Chaka Khan

In 1970, at the early age of 17, she got married to Hassan Khan. They divorced after a short time.

She then had a relationship with Rahsaan Morris, which resulted in the birth of her daughter Indira Milini. Later, she married Richard Holland in 1976 and had a son with him.

Khan has been struggling with drug abuse for a very long time. She adopted a vegan diet for health reasons.

Chaka Khan was born as Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23rd, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father’s name was Charles Stevens and her mother’s name was Sandra Coleman. She was raised in an island area named Hyde Park. She has four siblings, a brother Mark, and three sisters, Yvonne, Zaheva and Tammy.

She developed an interest in music at an early age after she was introduced to jazz by her grandmother. She also got involved in the civil rights movement as a youngster. Along with her stepmother, she joined the Black Panther party as well.

She attended Calumet High School and Kenwood High School. As a student she began performing music in small groups around the Chicago area. She performed for various local bands after she was spotted by a new group ‘Rufus’ in 1972.

The group ‘Rufus’ released their self-titled debut album in 1973. The album didn’t gain much attention. However, later the group released the song ‘Tell Me Something Good’ which became a huge hit, and reached third position on the US Hot 100. It also won the Group their first Grammy Award in 1974.

Slowly the band started gaining popularity and Khan became a star, mostly gaining attention because of her extraordinary vocals and unusual attire. Soon she made this decision to begin a solo career. She released her debut self-titled solo album in 1978, after signing a contract with Warner Bros.

The song ‘I'm Every Woman’ from the album was a huge hit. It stood at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The success of the single helped the album sell over a million copies. The song also earned her a Grammy nomination. She collaborated with Rufus again the following year, on the album ‘Masterjam.’

Her popularity grew over the next few years with successful albums such as ‘Echoes of An Era’ (1982), ‘I Feel for You’ (1984) and ‘Destiny’ (1986). Some of her most successful hits include ‘What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me’, ‘Got to Be There’, ‘It is My Party’, ‘Love You All My Lifetime’, and ‘You Can Make my Story Right’.

Chaka Khan won several Grammys for her songs such as ‘Ain’t Nobody’ (in collaboration with Rufus) and ‘Be Bop Medley’ (in collaboration with Arif Mardin). However, by the end of the 1990s, her popularity started fading as musical trends began to change.

'The Woman I Am’, one of Chaka Khan’s albums, is among her most significant works. The album included singles such as ‘Love You All My Lifetime’, ‘Facts of Love’, and ‘Be My Love’. The album was not just a commercial success, but it also won the ‘Grammy Award’ for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance. It received average reviews.

Chaka Khan gained huge popularity for the song ‘I Feel for You’. The song was originally written by the famed American singer Prince for his debut album. However, Khan’s version became the most successful and popular version. The song got her nominated for two Grammys, out of which she won one. Undoubtedly one of her most successful songs, it became a commercial hit and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.