The Wrath of Khan: Now Chaka Dunks on Younger Singers!

[sansradio]

Fresh on the heels of the Stephanie/Beyoncé brouhaha comes this true-to-form, side-splitting barrage from Chaka...

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/exclusive-chaka-khan-revives-mary-j-blige-feud-dunks-on-adele-and-mariah-carey/

[PeaceNHarmony]

I'm done with the ... ummm .... hysterically funny ruminations of Chaka. If only she had paid as much attention to her career as she did / does to hating on other singers. And if she is really of the opinion that Joan Baez is a great writer but couldn't sing, well ... maybe the closing sessions of CPAC this weekend need a performer. She's got time on her calendar - more cancellations than shows scheduled. Loved 'ya, CK.

[carlo]

I was listening to this podcast interview earlier today. There were parts of it that made me laugh, because it was Chaka being her brutally honest self. However, there were also many parts of it where she came across as angry and bitter. It felt like significantly more anger and bitterness from her, than usual. That being said, many of the host's questions were more on the controversial side and he did seem to have the goal of digging up a lot of dirt, by focusing on the Rolling Stone list, bringing up Chaka's exes, the amount of time she had to spend apart from her children, etc., etc. She said more than once that she's 'over it', when it comes to the music industry. I just hope she's happy and working on staying clean, but hearing her speak in this latest interview and then seeing the concert cancellations she announced last month, makes me worry that she's still not in the best place [which was clear when we saw her on Verzuz last year]. I just hope she is focusing on her health and is surrounded by a loving and trustworthy network of supporters.

[daviddesper]

I was not aware that Chaka was such an angry person and had such a foul mouth. As a general rule, the F word does not offend me......for that matter I use it myself on occasion........but when someone uses it that much and with no real context other than to throw it out there for effect, then it is being done just for attention.

[Bluebrock]

Chaka is turning into a bitter and twisted individual. She should show more respect for these performers and keep her unkind opinions to herself. I don't recall any of these artists puking on stage and cancelling shows at very short notice due to their substance abuse issues. Chaka had great talent and it is such a shame she does not concentrate on getting her own house in order rather than belittle others.
Despite all this i am looking forward to the forthcoming box set.

[reese]

I was surprised that this was the top story on yesterday's ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. It is sort of ironic since the week before, they honored Chaka with a profile as part of Black History Month.

I do agree that some opinions should be kept to one's self, especially when criticizing one younger's colleagues. It sort of smacks of sour grapes and IMO, the elders should know better.

[PeaceNHarmony]

It makes me sad to see that Khan has become better known as a go-to bitter Betty instead of a great singer with a nice run of hits and some great albums. We are, though, firmly in the age of 'real' housewife worship where back-biting and insults make millions so I should not be surprised. After all, there was a recent president voted into office largely by insulting others in his own party. Certainly the golden rules I was raised on are no longer in effect - anybody remember the end to 'If you can't say anything nice ...'? I'm so much more impressed by the likes of Stevie Nicks and her frequent support of contemporary female performers and offers the advice that fellow performers should not be viewed as competition but rather as friends. One can also read Lana Del Rey's recent acceptance speech for similar, gracious acknowledgements. Lastly, here in our insular world, we can imagine the response if Diana Ross had said anything like Chaka's unfortunate opinions. Imagine the response to the exact same statements if attributed to Beyonce, or Taylor Swift. Or Harry Styles. Or, heaven help us, Morgan Wallen. Poor sports-person-ship and trash talk is just that, and not for me. Khan is destroying her legacy for a quick bitch-back and it's a shame.

[PeaceNHarmony]

PS: The co-workers in the front office of my workplace, all under 40, know Chaka as 'that funny fat lady with the purple hair'. They think she's a tick-tock host or whatever it is called nowadays. No clue she sings. And not at all their fault.

[BobbyC]

My first concert was Rufus/Chaka Khan. Well, I say that, but I never actually got to see the show. The first song was Any Love but as the song went on, I realized Chaka was singing the wrong lyrics!! One minute later Chaka fell off the stage and the show was cancelled! I and my friends drove almost two hours to see Rufus, so naturally we were all disappointed and angry.

[PeaceNHarmony]

My first concert was Rufus/Chaka Khan. Well, I say that, but I never actually got to see the show. The first song was Any Love but as the song went on, I realized Chaka was singing the wrong lyrics!! One minute later Chaka fell off the stage and the show was cancelled! I and my friends drove almost two hours to see Rufus, so naturally we were all disappointed and angry.Sorry to hear that. Had she been more professional I'm sure it would have been a great show. Glad we have the records, right?

[Guy]

Chaka was my very first concert, in 1982, and I've seen her live at least 20 times. Lucky for me, she has been good or great more often than not. I just saw Chaka in October 2022, she performed "Magic In Your Eyes" and it was wonderful. Life is up and down, hit or miss for everyone even those who are extraordinarily gifted.

[Motown Eddie]

Add me to the list of folks who feel that Chaka Khan didn't do herself any favors by badmouthing other singers in this interview.

[TNSUN]

The class of Diana Ross always is supportive.Every Diana Ross concert that I have attended has been professional and uplifting.

[lakeside]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcfhp2FXW4VnVOPwydPYHePFepQJCIrSIGjozmH-tEV6_qkKS9Uy_nxi8Qouh2OxBeLHST87_AZ6n6H6sDRxydVASR 3QfoYrzzVF_zX1gb-66mL-4hCU9cmAC7ipI_u1Xvf-yODoW0L5FHpXkp9uGp4iM_iHlDk_K2vd6T-8cyFz5c8goUxk/s16000/2%20SNARK%20chaka.jpg [[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcfhp2FXW4VnVOPwydPYHePFepQJCIrSIGjozmH-tEV6_qkKS9Uy_nxi8Qouh2OxBeLHST87_AZ6n6H6sDRxydVASR 3QfoYrzzVF_zX1gb-66mL-4hCU9cmAC7ipI_u1Xvf-yODoW0L5FHpXkp9uGp4iM_iHlDk_K2vd6T-8cyFz5c8goUxk/s485/2%20SNARK%20chaka.jpg)


Rolling Stone‘s 200 Greatest Singers list was a hot mess, first because folks—not me—were horrified that the magazine snubbed Celine Dion. And now we’re learning that Chaka Khan is also annoyed at the list, not just because of her spot there—she came in at #29. During a recent stop at The Originals podcast Chaka wasted no time reading others on the list, and the idea of a list itself:


“I didn’t even know what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this don’t mean a great deal to me. These people don’t quantify or validate me in any way.”
She threw shade all over Mimi, suggesting Carey’s spot at #5 was bought and paid for … “That must be payola or some shit like that.” And when asked about Adele, who also came in ahead of Chaka at 22, Khan just threw up her hands and said: “OK, I quit.”
But she was furious about Mary J. Blige, coming in … again, ahead of Chaka … at #25, saying that when Blige “fucked up” her song Sweet Thing when Mary covered it on her debut album What’s the 411? And then she claimed the judges at Rolling Stone were:


“Blind as a motherfucking bat! They need hearing aids…These must be the children of Helen Keller!”
My Thought: I don’t quite get the idea of the judges being blind, but then I don’t get much of Chaka Khan. I know she sang about being every woman, but she certainly doesn’t care much for every woman.

[carlo]

Chaka posted the following statement on her social media accounts this evening:

"Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait.

As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.

It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize.

Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.

Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change...and change begins within the heart. I love you all and God bless - Chaka"

[Guy]

A longtime professional acquaintance of Chaka's told me that for most of the time he knew her -- during her most commercially successful years -- she was very insecure about her talent and could not grasp the effect it had on her audience. She really thought people were f*cking with her when they told her how much they loved her. She was intimidated by other singers, even ones whose talents were clearly inferior to hers. It wasn't until 15 to 20 years ago that she started to feel more at ease with public adoration and recalibrate her response to it. Even so, she still reacts with false bravado and says unkind stuff like what came out in this interview.

I had a hard time believing this about her but it comes from a reliable source who knows her well. It also makes sense given that she self-medicated -- to put it mildly -- for most her career, a sign of insecurity, anxiety and feelings of unworthiness.

I suspect Mariah, Adele and Mary J. can cry into their diamond-encrusted, cashmere pillows on their beds of cash if they took anything she said to heart. Each -- having learned a great deal about singing from listening to Chaka's music -- has made multiples of Chaka's net worth in their own careers.

[Bluebrock]

Chaka posted the following statement on her social media accounts this evening:

"Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait.

As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.

It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize.

Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.

Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change...and change begins within the heart. I love you all and God bless - Chaka"
I am glad she had the good grace to apologise for her awful behaviour. She was out of order but she has attempted to address the situation and deserves credit for that.
perhaps it is time to move on.

[Motown Eddie]

Chaka posted the following statement on her social media accounts this evening:

"Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait.

As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.

It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize.

Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.

Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change...and change begins within the heart. I love you all and God bless - Chaka"

I'm glad that Chaka Khan apologized for the comments that she made about other singers. Thanks Carlo for sharing the news.

[reese]

Chaka posted the following statement on her social media accounts this evening:

"Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait.

As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.

It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize.

Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.

Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change...and change begins within the heart. I love you all and God bless - Chaka"

This is nice. I'm glad that Chaka came forward with this.

Another post mentioned Chaka's insecurity. I suspect many great vocalists may suffer from that. I think Aretha was the same but covered it by acting "Queen-like". I've seen interviews with Chaka where she really expressed her vulnerable side so I can believe it in her case as well.

[sansradio]

I, too, am breathing a sigh of relief. Initially, I shook my head and chuckled, but the whole affair left me uneasy. It's considered a cardinal sin for an entertainer to bad-mouth another, so I'm glad Chaka and/or her team is/are trying to do damage control.

[Guy]

I, too, am breathing a sigh of relief. Initially, I shook my head and chuckled, but the whole affair left me uneasy. It's considered a cardinal sin for an entertainer to bad-mouth another, so I'm glad Chaka and/or her team is/are trying to do damage control.

Chaka Khan is not an "entertainer." She is an extraordinarily gifted and influential vocalist with almost no living peers. She is a blueprint and a legend. I am uneasy with her handlers' apology. I know she spoke her beliefs. If prompted, she'd say it all again tomorrow and maybe something worse. She has far fewer filters than most of her professional contemporaries but she is certainly not meaner or more imperious.

That is the price Chaka fans pay for their devotion, she is wonderfully imperfect. She is erratic, she harms herself, she doesn't always honor her spectacular gift, and she is known to be rude and dismissive to her audiences and her fans. The only choice we have is to accept her, flaws and all, or to turn away from her entirely. The most colossal talents -- Aretha, Phyllis, Whitney, etc. -- are usually among the most problematic.

[sansradio]

Chaka Khan is not an "entertainer." She is an extraordinarily gifted and influential vocalist with almost no living peers. She is a blueprint and a legend.

Point taken. But she does work in the entertainment industry, and yes, the point still stands that the unspoken rule is to speak no evil about others in said industry, no matter how gifted and peerless one is considered. I don't think we disagree on that point.

[motony]

I wonder what ever happened to Chaka Khans sister, Taka Boom?I thought she was great.

[Guy]

Point taken. But she does work in the entertainment industry, and yes, the point still stands that the unspoken rule is to speak no evil about others in said industry, no matter how gifted and peerless one is considered. I don't think we disagree on that point.

Your point is also well-taken. I feel like Chaka has been the most disrespected in this brouhaha. The mainstream media does NOT care about Chaka Khan, at all, until she disses Adele, Mariah, Mary J. and Joan Baez. She didn't do it for attention, she loathes this kind of attention but it always finds her.

I listened to the entire podcast and Chaka was candid about the trauma and struggles she has endured in the industry, and alluded to personal challenges as well. The interviewer goaded her into speaking ill of other performers, and the media has focused all of the attention on a few flippant comments instead of the other 90% of what she said about her life, her career and the industry.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

The class of Diana Ross always is supportive.Every Diana Ross concert that I have attended has been professional and uplifting.

Amen to that, TNSUN. When it comes to professionalism, Diana was trained by the best -- MOTOWN!

[Boogiedown]

I wonder what ever happened to Chaka Khans sister, Taka Boom?I thought she was great.

Taka Boom went ka-pow!!

[JM27]

Chaka had great talent and it is such a shame she does not concentrate on getting her own house in order rather than belittle others.
Despite all this i am looking forward to the forthcoming box set.
Box set? Any more details on this?

[Bluebrock]

Box set? Any more details on this?
There will be an official announcement in due course.

[Motown Eddie]

I wonder what ever happened to Chaka Khans sister, Taka Boom?I thought she was great.

Chaka Khan's Sister, Yvonne Stevens [aka Taka Boom] is still with us. According to Wikipedia & Discogs, she appeared on dance music singles by The Source, Joey Negro, Eye To Eye and others. She's also on the 'house music' single by FOMO* featuring her Mark Stevens & her Sister Chaka, 2016's "House Of Love".

*According to Discogs, FOMO is the songwriting duo of Mark Bell & Jamie Petrie that put together the "House Of Love" single.

[Motown Eddie]

There will be an official announcement in due course.

OK; This is Great News and I'm looking forward to hearing more about Chaka Khan's upcoming box set.

[carlo]

She's also on the 'house music' single by FOMO* featuring her Mark Stevens & her Sister Chaka, 2016's "House Of Love".


I loved that single! Still do :) I wish it had been a hit.

[Cosmic Truth]

There will be an official announcement in due course.

Is it a Rufus and Chaka box set, or a solo Chaka box set?