The music industry formally recognized Chaka Khan’s decades of accomplishments in November 2023 when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of musical excellence.
“Imagine honey and fire captured in the same bottle, with all their defining qualities – the sweetness and rich texture, the ferocity and heat – somehow kept entirely intact. Add to this mix the inimitable balance of sensuality, muscle, and elegance that has defined Khan’s style – for a great voice alone does not a great singer make – and you’ll understand what artists from Stevie Wonder to Prince to Lizzo have recognized for years: Khan is not only every woman, as one of her most famous songs tells us, but a unique and irrepressible force,” wrote Elysa Gardner in an essay posted on the Hall of Fame website.
Despite all of her musical accomplishments, Khan told The Guardian in a 2017 interview she wants to be remembered for her character and her epitaph to read, “She was a good old girl… and a good person.”
