Songbird Yvette Marie Stevens aka Chaka Khan, is the third unique woman highlighted in our "All Women Rock" series.
With her funky style, roof bustin' pipes, wild hair, ruby painted lips, hit after hit record....she is undeniably, the one and only Chaka Khan!!
Like Michelle Obama, Chaka also hails from Chicago's South side.
Unlike Michelle who paved her way to success with Education, Chaka took a different path to fame and fortune via the world of Fine Arts.
Proving herself to be a musical prodigy while still a young girl, by the age of 11 little Yvette had formed her first group called "The Crystalettes".
During her high school years, she toured with Motown's Mary Well after joining the Afro-Arts Theater.
Later she decided to change her name to Chaka while working as a volunteer for the Black Panthers Free Children's Breakfast program in Chicago.
Chaka performed with two additional music groups before joining up with Kevin Murphy and Andre Fischer to form the band Rufus. Her last name changed to Khan after she married guitarist Hassan Khan.
1973 was an amazing year for Chaka in that she gave birth to her first child, daughter Milini and debuted her first album with Rufus.
The rest as they say "is history".
As a lead singer for Rufus, Chaka performed showcased her jazzy style of singing with such hits "Sweet Thing", "Tell Me Something Good", "Better Days", "Do You Love What You Feel?", "Hollywood", "Once You Get Started", "Everlasting Love", etc., and helped the band to earn Eight Platinum albums.
She gave birth to her second child, a son named Damien in 1976.
In 1978, she briefly broke away from the Rufus signature sound, by recording her own solo album Chaka, and releasing the hit "I'm Every Woman".
Chaka's next album produced another hit "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me", which went Gold.
A string of additional hits followed: a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Got To Be There", "Ain't Nobody", "I Feel For You", "I'll Be Good To You" a duet with the late, great Ray Charles, etc.,
In 1999 also recorded the theme song for the Children's program "Reading Rainbow".
Chaka who has previously been invited to perform at both Democrat and Republican national conventions, expressed her political affiliation as being more "Democratic-minded".
On December 3, 2004, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music.
In 2006 through prayer and a Mother's Love, Chaka helped her son Damien win an acquittal by a Los Angeles jury for the accidental shooting death of 17-year-old Chris Bailey.
Chaka active in the Autism community due to several family members affected by the disease, now resides in London, England.
She of course also remains active and forever popular in the Entertainment Industry.
To Chaka a 35-year Singing Sensation, who's won eight Grammy awards and has touched so many lives with her presence, You Rock!!
Chaka performing "I'm Every Woman" with the band Rufus. circa 1982
Chaka performing her hit "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me" with the band Rufus. circa 1982
Chaka performing "Ain't Nobody". circa 1980's
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Sources: Wikipedia, MSNBC, ABC News, ChakaKhan.com, Berklee College of Music, Flickr, Dwight McCann, Youtube, Google Maps
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