Learn about Chaka Khan ahead of 'I'm Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical'

This new biographical musical charts the highs and lows of the "Queen of Funk"'s five-decade career.

Are you bereft that Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is closing in September? Fear not – a new diva biographical musical will be arriving in London next year! “Queen of Funk” Chaka Khan’s life story is celebrated in I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical at the Peacock Theatre from March 2026.

Khan is equally adept at funk, jazz, R&B, disco, and soul, and her career spans an astonishing five decades. There’s much more to her than her biggest hit – read on to learn all about Khan’s life and career.

Book I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Who is Chaka Khan?

Chaka Khan was born in Chicago in 1953 as Yvette Stevens (she received the name Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi in a Yoruba naming ceremony as a teenager, and her surname Khan comes from her first husband). Hers was a creative family: she was introduced to jazz music as a child by her grandmother, and formed her first rhythm and blues group, the Crystalettes, at the age of 11 with her sister Taka Boom, who is also a singer in her own right – plus her brother Mark Stevens formed the funk group Jamaica Boys, and was part of the soul group Aurra.

Khan first rose to prominence on the Chicago music scene and was noticed by members of a new band called Rufus. The band broke through when they collaborated with Stevie Wonder on “Tell Me Something Good”, which Wonder wrote for Khan’s voice and which earned the band their first Grammy.

Between 1974-79, the band released six albums that earned platinum status and their singles included “Tell Me Something Good”, “Once You Get Started”, and “Do You Love What You Feel”. As lead singer of Rufus, Khan was known for her powerful vocals and striking stage costumes. She also played the drums and bass. The group ultimately disbanded in 1983.

Chaka, Khan’s first solo album, was released in 1978. It included what became her signature song, “I’m Every Woman”, written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson (Whitney Houston later recorded the song for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard). Khan's 1984 album I Feel for You went platinum, and she has released a total of 12 studio albums to date.

Khan’s most recent album Hello Happiness was released in 2019. Last year, she collaborated with her sister Taka Boom and her brother Mark Stevens on the single "Misti Blu Two”, a reimagined version of Taka Boom’s earlier hit “Misti Blu”.

Khan has battled alcoholism and drug addiction. She has been married twice and has two children, and, in 2006, her son was accused of murder but was later acquitted. The show celebrates Khan’s resilience as a musician and as a working mother, and features all her most popular numbers.

What awards and honours has Chaka Khan received?

Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards during her career, though, surprisingly, not for “I’m Every Woman”. Most recently in 2008, her duet “Disrespectful” with Mary J Blige won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals, and her album Funk This (her eleventh studio album) won Best R&B Album.

As a solo artist, Khan has achieved three gold singles, three gold albums, and one platinum album, I Feel for You. She was ranked at No. 17 in VH1's original list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll and received a Hollywood Walk of Fame plaque in 2011. In 2023, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – an honour that many people considered long overdue.

Who is in the I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical cast and creative team?

Casting for I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical is to be confirmed. The lead role is a fantastic opportunity for an actress with formidable vocal chops! The other characters in the show include Khan’s famous friends and fellow musicians Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and Prince.

The show is directed by Racky Plews (Footloose) with choreography by Jade Hackett (Little Shop of Horrors), and features a book by documentary maker Nia T Hill. Says Khan: "Many of you know that my life has always influenced my music – but you may not know the full story. I've lived a rich, beautiful, and sometimes difficult life, and now those experiences will come alive on stage in this way.”

Book I’m Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.