Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953),[1] better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (/ˈʃɑːkə ˈkɑːn/ SHAH-kə KAHN),[2] is an American singer.

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."

She has also worked with Ry Cooder, Robert Palmer, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Guru, Chicago, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, and Sia.

"[3] She was raised in the Hyde Park area, "an island in the middle of the madness" of Chicago's rough South Side housing projects.

[3] Khan became a fan of rhythm and blues music as a preteen and when she was 11 years old she formed a girl group, the Crystalettes, which included her sister Taka.

[4] In the late 1960s, Khan attended several civil rights rallies with her father's second wife, Connie, a strong supporter of the movement.

[3] She joined the Black Panther Party after befriending a fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton in 1967.

[4] The group caught the attention of musician Ike Turner, who flew them out to Los Angeles to record at his studio Bolic Sound in Inglewood, California.

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.

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.

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".

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.

That year, she spent time working on her producing and writing skills at Ike Turner's Bolic Sound studio.

Also in 1980, Khan had a cameo appearance as a church choir soloist in The Blues Brothers starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

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.

In 1986, Khan sang alongside Luther Vandross, Cissy Houston and others on David Bowie's single "Underground" from the movie Labyrinth (1986).

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".

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 2006, Khan was a featured vocalist on Arif Mardin's All My Friends Are Here album of his life's work, also appearing in the companion documentary The Greatest Ears In Town.

[28] 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.

[29] 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.

[31] 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.

In 2009, Khan was guest singer on the song "Alive"[32] on jazz drummer Billy Cobham's album Drum ' n voice 3.

The group were nominated partly due to Khan's own storied reputation, including her own solo career in conjunction with her years with Rufus.

A number of celebrities also joined in the recording including Loretta Devine, Terry Crews, Eva Pigford, and reporter Kevin Frazier.

[37] In August 2014, Khan served as grand marshal at the 85th annual Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic in her hometown of Chicago.

[51] In 2023, Chaka Khan was honored with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the Musical Excellence Award.

[52][53] 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.