan Day, Chicago — July 28, 2013 · “Chaka Khan Way” — street naming in Chicago on her high school street
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Archivist Credit: Darrell Hill / Music Historian Journalist
