← Back

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

Born: 1953-03-23 • Chicago, Illinois, USA

Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (/ˈʃɑːkə ˈkɑːn/ SHAH-kə KAHN), is an American singer and songwriter. Known as the "Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. With the band she recorded the notable hits "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," "Do You Love What You Feel," and the platinum-certified "Ain't Nobody." Her debut solo album featured the number-one R&B hit "I'm Every Woman" (which became a pop hit for Whitney Houston). Khan scored another R&B charts hit with "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" before becoming the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with her 1984 cover of Prince's "I Feel for You." More of Khan's hits include "Through the Fire" and a 1986 collaboration with Steve Winwood that produced a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher Love."

Khan has won ten Grammy Awards.With Rufus, she achieved three gold singles, one platinum single, four gold albums, and two platinum albums. In the course of her solo career, Khan achieved three gold singles, three gold albums, and one platinum album with I Feel for You. She has also worked with Whitney Houston, Ry Cooder, Robert Palmer, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Guru, Chicago, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, and Sia. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 65th most successful dance club artist of all time. She was ranked at No. 17 in VH1's original list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. Khan has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times as a solo artist and four times as a member of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, the first time in 2012 as a member of Rufus. In 2023, Khan was picked as an inductee in the Musical Excellence category.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Chaka Khan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography
Hodgepodge poster
Hodgepodge
2025 • Self (archive footage)
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) poster
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025 • Self
LOUDER: The Soundtrack of Change poster
LOUDER: The Soundtrack of Change
2024 • Self
No Image
American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special
2024 • Self
Prince and His Songs at the BBC poster
Prince and His Songs at the BBC
2024 • Self (archive footage)
Chaka Khan at the BBC poster
Chaka Khan at the BBC
2023 • Self
Mr. Nelson on the North Side poster
Mr. Nelson on the North Side
2021 • Self
The One and Only Ivan poster
The One and Only Ivan
2020 • Henrietta (voice)
Chaka Khan - Homecoming poster
Chaka Khan - Homecoming
2020 • herself
Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration poster
Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration
2019 • Self
Revival! poster
Revival!
2018 • Herodias
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special poster
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special
2017 • Self
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night poster
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night
2016 • Self
Beyond the Lights poster
Beyond the Lights
2014 • Chaka Khan
Hit Man Returns - David Foster & Friends poster
Hit Man Returns - David Foster & Friends
2011 • Self
No Image
Tom Jones: In His Prime
2010 • Self (archive footage)
Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You! poster
Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!
2010 • Chaka Khan (voice)
Prince: Club Nokia poster
Prince: Club Nokia
2009
Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux poster
Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
2008 • Self
Chaka Khan: Greatest Hits Live poster
Chaka Khan: Greatest Hits Live
2007 • Vocals
Original Up-Town Divas poster
Original Up-Town Divas
2004 • Self (archive footage)
Ladies Night - Most Famous Hits poster
Ladies Night - Most Famous Hits
2003 • Self (archive footage)
Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure poster
Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure
2002 • Marla (voice)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown poster
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
2002 • Herself
Tom Jones | Duets by Invitation Only poster
Tom Jones | Duets by Invitation Only
2001 • Self
The Jazz Channel Presents Chaka Khan poster
The Jazz Channel Presents Chaka Khan
2000
An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell poster
An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell
2000 • Self
VH1 Divas Live 2: An Honors Concert for VH1's Save the Music poster
VH1 Divas Live 2: An Honors Concert for VH1's Save the Music
1999 • Self - Performer
Intimate Portrait: Natalie Cole poster
Intimate Portrait: Natalie Cole
1999 • Self
Prince: Beautiful Strange poster
Prince: Beautiful Strange
1998 • Self
Songs & Visions poster
Songs & Visions
1997 • Self
An Evening of Fourplay poster
An Evening of Fourplay
1993 • Herself - Vocals
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991 poster
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991
1991 • Self
The Prince's Trust Rock Gala poster
The Prince's Trust Rock Gala
1990 • Self (archive footage)
Miles Davis - Montreux Jazz Festival poster
Miles Davis - Montreux Jazz Festival
1989
Stevie Wonder - Live at Wembley Stadium - London England 1989 poster
Stevie Wonder - Live at Wembley Stadium - London England 1989
1989 • Self
Chaka Khan: Live At Roxy poster
Chaka Khan: Live At Roxy
1981
No Nukes poster
No Nukes
1980 • Self
The Blues Brothers poster
The Blues Brothers
1980 • Choir Soloist