Chaka Khan: podcast appearances and interviews

Yvette Marie Stevens, born March 23, 1953, and better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American singer and songwriter recognized as the Queen of Funk. Her music career began in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. With Rufus, she recorded numerous hits including Tell Me Something Good, Sweet Thing, Do You Love What You Feel, and the platinum-certified Ain't Nobody. She launched a successful solo career with her debut album, which featured the number-one R&B hit I'm Every Woman, a song that also became a pop hit for Whitney Houston. Khan continued to produce R&B chart hits such as What Cha Gonna Do for Me, and in 1984 she became the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper with her cover of Prince's I Feel for You. Her notable works include Through the Fire and a collaboration with Steve Winwood on the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping song Higher Love. Khan has been recognized with eleven Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. She has achieved gold and platinum certifications both as a solo artist and with Rufus. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with an array of prominent artists including Whitney Houston, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and Joni Mitchell. Billboard ranked her as the 65th most successful dance club artist of all time, and VH1 placed her at number 17 on the list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. She has been nominated multiple times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2023 in the Musical Excellence category.