It’s never a bad time to be influenced by Chaka Khan, but this feels like an exceptionally great moment to call back to her. Records like Beyoncé’s disco/house masterpiece “Renaissance” and Sabrina Carpenter’s zippy “Espresso” all have DNA from the 71-year-old Khan, whose career includes leading the ‘70s funk group Rufus and a generation-spanning solo career in rock, R&B, soul and jazz. Her recent Tiny Desk show was a jubilant hit.
Khan has two shows in L.A. in the near future: Friday’s headline set at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and a high slot at the classic soul and R&B fest Fool In Love on Aug.
31. We talk about ridiculous men in the music industry, her friendships with the late Prince and Whitney Houston, and what it takes for Black women in music to ask for help and get it. People really loved that Tiny Desk performance.
It must be meaningful to see new generations discovering this music and holding it close. They pretty much woke me up to come and sing! We had a good time, and it’s a beautiful thing. A lot of young people were born and raised on me.
I’m already a staple. You were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year — belated congratulations. Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone and the Rock Hall had some pretty ridiculous things to say about how women in rock were not “articulate enough on this intellectual level.
” Did you hear about that at the time? I did not. Did he really say that? Wow. Did you en.