Chaka Khan’s Net Worth
Chaka Khan is nicknamed the “Queen of Funk Music” and if you like to have fun and listen to music, then you’ve probably danced so far, at least once, to her songs – “Ain’t Nobody” or “I’m Every Woman”.
What is Chaka Khan’s net worth?
At the time this article is written Chaka Khan’s net worth is $30 million. She has 10 Grammy Awards and over 70 million albums sold worldwide, but also vast life experience.
Early life
Chaka Khan on her real name Yvette Marie Stevenson was born on March 23, 1953, in Chicago Illinois. She was raised in a bohemian, artistic environment together with her four brothers and sisters. Her parents are Sandra Coleman and Charles Stevens. Khan loved rhythm and blues music since she was just a child and when she was eleven, she created a girl group named The Crystalettes.
At the age of 13, Yoruba Baba gave her the name of Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi.
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When she was a teenager, Chaka Khan was present at various civil rights rallies and after befriending fellow Chicago native and activist Fred Hampton, she joined the Black Panther Party in 1967.
Chaka left the Black Panthers in 1969. Also, she dropped out of high school and started to perform in small groups in the Chicago area.
Music Career
Chaka debuted as a soloist with the funk group Rufus in the 1970s, then embarked on her own successful solo career. Although often labeled as an R&B artist, the singer made the casual transition between different musical styles, including jazz, funk, disco, hip hop, blues, and pop.
The Rufus group got the attention of Ike Turner, who asked them to fly to L.A. and record at his music studio. Also, he proposed Chaka work with him and become an Ikette, but she refused. The group released its first album in 1973 and included hits such as “Feel Good” and “Whoever’s Thrilling You”. One year later, they released another album named “Rags to Rufus”, but this one didn’t have success. Stevie Wonder wrote the hit “Tell Me Something Good” for them in the same year. It was sold in more than one million copies. In 1974 this song brought Rufus a Grammy Award for the Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus.
The group was very successful for the next ten years and they released eight platinum albums. They became very popular thanks to their live performing act and Khan’s powerful vocals and colorful stage outfits.
However, in 1978 Khan decided to leave the Rufus band and went solo. Her first solo album was a huge success and her disco hit single “I’m Every Woman” became her signature song. This hit helped the album get sold in more the one million copies and go platinum. In 1978 Chaka featured on Quincy Jones’s hit “Stuff Like That”.
In 1979, Chaka Khan reunited with Rufus and released the hit “Do You Love What You Feel”. In 1980, Chaka released her second solo album, “Naughty” which included hits such as “Papillon” and “Clouds”. One year later, in 1981, she released two more albums, one with Rufus and one solo called “What Cha Gunna Do For Me”, that went gold. The next year Khan released another two solo albums and she won a Grammy award with the jazz hit “Be Bop Medley”.
Chaka Khan released her sixth album, “I Feel for You” in 1984. The first single released was the title track and this was originally written and recorded in 1979 by Prince. It was sold in millions of copies in both the U.S. and the U.K., which made Khan really famous. She remained in the top US R&B charts for 26 weeks in a row. This brought to Prince the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1985. Some other songs that helped the album to go platinum include “Through the Fire” and “This Is My Night”.
Chaka Khan was featured on Steve Winwood’s number one hit “Higher Love” in 1986. After she remixed the “Life is a Dance” song, she created a strong U.K. fan base and started to perform a lot in the U.K.
Though, Chaka’s popularity and success from the mid-1980s were followed by a decline in the 1990s. She signed with Prince’s NPG Records in 1968 and released “Come 2 My House”.
Chaka Khan made her come back in 2007 as an older, but wiser singer with the Grammy-winning album “Funk This”. This album included a duet with Mary J Blige called “Disrespectful” and the “Angel” hit. Khan won a Grammy award for the Best R&B Album with “Funk This”.
Khan was part of the Broadway adaptation of “The Color Purple” team in 2008.
In 2019, Chaka Khan released her 13th solo album, “Hello Happiness”.
Personal Life
Chaka Khan got married when she was only 17 years old, in 1970, with Hassan Khan. However, they divorced a short time later. She has a daughter, Indira Millini, with Rahsaan Morris.
In 1976, Chaka married Richard Holland with who she has a son, Damien Holland. Tough, in 1980 Richard filed for divorce.
In the middle of the 1980s, Chaka dated a Chicago schoolteacher, but they broke up and she moved to London. Also, she lived in Germany for a period of time.
In the past, Chaka Khan had problems with alcoholism and drug abuse, but in the early 1990s, she ended her drug use.
Her son Damien was accused of murder in 2006 when the 17 years old Christopher Bailey was shot dead. Though, he declared that it was an accident and he was acquitted. Also, Khan testified in defense of her son.
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