Prince didn’t only help jump-start careers like Tevin Campbell’s from SIDE A, he also invigorated careers like Chaka Khan’s. Her cover of his “I Feel For You” earned Grammys for the both of them.

But “I’m Every Woman” came first, setting the stage for Chaka’s incomparable solo career. By the time it was released, Chaka Khan had already made a name for herself as the beautiful frontwoman of funk band Rufus. All funk from that era relied heavily on bass & guitar wah pedals, but the deeply saturated sound Rufus created, combined with Chaka’s soaring vocals made them one of the most influential bands of the 70s with four consecutive #1 R&B albums, five #1 R&B singles, and many more accolades. Toss in Chaka’s hippie glam style with belly-baring tops, feathers and beaded fringe, and fearless experimentation, and by the time she released “I’m Every Woman,” the world had already figured that out for themselves. So of course her female affirmation anthem was met with wild success.

Chaka is yet another artist whose influence and impact is so sweeping that I could not begin to tell you all of her accomplishments, nor do I need to. Everybody knows that Chaka Khan is legendary. But even Chaka knows that the music industry treated her differently than her R&B female counterparts. And the reason is very simple:

RESPECTABILITY POLITICS.

Even in her prime, she wasn’t afraid to address her truth in the September 1980 issue of Interview Magazine. “I won’t become a household word, or achieve the fame I deserve in my lifetime because of the way I look.” Now, you might be thinking that other African-American women that I just featured DID become household names. But consider the difference.

Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, and the other genre-crossing ladies all “cleaned up nice.” Diana fronted the Supremes like an angel, Aretha gained fame singing in churches, and Patti was most successful in gospel. They were all nice girls easily packaged up for a “mainstream” (read: white) audience for American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. On the other hand, Chaka could have walked into a taping of Soul Train (where she and Rufus did in fact perform many, many times). She was a high school dropout and member of the Black Panthers. She was adamant about wearing her natural hair without manipulation, and vocal about having received her name from a Yoruban high priest. (Chaka’s “government” name was Yvette Marie Stevens until she was a teenager.) AND she was shaking it around in front of a group of MEN? Oh, no, hunny.

But Chaka’s talent and determination grew beyond the little box the record labels and promoters tried to put her in. Her multiple Grammy wins and noms, along with a brilliant performance in The Blues Brothers broke barriers. You’ve heard her in other artists’ songs, like Kanye’s “Through the Fire.” You’ve heard artists like Whitney Houston cover “I’m Every Woman,” and it’s even appeared in adult cartoon King of the Hill. ” In 2000, she performed at BOTH the the Democratic and the Republican National Conventions, and Chaka is STILL releasing award-winning music like her 2019 single “Like Sugar.”

So I might have to respectfully disagree with Mother Chaka on this one. She’s not every woman. Having lived through her ups and downs, fought through personal and professional battles, endured racism and sexism, and STILL come out on top, she’s more like every woman’s #goals.

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