Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan, born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, in Great Lakes, Illinois (often cited as Chicago), is an iconic American singer-songwriter known as the "Queen of Funk."
She formed her first group, the Crystalettes, at age 11 with her sister and drew inspiration from artists like Billie Holiday. In 1969, at 16, she joined the Black Panther Party, adopted the name Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi, dropped out of high school, and married Hassan Khan in 1970 after running away from home.
Khan joined the funk band Rufus in the early 1970s, leading to hits like "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," "Do You Love What You Feel," and the platinum "Ain't Nobody." The group achieved major success before she transitioned solo while still recording with them into the early 1980s.
Her 1978 debut solo album featured the #1 R&B hit "I'm Every Woman" (later a Whitney Houston hit). Key tracks include "I Feel for You" (a Prince cover with rap, her first crossover smash), "Ain't Nobody," "Through the Fire," and "This Is My Night." Later releases like 2007's Funk This (Grammy for Best R&B Album) and 2019's Hello Happiness marked comebacks; a 2022 single "Woman Like Me" followed, and she entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including for "I Feel for You" and collaborations like "Disrespectful" with Mary J. Blige. She debuted in London's West End (Mama, I Want to Sing!, 1995), starred in Stevie Wonder-based Signed, Sealed, Delivered (2002), and took Broadway's Sophia role in The Color Purple (2008).
Married three times—to Hassan Khan (1970s), Richard Holland (1976–1980s, with son Damien), and Doug Rasheed (since 2001, with daughters Indira and Mila)—she has faced personal challenges but remains a "Renaissance woman" in music, production, and philanthropy. Film roles include The Blues Brothers (1980), Mission: Impossible III (2006), and Hollywood Homicide (2003).
I Feel For You
Written-By – Nic Murphy & David Frank
4:38
A2 Stronger Than Before
Producer – Robbie Buchanan
Written-By – Bruce Roberts, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager
4:21
A3 My Love Is Alive
Music By, Lyrics By – Gary Wright
Producer – John Robie
4:42
A4 Eye To Eye
Producer – Russ Titelman
Written-By – Dan Sembello, Don Freeman, John Sembello, Michael Sembello
4:38
A5 La Flamme
Lyrics By – Chaka Khan, Rhoda Roberts
Music By – Philippe Saisse
4:27
B1 I Feel For You
Written-By – Prince
5:44
B2 Hold Her
Producer, Written-By – David "Hawk" Wolinski, James Newton Howard
5:14
B3 Through The Fire
Lyrics By – Cynthia Weil
Music By – Tom Keane
Producer – Humberto Gatica
Producer, Music By – David Foster
4:45
B4 Caught In The Act
Lyrics By – Alec Milstein
Lyrics By, Producer, Music By – Joe Mardin
3:45
B5 Chinatown
Lyrics By – Chaka Khan, Rhoda Roberts
Music By – Philippe Saisse
4:37
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 925 162-1
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: R&B Soul, Pop
Style: Eighties Soul, Funk, Contemporary R&B
Chaka Khan's 1984 album I Feel For You is widely regarded as a landmark release that bridged the gap between 1970s R&B traditions and modern 1980s high-tech production. Critics in 2026 continue to praise it as a "quintessential example of '80s pop" for its bold fusion of funk, soul, and emerging hip-hop influences.
Khan's "supernatural" range is a constant highlight, especially on the David Foster-produced ballad "Through the Fire" and the upbeat "This Is My Night".
Primarily produced by Arif Mardin, the album utilized then-cutting-edge electronic rhythms and "machine-sounding" synths that still offer a "fresh and exciting burst" of early '80s sound.
Many modern reviews label it "excellent from start to finish" and a "masterpiece," citing its ability to make various genres work together seamlessly.
Some contemporaneous critics, like Robert Christgau, felt Khan "coasted" on her vocals, while others noted that tracks like "Chinatown" or "La Flamme" can feel like "filler" compared to the massive singles.
The album was a massive comeback, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200 and earning a Platinum certification. It won Khan a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1985.
Overall, the album is considered a commercial success and a quintessential 80s record that stands as a, if not the, definitive moment in Chaka Khan's solo career.