I'm Every Woman is an anthemic song that females worldwide identify with; yet the woman who recorded it, felt reluctant and embarrassed to ‘sing out for her sisters’.
Chaka talks candidly about her life and music; she is winner of 10 Grammy Awards and has been in the music business for over 5 decades and is still going strong. She talks about her childhood in Chicago, her wild teenage ways, becoming a member of the Black Panthers and nights as a fifty dollar performer in raucous clubs.
Then along came Rufus and the first hits, followed by her solo career. She had amazingly fortuitous meetings with Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones who helped her career along. Her work with music producer Arif Mardin who guided Chaka’s career and made certain she had classic hits. Many of her tracks have been sampled by hip hop artists and her influence continues. Today, she has her own record label and a foundation to help women and children in crisis.
Female artists including Angie Stone, Lalah Hathaway and Beverley Knight talk about the importance of Chaka and how she has inspired them. A woman who can sing in many musical styles, from soul to jazz and r’n’b to gospel – she’ll always be known as the ‘Queen of Funk’.
Contributions from Chaka Khan, her sisters Taka Boom and Tammy McCrary, Valerie Simpson , Russ Titelman, Brenda Russell, Beverley Knight, Angie Stone, Lalah Hathaway, Mary J Blige and Bluey, Founder of the band Incognito.
