Last month, the Brit pop singer, Charli XCXmade a bold proclamation with "I think the dance floor is dead, so now we're making rock music". Many of her fans were taken aback by this statement since she made her name by creating energized music that you could dance to since her breakout single, "Boom Clap" back in 2014. But the singer/songwriter, born Charlotte Aitchison, was actually doing a little promoting for her newest bit of music, "Rock Music". And while this track has an edgy and rough vibe, it's not exactly a hardcore rock song but more guitar-driven with a dance beat driving the tune along. Charli has been busy: contributing music for the soundtrack of Emerald Fennell's adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" and performing as an actor in the films, "The Moment", "Faces of Death" and the upcoming Gregg Araki comedy-thriller, "I Want Your Sex". But she has not abandoned her pop music career with "Rock Music" being the first release from her seventh studio album with no title or street date revealed just yet.
Here's a round up of some intriguing new music: the soul music legend, Chaka Khan is back with "Chakzilla", an oddly titled funky dance track (with production by Greg Kurstin) which also happens to be the title of her upcoming studio album, Khan's first in seven years; the latest single from Harry Styles, "Dance No More" has the former boy band member busting out some serious dance moves in the music video; the Swedish artist, Tove Lo has dropped a raw and edgy new single, "I'm Your Girl, Right?" with an equally oddball video; "Five Past Three" is an electropop single from the Chainsmokers’ newest EP, "Love Is Kind", which is a collaboration with the Swedish performer, Oaks; and Sir Paul McCartney has his twentieth solo album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" on the way with the song, "Home to Us", is a duet with his former bandmate, Ringo Starr.
The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest recently concluded on May 16th with thirty-five countries competing for the top prize of the best international original pop song. Held at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna for the contest's 70th edition, Dara from Bulgaria won the Grand Prize for "Bangaranga", a dance-pop song with the title taken from Jamaican Patois and has been translated as "a joyful kind of disorder". This song, the first win for this country, won both the jury vote and televote, the first entry to do so since 2017. The runner-up was from Israel with "Michelle" by Noam Bettan and in third is "Choke Me" by Romania's Alexandra Căpitănescu. Several countries had declined to participate this year in protest at Israel's inclusion in the contest due to the on-going Gaza war.
Clarence Carter, the blind soul singer behind the hits, "Patches" and Strokin'", passed away on May 13th at the age of ninety. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Carter (blind since birth) attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega and later went to Alabama State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in music. After pursuing music professionally with friend, Calvin Scott in 1960, the duo formed the C & C Boys and recorded several singles but none of them gained much traction commercially. Six years later, Scott was seriously injured in an auto accident with Carter deciding to continue as a solo performer.
His first break came the following year with "Tell Daddy", his answer record to Etta James' hit, "Tell Mama", which reached the top forty on the r&b chart. Carter joined Atlantic Records which began a string of hits on the R&B and pop charts, starting with "Slip Away", "Too Weak to Fight", "Snatching It Back" and the naughty, "Back Door Santa". Carter's biggest hit came in 1970 with his version of "Patches", originally recorded by Chairmen of the Board, which reached number two in the UK and number four on the U.S. pop chart. The record would sell over one million copies and win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
Carter's career would cool down following this but he did have one more hit record with "Strokin'" in 1986. While the song was considered too raunchy to actually be played on the radio, it was discovered by fans with it being played on jukeboxes and later found even bigger success when it was included on the soundtracks for Eddie Murphy's remake of "The Nutty Professor" and the 2011 crime-drama, "Killer Joe". Carter was briefly married to Candi Staton, who began as one of his background singers, in 1970 and they had a son together, Clarence Carter Jr., before divorcing in 1973.
The latest twenty-five sound recordings have been selected and inducted into National Recording Registry. Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects titles each year that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least ten years old. This latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 675.
Some of the recordings that have been honored include Beyoncé's chart-topping hit, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" from her third solo album, "I Am... Sasha Fierce"; the original Broadway cast recording of the Bob Fosse directed musical, "Chicago" that featured theater legends, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera; the country music tale, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" that went on to become a crossover hit for the Charlie Daniels Band; Gladys Knight and the Pips' version of the country song, "Midnight Train to Georgia" which became the r&b group's first number one pop hit; Ray Charles' genre blurring album, "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" that features the soul music legend's versions of country music songs; the Byrds's cover of folk music singer and activist, Pete Seeger's song, "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" became an anthem during the social turmoil of the 1960's; the all-female new-wave rock band, the Go-Go's debut album, "Beauty and the Beat" that reached the top of the US album chart; José Feliciano's bilingual Christmas song, "Feliz Navidad" has gone on to become a holiday classic; Chaka Khan put an early hip-hop spin on a cover of Prince's song, "I Feel for You" and "1989", Taylor Swift's first foray into pop, after first achieving fame in country music, which launched her into becoming an even bigger star.
Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered into the 2026 National Recording Registry:
"Cocktails for Two" – Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944) (single)
"Mambo No. 5" – Pérez Prado and His Orchestra (1950) (single)
"Teardrops from My Eyes" – Ruth Brown (1950) (single)
"Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" – Kaye Ballard (1954) (single)
"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" – Paul Anka (1959) (single)
"The Blues and the Abstract Truth" – Oliver Nelson (1961) (album)
"Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" – Ray Charles (1962) (album)
"Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" – The Byrds (1965) (single)
"Amen, Brother" – The Winstons (1969) (single)
"Feliz Navidad" – José Feliciano (1970) (single)
"The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier" (March 8, 1971) (broadcast)
"Midnight Train to Georgia" – Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973) (single)
"Chicago" Original Cast Album (1975) (album)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" – The Charlie Daniels Band (1979) (single)
"Beauty and the Beat" – The Go-Go’s (1981) (album)
"Texas Flood" – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983) (album)
"I Feel For You" – Chaka Khan (1984) (single)
"The Wheel" – Rosanne Cash (1993) (album)
"Doom" Soundtrack – Bobby Prince, composer (album)(1993) "Go Rest High On That Mountain"– Vince Gill (1994) (single) "Weezer (The Blue Album)"– Weezer (1994) (album)
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé (2008) (single)
Quincy Jones, the legendary producer and musical visionary, has passed away on November 3rd at the age of ninety-one. The Chicago-born artist began his career as a jazz arranger and conductor in the 1950's before moving into producing pop music with his first major hit, "It's My Party" for a then-sixteen year old singer, Lesley Gore which went to number one in 1963.
Throughout his extraordinary career, Jones had worked with many of the greatest musical performers of all time with the most notable being, Michael Jackson who he went on to produce his albums, "Off The Wall", "Thriller" and "Bad" which together sold well over one hundred and twenty-five million albums worldwide. Jones also composed numerous musical scores for film and television ("In Cold Blood", "Roots", "The Wiz", "The Color Purple") and was involved in organizing the artists and co-producing the 1985 US charity single, "We Are The World" to help the victims of famine in Ethiopia, raising more than eighty million dollars for the cause.
Jones helped create so much music during his time that it would be extremely difficult to try and cover even a fraction of the recordings he went on to produce. To pay tribute to this musical genius, I will focus here on the studio albums that Jones would release under his own name over the years. Here is just a tiny playlist of my favorites:
This year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are another impressive selection of musicians: British pop-art visionary, Kate Bush, country-rock singer/songwriter, Sheryl Crow, groundbreaking hip-hop artist, Missy Elliott, the late pop superstar, George Michael, country music legend, Willie Nelson, alt-rockers, Rage Against the Machine, and classic r&b group, the Spinners. And while many of these artists may not fall under what some might consider traditional rock, this year the Hall's mission statement has been altered to define rock and roll more generally as a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing that celebrates the sound of youth culture.
The legendary soul vocalist, Chaka Khan; songwriter and musician behind organizing the rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Al Kooper, and the songwriter best known for his work with Elton John, Bernie Taupin will be acknowledged with the Musical Excellence Award for their "dramatic impact on music". And Don Cornelius, the creator behind the innovative television program that put a spotlight on African American musical artists with "Soul Train", will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The thirty-eighth annual induction ceremony was held this year on November 3rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. For the first time, the event was streamed live on Disney+ and now available to view on Disney+ on-demand. An edited version of the ceremony will also air on ABC this New Year's Day.
KATE BUSH
With the staggering recent success of the re-release of her 1985 hit, "Running Up That Hill" (thanks to its use on the Netflix series, "Stranger Things"), this resurgence helped put the British singer/songwriter, Kate Bush back on the radar of the Rock & Roll Hall and finally getting her inducted. Bush had taught herself how to play the piano as a young child before eventually writing her own music and lyrics. At sixteen, she began recording demos of her material and sent them out to several record labels, but none were interested. However, David Gilmour of the rock band, Pink Floyd got his hands on her work, helped get more polished demos made and sending them to EMI Records who would sign her. Moody, dark and eclectic, Bush crafted songs over nine albums that have an unusually distinctive sound that remains unlike what any other artist could possibly imagine. And while she has largely stepped away from public life and her professional career, Bush still inspires and influences listeners with her visionary music.
SHERYL CROW
Born and raised in Kennett, MO, Sheryl Crow began her career in music as an elementary school music teacher. But after hours, she was performing with several local bands and singing on advertising jingles. Crow's first big break came in 1987 when she was hired as a backing vocalist for Michael Jackson's Bad Tour, staying on the road with him for three years. This led to more work for Crow, performing background singing for several established artists but Crow was still determined to make her own music. After getting signed to A&M Records, Crow recorded an album and was on the verge of releasing it when she and the label mutually decided the record just didn't best represent her as an artist. Crow set out again to record her debut, working with a loose group of musicians who called themselves, "Tuesday Music Club" that helped her put together the album. "Tuesday Night Music Club" was released in 1993 and the single, "All I Wanna Do" would break out as a big hit with "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Strong Enough" following. This led Crow to become a major player with the album selling more than seven million copies and winning her three Grammys including Record of the Year. Crow has continued to make memorable music over the years, with her twelfth studio album, "Evolution" due out early next year.
MISSY ELLIOTT
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall and it goes without saying that this honor is long overdue. Enduring a tough and traumatic childhood in Virginia, Elliott managed to remain good natured, outgoing and loved to perform. Her first opportunity in music came when she was a part of an all-female r&b act called Sista in 1991. She recruited her neighborhood friend, Timothy Mosley (who would later be known as "Timbaland") to serve as the group's producer. Sista's debut, "4 All the Sistas Around da World" failed to make an impression and Elliott would move behind the scenes, writing and producing with Timbaland for other artists like Jodeci, SWV, 702, and the late, Aaliyah. Elliott soon began making featured appearances rapping on several tracks for various artists and signed a deal in 1996 to create her own imprint music label, The Goldmind Inc. With Timbaland on board, Elliott released her debut album, "Super Dupa Fly" with the lead single, "The Rain" becoming a major hit, enhanced by her playful, groundbreaking Afro-futuristic music video directed by "Hype" Williams. And while Elliott was enjoying wild success as a performer, she continued to write and produce for other top musicians, creating hits for Whitney Houston, Monica, Keyshia Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.
GEORGE MICHAEL
He was first a part of the wildly popular British boy-band duo, Wham! but after going solo, George Michael became even more famous yet also gained further respect as an artist of introspective pop music. Michael's 1987 debut album, "Faith" had five top-ten singles and would go on to sell well over twenty-five million copies worldwide and win the Grammy Award for Album of The Year. Yet all of this success took a toll on Michael, causing him to want to retreat from the intense pressure of the business and simply just wanted to make music. With his 1990 follow-up album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1", he refused to do interviews, live performances, music videos or even have his image on the cover. The album sold well but not nearly as well as "Faith" which created friction between Michael and his record label, Sony. A lawsuit followed in 1992 with Michael wanting to end his contract. And although he lost, Sony sold his contract to Virgin Records and Michael went on to create more mature works Like "Older", the 1999 covers album, "Songs from the Last Century" and "Patience". After an unfortunate incident in a public men's restroom in 1998, Michael was forced out of the closet yet proudly embraced his queer identity. Sadly, Michael passed away from heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016.
WILLIE NELSON
At the incredible age of ninety, Willie Nelson is still on the road bringing country music to audiences across the globe. The Texas native was first a DJ for several radio stations and an aspiring singer/songwriter before heading to Nashville to try his luck breaking into the music business. Nelson would sign a publishing contract, writing several songs made popular by other artists (most famously, "Crazy" by Patsy Cline), and joined Ray Price's band as a bass guitar player before recording his debut album, " ...And Then I Wrote" in 1962. He had a few more successful albums but grew tired of the controlling Nashville establishment and headed back to Texas ten years later. While living in Austin, this was when Nelson moved towards what became known as "outlaw country", a more progressive form of country music, which brought him even greater fame. By the 1980's, Nelson found pop crossover success with the songs, "On the Road Again" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" and began to experiment with other genres of music like jazz, blues and reggae. He ventured into acting, appearing in films and television, and has long been a vocal advocate for the legalization of marijuana in the US.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Formed in 1991, Rage Against the Machine is a rock band of extreme contrasts; thrashing together sounds of punk, heavy metal and rap while crafting songs that are politically motivated on activism and socialist views. The LA based band, consisting of vocalist, Zack de la Rocha, bassist, Tim Commerford, guitarist, Tom Morello, and drummer, Brad Wilk, released their self-titled debut in 1992 which received critical and commercial success. There was tension and conflicts during the recording of their follow-up (with rumors of the band breaking up) and "Evil Empire" was finally released four years later. The album entered the Billboard Hot 200 chart at number one and went on to sell over three million copies, taking RATM to the next level. Two more albums were released before de la Rocha left the band over the relentless internal battles and Rage Against the Machine would come to an end in 2000. But RATM would reunite at Coachella seven years later, begin a tour that lasted for a couple of years before disbanding again and reuniting nine years later, wouldn't actually hit the stage together until 2022 due to the pandemic and had to postpone a world tour over de la Rocha's leg injury.
THE SPINNERS
The Spinners were a r&b vocal group formed in Ferndale, MI., a suburb outside of Detroit, in 1954. With original members, Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, C. P. Spencer and Bobby Smith, the group had their first charting single, "That's What Girls Are Made For" in 1961. The Spinners joined Motown Records two years later but initially only found modest success there. It would not be until 1970 when the Spinners had their first major hit with "It's a Shame", co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder. Aretha Franklin encouraged the group to join her label, Atlantic Records when their contract was up and that's when their fortunes shifted considerably. The Spinners would enjoy a string of very popular singles which included "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "One of a Kind (Love Affair)", "They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)", "The Rubberband Man" and "Then Came You" a duet with Dionne Warwick which reached the top of the pop charts. Egos and conflicts grew between members of the group by 1977, causing singers to leave and new vocalists to take their place. They still managed to have a couple of more hits in 1980 with "Working My Way Back to You" and "Cupid". The Spinners still continue to tour to this day, remaining a popular draw on the nostalgia concert circuit.
For her first foray back to music since her emancipation from a fourteen year long involuntary conservatorship, Britney Spears has come back in a major way with a duet with Sir Elton John. It has been seven years since her well-received ninth studio album, "Glory" that Spears released any new recorded music, largely due to her recent refusal to continue her career while under complete control by her father. "Hold Me Closer" is a dance-pop song that combines elements of John's songs, "Tiny Dancer", "The One" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". John's husband, David Furnish actually suggested this collaboration and it certainly was an inspired idea. While it's wonderful how John has been very supportive in helping Spears get her footing back into music, the song feels like tiny, baby steps forward from both singers. The pop princess and the veteran musician's wispy, over-processed vocals are heavily buried in the dance mix and "Hold Me Closer" is far too similar to John's previous remixed hit with Dua Lipa, "Cold Heart" from last year. It's great that Spears is feeling comfortable to resume her career and this should give her the encouragement to continue but "Hold Me Closer" remains a disappointing endeavor, lacking the fireworks you would have expected from this team-up.
CHAKA KHAN
Chaka Khan has dropped a new song, "Woman Like Me" and it's a very welcome return by this legendary r&b performer. The edgy ballad (produced by Gregg Pagani who also co-wrote it with Francesca Richard and Jeffrey Anderson) is a stirring anthem on female empowerment, a powerful reminder to men that women should mean more to them than just a sexy plaything, deserving their complete admiration and respect. Khan, who has been dazzling us with her sassy, sultry voice since the the mid '70's, first with the funk band, Rufus before venturing out as a solo artist, just signed a deal with SRG-ILS Group to release her music so hopefully a new album is on the horizon.
LOLAHOL
IfLolahol looks familiar, she probably should. She is Lourdes Leon, the oldest child of pop superstar, Madonna who is following her mother into music. Released through her own record label Chemical X, "Lock & Key" is Lolahol's debut single, a dance-club ready tune with Leon providing breathy, sensual vocals. The music video for the song features Lolahol traveling through New York City and moving seductively on the beach that will certainly make her mother proud. And while the twenty-five year old artist doesn't necessarily plan on making music her career, also having interests in modeling and dance, she is curious to see where this will take her.
Here is some news that has surprisingly fallen under the radar; Chaka Khan has released her first album of new music in twelve years with "Hello Happiness". When she first came on the scene in 1973 as a featured vocalist for the funk-rock group, Rufus, there was no one else out there like her. While most r&b acts at the time dressed to impress wearing sequined gowns and velvet tuxedos, the earthy Khan performed comfortably wearing denim, crop-tops and feathers. And her voice could effortlessly go from the easy swing of jazz to the fiery passion of soul.
This is the sixty-six year old singer's twelfth solo album (which was released in February) and manages to deliver an old-skool vibe while bringing her sound firmly in to the present. With British DJ, Switch on board as producer, Khan was involved in co-writing of these seven thrilling dance tracks. Here are a few of my favorites including the music video for the title track from "Hello Happiness":
Calvin Harris is on fire this year and seems like he's unable to make a wrong move. After some great collaborations with Dua Lipa and Sam Smith, the DJ turned producer has just dropped two new tracks with former Fifth Harmony member, Normani. One is "Checklist" that features WizKid and has a dance hall beat while "Slow Down" is a mid-tempo dance floor banger. They are both great songs and will definitely help give Normani an even bigger profile after her top-ten hit duet with Khalid with "Love Lies":
Here is some Chaka Khan, past and present. First, we go back to 1986 with "Love of a Lifetime", a song written and produced for her by Scritti Politti, a hot British band at the time who was best known for the hit, "Perfect Way". This song was a not a big success but I loved it. In the music video, what I find notable is Chaka's neon-colored hair which was long before it became trendy like today. And we have a new song, "Keep Reachin'", a funky jam for the recent Netflix documentary on Quincy Jones. Mark Ronson produced the track and together with Chaka's soaring vocals, it features the spirit of the legendary music maker.
Here is the newest single, "Money" by the hottest artist in hip-hop/rap right now, Cardi B and a couple of music videos that I find interesting:
Finally, we close with that '80's boy band, Duran Duran, who managed to deliver plenty of style and substance. When this British band first began, they were much closer aligned musically with the new-wave/new romantic scene before the 1982 album "Rio" and the music video for their smash, "Hungry Like The Wolf" helped pushed them in to the mainstream. While I liked their more commercial sound, I really enjoyed their early records. Let's look back on two of my favorite Duran Duran songs, "Planet Earth" and "Girls On Film" from 1981 with both of the music videos featuring adventurous and sensual imagery that would became a staple of the MTV generation:
Much like many of his peers, Steve Winwood was inspired by the American blues and soul music that invaded Britain in the 1960’s. He took those sounds and filtered it out to create his own brand of bluesy rock. This gifted artist has not only been a successful solo performer but also has collaborated with many important musicians throughout his career.
As a young boy in Birmingham, music had always been an important part of his life as his father was a semi-professional musician who performed after his day job. At the age of four, Steve started to play the piano. He eventually joined his father and older brother, Mervyn or “Muff”, who picked up the bass and they all played together with local jazz bands by the time he was eight.
In 1963, a fourteen year-old Steve joined the Spencer Davis Group along with his brother. This British r&b band first reached the top of the U.K. pop chart with "Keep On Running" in 1965. They had more hits including "Somebody Help Me", "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" which reached the top-ten in the U.S. before the Winwood brothers left the group in 1967 over creative differences.
With "Muff" moving in to A&R at Island Records (and eventually becoming a successful producer), Steve (after a brief stint with an early band with Eric Clapton) went on to form his own band, Traffic that featured a psychedelic rock sound. Despite developing a cult following, Traffic was short-lived and disbanded by 1969.
Winwood quickly went on to form another band called Blind Faith which he joined forces with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. As established and respected British musicians together in one band, they were considered one of the first super-groups. But this blues-rock fusion outfit only lasted a year with a self-titled album and a U.S. tour to show for their time together.
Unsure of what direction to go in, Winwood briefly reformed Traffic and became a session player for a number of years before his record label encouraged him to become a solo artist. He released his self-tilted debut in 1977 and his follow-up album, "Arc of a Diver" featured his first solo hit, "While You See a Chance" in 1980.
But it was his fourth album in 1986, "Back In the High Life" that became Winwood's major breakthrough and biggest commercial hit of his career. The title track, "The Finer Things", "Freedom Overspill" and the number one smash, "Higher Love" helped the album sell over five million copies and win Winwood three GrammyAwards including Best Pop Male Vocal Performance and Record of The Year.
Winwood had another number one hit on the U.S. pop chart with "Roll With It" in 1988 but soon his subsequent albums failed to get much attention with "Nine Lives" in 2003 as his last studio record to date. However, the now seventy year old musician is hardly idle as he continues to perform live and currently on a Greatest Hits Live tour to support the album he released last year. Enjoy two of my favorite songs from Steve Winwood:
And as a bonus, here is a very young Steve Winwood during his time with Spencer Davis Group in a promotional clip for their biggest hit, "Gimme Some Lovin'". It's hilarious to watch the expressionless Winwood lip-sync the high-energy vocals of the song:
The world is still reeling from the shocking loss of the musical genius, Prince. He was a consistent creative force with an inimitable talent and boundless energy. With an impressive body of work that ranged from politically charged anthems, tender love ballads, funky dance tunes and raunchy sex ditties, it's no surprise that other artists were attracted to his material.
Here are some of the amazing covers of songs written by the Purple One or they were created by him for that specific performer. There is even a hit song by Stevie Nicks that was inspired simply by his presence in the recording studio.
There have been plenty of soul singers in history but there has only been one Chaka Khan.
There are many words you could use to describe her: wild, fiery, sexy, passionate and outrageous and while they are all certainly accurate but it's hard to properly articulate the feeling you get when you hear her sing or watch her perform. While she has been praised and admired over the years, I think she is still undervalued as a musical performer. So, this is my little part in shining a light on one of my all-time favorite singers.
She was born Yvette Stevens in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois and raised in the city's rough, Southside projects. Yvette was the eldest of five children with her sister, Yvonne who later became a singer under the name, Taka Boom, her only brother, Mark formed the funk band, Aurra and her sisters, Kathleen and Tammy, who is currently her manager.
Her first introduction to music was jazz by her grandmother and later to r&b. Yvette formed an all-female singing group, The Crystalettes which also featured Yvonne. Later, Yvette and Yvonne became a part of another band, Shades of Black as well as joining the Black Panther party in 1967. While a member, Yvette was given the name, Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman.
In 1969, Chaka left the Panthers, dropped out of high school and met musician, Hassan Khan who she later married the following year. Their marriage was very brief but Chaka would later join her ex-husband's band, Lyfe where she sang lead vocals before joining a rock/soul group, The Babysitters but they disbanded in 1971.
Chaka was approached by friend, Paulette McWilliams to replace her as the vocalist for the band, Ask Rufus. This Chicago-based group performed rock and soul that featured Kevin Murphy, Al Ciner, Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield and Andre Fischer. The band shortened it's name to Rufus, moved to Los Angeles and signed a recording contract with ABC Records in 1972. By this time, Chaka was only nineteen years old. Rufus released their self titled album in 1973 and while the singles that featured Chaka's vocals attracted some attention on r&b radio, the album was not a success.
During the recording of their second album, Al Ciner and Dennis Belfield left Rufus and was quickly replaced with guitarist, Tony Maiden and Bobby Watson on bass. The group had recorded their version of Stevie Wonder's song, "Maybe Your Baby" on their first album which lead to him writing a song specifically for Chaka Khan to sing. That song, "Tell Me Something Good" was the lead single off of the album, "Rags To Rufus", and became their first hit single, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as winning the group their first Grammy Award.
Rufus and Chaka would go on to release six more albums, between the years 1974 thru 1979, with each selling over a million copies that featured many hit songs charting on the r&b and pop charts including, "Sweet Thing", "You Got The Love", "Hollywood" and "Do You Love What You Feel?" As always, with success comes stress and tension, which grew between Khan and other members of Rufus. This eventually caused band members to leave the group between almost every album.
In 1978, Chaka Khan signed a solo recording contract with Warner Bros. Records although she made no plans to leave Rufus at this time. "Chaka" was her debut album released that year and included her smash hit single, "I'm Every Woman" which went to number one on the r&b chart.
The following year, Khan reunited with Rufus for the album, "Masterjam" which was produced by Quincy Jones. In 1983, Rufus and Chaka teamed up for their last album together, "Live: Stompin at the Savoy" that featured the studio recording, "Ain't Nobody (Album Version)". It became their final charting success, peaking at number twenty-two on the pop chart and another number one hit on the r&b.
Now, Khan focused on her solo career full time and on her sixth studio album, "I Feel For You", she released the title track in 1984 which was a remake of a Prince composition. The song, which features a Stevie Wonder sample and rapper, Melle Mel, became a huge hit for Chaka Khan that topped the r&b chart and sold a million copies.
Chaka Khan has released eleven solo album during her career with her latest, "Funk This" which came out in 2007. She has won ten Grammy Awards including two as a member of Rufus. Chaka has been married and divorced three times and has two children, a daughter, Milini from her relationship with Rahsaan Morris and son, Damien with second husband, Richard Holland. She has battled drug addiction and alcoholism for many years but has declared herself completely sober since 2005.
Here are some of my favorite songs of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan:
"At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)' - Rufus & Chaka Khan (1977)
"Hollywood" - Rufus & Chaka Khan (1977)
"Do You Love What You Feel?" - Rufus & Chaka Khan (1979)
"Ain't Nobody" - Rufus & Chaka Khan (1983)
Here is the band performing their signature song, "Sweet Thing" on Soul Train:
Now enjoy a few of Chaka' solo hits:
"What Cha Gonna Do For Me?" - Chaka Khan (1981)
"Through The Fire" - Chaka Khan (1985)
"Angel" - Chaka Khan (2007)
This is the classic music video for Chaka's first solo hit song:
.jpg)
.jpg)
was the lead single off of the album, "
, and became their first hit single, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as winning the group their first Grammy Award.
As always, with success comes stress and tension, which grew between Khan and other members of Rufus. This eventually caused band members to leave the group between almost every album.
which went to number one on the r&b chart.
. In 1983, Rufus and Chaka teamed up for their last album together, "
that featured the studio recording, "
twenty-two on the pop chart and another number one hit on the r&b.
