Yvette Marie Stevens, better known as Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan (acquiring that name when she joined the Black Panther Party), was born on this day in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois!
Chaka is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. To date, Chaka (meaning fire in many African languages) has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus. She has received 22 Grammy Award nominations, including three as a member of Rufus
While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and as a solo performer, include “Tell Me Something Good”, “Sweet Thing” which she wrote for her then husband Richard Holland, “Ain’t Nobody“, “I’m Every Woman”, “I Feel for You” and “Through the Fire“.
Unlike many of her musical contemporaries, Khan was raised as Roman Catholic. Khan attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz music as a child. Khan became a fan of R&B music as a preteen and at eleven formed her first all-female singing group the Crystalettes, which also included her sister Taka.
In the late 1960s, Khan and her sister formed the vocal group Shades of Black and joined the Black Panther Party. While a member, she was given a name change to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman. In 1969, she left the Panthers, dropped out of high school and began to perform in small groups around the Chicago area, first performing with the group Lyfe, which included her then boyfriend Hassan Khan, whom she’d later marry. Khan was asked to replace the late Baby Huey of Baby Huey & the Babysitters after Huey’s untimely death, in 1970. The group disbanded a year later.
While performing in local bands in 1972, Khan was spotted by two members of a new group simply called Rufus and soon won her position in the group. The group later signed with ABC Records in 1973. Prior to Khan signing with the label, she married her on-again, off-again boyfriend Hassan Khan, changing her stage name to Chaka Khan.
She is the mother of Milini Khan and Damien Holland & is married to Doug Rasheed.
Chaka is ranked #17 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll!
