Wild hair? Check. Red lipstick? Check. Big voice? Check. It could only be Chaka Khan! I was just a girl when this woman was rocking front and center for the R&B group, Rufus. Even then I loved the way her voice soared when she asked, “Do You Love What You Feel?” Oh and love it, I did. And when she sang, “Tell Me Something Good,” her voice seemed to inch deeper with every note of that guitar. It made me giggle and marvel at the same time. Her voice seemed endless at both ends of the scale. Then there was her style.
The big, free-flowing, wild hair that seemed to give its own performance. That was style innovation at it’s best for little girls back then. Who needed to put a towel on their heads when you could free-style your ‘do like Chaka? Then there was the makeup. Red lipstick and freckles-Chaka was one of a kind! When you saw her on stage or in photos she looked like she was having fun every second, just living. She earned that funky, wild, child label.
Decades later she’s still rocking’ out. The hair is still big and her voice is bigger! Last month she headlined the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans and when she sang her classic anthem, I’m Every Woman, you knew she meant it! Chaka Khan, thank you for your music, your voice, your style and the inspiration. Stay!
