Chaka Khan is celebrating her birthday on Mar. 23; she is an icon in the music industry. She established her career decades ago and cemented her legacy as the Queen of Funk.
"It took me a long time to feel some sort of comfort in singing something like I'm Every Woman," the 71-year-old artist said in an interview in 2022. "I was taking it literally, which was wrong! I was reading it from an insecure place."
It has taken Khan several years to embrace and embody her signature anthem, "I'm Every Woman." The song is a debut single from her first-ever album, Chaka, released in 1978.
However, in the interview, the singer also explained that it is about not only her but every woman.
"It's many women," she added. "It's really talking about it in a plural way, in a collective way. We are all every woman, and it's all in us."
Chaka Khan to Perform Hit Songs Live
Khan might not be prominent among younger audiences, but her music lives on, and so does she.
According to NME, the "Through The Fire" singer will perform at the Meltdown Festival in June 2024.
She will also be opening with her greatest hits at the Royal Festival Hall alongside the Black-led Nu Civilisation Orchestra.
"It's an honor to share with you some of the brilliant artists that will be celebrating the diversity and legacy of Meltdown!" Khan said. "We are all family. Get ready to sing, dance, and feel the love!'"
Chaka Khan's Legacy Surpasses Age
Khan was born in Great Lakes, Illinois, as Yvette Marie Stevens, but she is more known by her stage name, which is a shortened version of Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi Khan, reports say.
She is the voice behind some of the greatest music hits of all time, like "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," "Do What You Love What You Feel," "Ain't Nobody," and more.
The Grammy Award-winning singer was named one of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2023.
During the monumental ceremony, Khan performed "Sweet Thing" with her fellow-inductee, H.E.R.
According to Pitchfork, other inductees for the class of 2023 include Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, and more.
READ ALSO: Chaka Khan NOT Touring Anymore: Legendary Singer Shares Future Music Plans
