1973–1978: Early career with Rufus In 1973, Rufus signed with
ABC Records and released their
eponymous debut album. Despite their fiery rendition of
Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's acclaimed
Talking Book and the modest success of the Chaka-led ballad "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)", the album failed to gain attention. That changed when Wonder himself collaborated with the group on a song he had written for Khan. That song, "
Tell Me Something Good", became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching No. 3 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, later winning the group their first
Grammy Award. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "
You Got the Love", which peaked at No. 11 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart, helped their second parent album,
Rags to Rufus, go platinum, selling over a million copies. From 1974 to 1979, Rufus released six
platinum-selling albums including
Rufusized,
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan,
Ask Rufus,
Street Player and
Masterjam. Hits the group scored during this time included "
Once You Get Started", "
Sweet Thing", "Hollywood", "
At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)", and "
Do You Love What You Feel". The band gained a reputation as a live performing act, with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage
attire—which sometimes included
Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass; she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of her compositions were collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between her and drummer Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained in the group, she signed a solo contract with
Warner Bros. Records in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without her participation, including 1979's
Numbers, 1980's ''
Party 'Til You're Broke'', and 1983's
Seal in Red. Outside of her work with Rufus, Khan provided backing vocals on singer-songwriter
Stephen Bishop's first album,
Careless (1976), on the tracks "Little Italy", "Save It For A Rainy Day" and "Never Letting Go". The album went gold.
1978–1983: Early solo career and final years with Rufus In 1978,
Warner Bros. Records released Khan's solo
debut album, which featured the
crossover disco hit, "
I'm Every Woman", written for her by singers-songwriters
Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go platinum, selling over a million copies. Khan also featured on
Quincy Jones's hit "
Stuff Like That", also released in 1978, which also featured Ashford & Simpson as co-writers, along with Jones and several others. Ashford & Simpson performed with Khan on the song. In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced
Masterjam, which featured their hit "
Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sang with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of her bandmates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1979 she also
dueted with
Ry Cooder on his album
Bop Till You Drop. That year, she spent time working on her producing and writing skills at Ike Turner's Bolic Sound studio. They had planned to record together. In 1980, while Rufus released ''Party 'Til You're Broke
, again without Khan, she released her second solo album, Naughty'', which featured her on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the disco hit "Clouds" and the R&B
ballad "Papillon". Also in 1980, Khan had a
cameo appearance as a
church choir soloist in
The Blues Brothers starring
John Belushi and
Dan Aykroyd. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release,
Camouflage and the solo album ''
What Cha' Gonna Do for Me''. The latter album went gold. The same year, Khan appeared on three tracks on
Rick Wakeman's concept album
1984. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz standard
Echoes of an Era with Chick Corea, Stanley Clark and Lenny White' and a more
funk/pop-oriented self-titled album
Chaka Khan. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Be Bop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from jazz singer
Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal
scatting in the song. In 1983, following the release of Rufus's final studio album,
Seal in Red, which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, ''
Stompin' at the Savoy - Live'', which featured the studio single "
Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success, reaching No. 22 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.
1984–1996: Solo success In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album,
I Feel for You. The
title track, the first single released, was originally written and recorded by
Prince in 1979 and had also been recorded by
The Pointer Sisters and
Rebbie Jackson. Khan's version featured a harmonica solo by
Stevie Wonder and an introductory
rap by
Grandmaster Melle Mel. It became a million-selling smash in the U.S. and United Kingdom and helped to relaunch Khan's career. "
I Feel for You" topped not only the U.S. R&B and dance charts, but achieved great success on the U.S. pop chart and reached No. 1 in the U.K. The song reached No. 3 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984 and remained on that chart for 26 weeks, well into 1985. Additionally, it hit No. 1 on the
Cash Box chart. It was listed as
Billboards No. 5 song for 1985 and netted Prince the 1985
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. In addition to the song's successful
radio airplay and sales, 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. Other singles that helped the
I Feel For You album go
platinum included "This is My Night" and the ballad "
Through the Fire", the latter of which was also successful on the
adult contemporary chart. Khan was featured in
Steve Winwood's 1986 number-one hit, "
Higher Love". That same year, a
duet was planned with
Robert Palmer for the song "
Addicted To Love". However, her manager declined to release the duet, citing the desire not to have too much product from her in the marketplace at one time. She was still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album's
liner notes, and the song became an international hit. Khan followed up the success of the
I Feel For You album with 1986's
Destiny and 1988's
CK. Khan found more success in the late 1980s with a
remix album,
Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project, which reached the top ten on the British albums chart. As a result, she performed regularly in the U.K., where she maintained a strong
fan base. In 1986, Khan sang alongside
Luther Vandross,
Cissy Houston and others on
David Bowie's single "
Underground" from the movie
Labyrinth (1986). In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with
Ray Charles and
Quincy Jones on a
new jack swing cover of
The Brothers Johnson's "
I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones's
Back on the Block. The song reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart, later winning her and Ray Charles a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of
The Woman I Am, which was a success due to the R&B songs "
Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right". Around this time, Khan also did a duet with
Peter Cetera on the song "Feels Like Heaven", which was a minor success. . Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to
The Woman I Am she titled
Dare You to Love Me, which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper
Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the U.K. That same year, she provided a
contemporary R&B cover of the classic
standard, "
My Funny Valentine", for the
Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her
greatest-hits album,
Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release
Dare You to Love Me.
1998–2016 In 1998, Khan signed a contract with Prince's
NPG Records label and issued
Come 2 My House, followed by the single "
Don't Talk 2 Strangers", a cover of a 1996
Prince song. She later went on a
tour with Prince as a co-headlining act. In 2000, Khan departed NPG and she released her autobiography
Chaka! Through The Fire in 2003. She performed a jazz vocal for "
So Blue", composed by Mardin in the '60s with lyrics written for the project by
Roxanne Seeman. After signing with
Burgundy Records, Khan released what many critics called a "comeback album" with
Funk This, produced by
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis & Big Jim Wright. The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the
Mary J. Blige duet, "
Disrespectful". The latter track went to No. 1 on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while
Funk This also won a Grammy for
Best R&B Album. The album was also notable for Khan's covers of
Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and
Prince's "
Sign o' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the
Broadway adaptation of
The Color Purple playing Ms. Sofia to
Fantasia Barrino's Celie. In 2002, Chaka Khan provided backing vocals for her sister
Taka Boom's rendition of "
Misti Blu," a collaboration with the British electronic music group amillionsons. In December 2004, Khan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from
Berklee College of Music during the inauguration of its president, Roger H. Brown. In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, felt very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including
music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Bros.) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes
Robert Palmer's original recording of '
Addicted to Love' – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now." on jazz drummer
Billy Cobham's album ''Drum ' n voice 3''. In 2010, she contributed to vocals for
Beverley Knight's "
Soul Survivor", collaborated with
Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show
Phineas and Ferb, and appeared as a featured artist on "One More Try" and a cover of her song "
Through the Fire" on Japanese-American singer-songwriter
Ai's eighth studio album,
The Last Ai. Both Khan and Ai won the International Collaboration Special Award at the 2010
Billboard Japan Music Awards for the two songs. Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas. On May 19, 2011, Khan was given the 2,440th
Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Her family was present when the singer accepted the honor, as was
Stevie Wonder, who had written her breakout hit "
Tell Me Something Good". On September 27, 2011, the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee announced that Khan and her former band
Rufus were jointly nominated for induction to the hall. It was the collective's first nomination 13 years after they were first eligible. The group were nominated partly due to Khan's own storied reputation, including her own solo career in conjunction with her years with Rufus. Recently, Khan rerecorded her song "Super Life" under the title "Super Life: Fear Kills, Love Heals" with
Eric Benet,
Kelly Price, and
Luke James in tribute to
Trayvon Martin, a teenager who was killed on February 26, 2012. A number of celebrities also joined in the recording including
Loretta Devine,
Terry Crews,
Eva Pigford, and reporter
Kevin Frazier. On December 6, 2012, Khan performed at a benefit for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF originally invited Stevie Wonder; however, after a successful lobbying campaign by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Wonder withdrew and was replaced by Khan, who was able to raise $14 million for the IDF. This support contrasted with her earlier support for the Black Panther Party that publicly supported Palestine. On July 27, 2013, Khan was honored 40 years after signing her first recording contract with a ceremonial renaming of Blackstone Avenue between 50th and 51st street (where her former high school, Kenwood Academy, sits) as Chaka Khan Way and on July 28 the city declared the day Chaka Khan Day. She performed at
Millennium Park's
Pritzker Pavilion on the 28th. In August 2014, Khan served as grand marshal at the 85th annual
Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic in her hometown of Chicago. On August 27, 2015, Khan was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on
season 21 of
Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer
Keo Motsepe. Khan and Motsepe were the first couple eliminated from the competition on September 21, 2015. In July 2016, she canceled her upcoming concert performances and entered
rehab.
2017–present: Hello Happiness and beyond In June 2018, she released a new single called "Like Sugar," a collaboration with
Major Lazer member Switch. She later went on to promote the single on the
Ellen show. "Like Sugar" is included on her 2019 album
Hello Happiness. The album was released on February 15, 2019, and is her first album in twelve years. Khan served as
Grand Marshal in the 2019
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2019, in Pasadena, California. In October 2019, Khan was an honoree at Variety's "Power of Women" luncheon for supporting Little Kids Rock. Other honorees were
Mariah Carey,
Jennifer Aniston,
Brie Larson,
Awkwafina, and
Dana Walden. In November 2019, Khan collaborated with
Ariana Grande on the song "Nobody" from the soundtrack
''Charlie's Angels''. In 2020, Khan competed in
season three of
The Masked Singer as "Miss Monster." She was eliminated and unmasked in the third episode. Khan was invited to sing the National Anthem at the
2020 NBA All-Star Game. Her rendition was heavily criticized on Twitter, drawing comparisons to
Fergie's rendition in 2018. In May 2021, Khan appeared at the season 19
American Idol finale, where she performed a medley of her hits alongside the contestants. In June 2021, Khan joined YouTuber and performer
Todrick Hall on his album
Femuline for the song "Fabulosity". In November 2021, Khan participated in a
Verzuz battle with singer
Stephanie Mills, at which both singers performed hits from their discography. In July 2022, Khan announced her new single "Woman Like Me", which was released on July 29. In 2023,
Rolling Stone ranked Khan at No. 29 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2023, Chaka Khan was honored with induction into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the Musical Excellence Award. The ceremony featured performances by Chan Khan alongside artists such as
Jazmine Sullivan,
Common,
Sia, and
H.E.R. Additionally, during the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Khan performed "
I'm Every Woman" with
Sia. In 2024, Chaka Khan collaborated with her sister,
Taka Boom, and their brother, Mark Stevens, on the single "Misti Blu Two." This track, released by the British electronic music group amillionsons, is a reimagined version of
Taka Boom's earlier rendition of "
Misti Blu." ==Personal life==