Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan’s half-century-long career of commanding and penetrating vocal distinction has spawned generations of soul, funk, and R&B disciples, from Whitney Houston to Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe. But mostly, we love the Chicago-raised former Black Panther—who would later become the leading lady of the majority-white band, Rufus—for the lively musicality and range she brought forth during her reign in the 1980s, in which she released nearly one album per year and won five Grammy Awards. From those years, we got the anthemic “I’m Every Woman,” the cautionary “What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me,” and the jazz-stretched “Be Bop Medley,” to name only a fraction of her megahits. Personally, the first concert I ever attended was Chaka Khan’s 1983 performance at an ampitheater in Austin, Texas, where, perched on my Uncle Bubble’s shoulders, I was introduced to the magnificence of a musical queen whose name meant “woman of fire.” She’s been aflame ever since.