October 23rd 2023.
Chaka Khan, the legendary singer, is being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame on November 3rd. In an interview with the New York Post, Khan discussed what led to her starting with the popular 70s funk/R&B band, Rufus.
Khan explained that the band's lead singer, Paulette McWilliams, had left the group to pursue a solo career. It was then that Khan saw an opportunity. “When I started with Rufus, Paulette McWilliams had quit. She decided to quit and go solo in the business," Khan said. "And I said, ‘Oh, this is my chance!’ because I really wanted to play with that band. I’d seen them a lot, and they’d seen me a lot. So I happily joined the group pretty quick.”
During her six-album run with the group, Khan helped them create such hits as “Sweet Thing” and “Tell Me Something Good”. In 1978, Khan wrote and recorded the classic song, “I’m Every Woman”, as the debut single from her debut album, Chaka. Her impact and influence on R&B is undeniable and is now being recognized by her peers.
Khan told the Post that she's humbled by the recognition. “I don’t live for prizes or trophies. That’s not why I do what I do. I do what I do because I have to, you know what I’m saying? God gave me this gift to use. It’s not a competition.”
The success of “Tell Me Something Good” was due in part to Khan’s refusal to record the songs that Stevie Wonder had written for her. In fact, it was Khan who asked for something different. “And finally, he said to me, ‘What’s your birth sign?’ I said, ‘Aries.’ And he said, ‘Oh, I know the song for you!’” Khan recalled.
Khan also had a great relationship with Prince and it was her cover of his 1979 song, “I Feel For You”, that propelled her to even greater heights. “We both influenced each other’s careers,” Khan said. “I influenced him while he was an up-and-coming artist; he used to tell me that all the time. And he influenced me. We fit musically very well. We did a great album together. We did that album in two weeks.”
Chaka Khan is a living legend and will be honored accordingly as she enters the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her immense talent and influence has been a gift to R&B music for the past four decades and will continue to be for many years to come.
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