Chaka Khan

Few singers pack as much fire and versatility into their voices as Chaka Khan. Born in Chicago in 1953, she discovered jazz and R&B early, singing in several local groups before being recruited as the frontwoman of the multiracial funk band Rufus. From 1973 to 1983, her fierce, wailing contralto stood as the dynamo to the band’s mix of bottom-heavy funk rockers (“Tell Me Something Good” and “You Got the Love”) and sensual Quiet Storm R&B jams (“Sweet Thing” and “Stay”). Desiring to expand her credentials as the “Queen of Funk”, Khan forged an eclectic solo career with legendary producer Arif Mardin at the helm, flaunting her range through empowering disco rave-ups (“I’m Every Woman”), festive funk belters (“Clouds” and “I Know You, I Live You”), jazz homages (“And the Melody Still Lingers On (Night in Tunisia)”) and pioneering R&B-meets-hip-hop fusions (“I Feel for You”). More than five decades deep into her career, it’s impossible to trace the paths of modern R&B female sirens—from Mary J. Blige to Fantasia—without Chaka Khan’s boundless vocal artistry.