---
name: "Chaka Khan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/chaka-khan"
fi1m_id: "chaka-khan"
imdb_id: "nm0451193"
tmdb_id: 122099
wikidata_id: "Q229498"
roles: []
born: "23 March 1953"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-03T01:47:32.695276+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Chaka Khan

## Identity

Chaka Khan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/chaka-khan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** chaka-khan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0451193
- **TMDB ID:** 122099
- **Wikidata ID:** Q229498
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Khan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229498, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/122099

Actor. Born 23 March 1953 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 23 March 1953, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 1980–present
- **Also known as:** Yvette Marie Stevens, Rufus
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 81 (1), 2000s 80 (1), 2020s 64 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Family 2, Animation 1, Crime 1, Drama 1, Music 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $115m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Khan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229498, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/122099

## Biography

Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens) is an American singer and songwriter who has also worked as an actor and voice artist. She began her career in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus.

Her film credits include a choir soloist role in *The Blues Brothers* (1980) and voice work as Henrietta in *The One and Only Ivan* (2020). She has appeared in television series such as *Hunter* (1984) and *Empire* (2015), and voiced a character in *Phineas and Ferb* (2007). Khan has received ten Grammy Awards.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org, behindthevoiceactors.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The One and Only Ivan* (2020), Fi1m 64, as Henrietta (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-one-and-only-ivan.md)
- *Phineas and Ferb* (2007), Fi1m 80, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/phineas-and-ferb.md)
- *The Blues Brothers* (1980), Fi1m 81, as Choir Soloist — [page](https://film.one/film/the-blues-brothers.md)

## Complete filmography (20)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The One and Only Ivan* (2020), as Henrietta (voice) — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-one-and-only-ivan.md)
- *Charlie's Angels* (2019), as Songs
- *Revival!* (2018), as Herodias
- *Empire* (2015), series, as Chaka Khan
- *Beyond the Lights* (2014), as Chaka Khan
- *Every Woman* (2013), Music
- *Prince: Club Nokia* (2009), Actor
- *Phineas and Ferb* (2007), series, Actor — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/phineas-and-ferb.md)
- *Chaka Khan: Greatest Hits Live* (2007), as Vocals
- *Celebrity Duets* (2006), series, Actor
- *Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure* (2002), as Marla (voice)
- *The Jazz Channel Presents Chaka Khan* (2000), Actor
- *VH1 Divas* (1998), series, Actor
- *The Chris Rock Show* (1997), series, Actor
- *Star Search* (1995), series, Actor
- *New York Undercover* (1994), series, Actor
- *Miles Davis - Montreux Jazz Festival* (1989), Actor
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Miss Gina B
- *Chaka Khan: Live At Roxy* (1981), Actor
- *The Blues Brothers* (1980), as Choir Soloist — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-blues-brothers.md)

## Gallery

- ![Chaka Khan](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-8123bdf30836.jpg) Chaka Khan — The Heart Truth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Chaka_Khan_in_Chris_March_01_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Chaka_Khan_in_Chris_March_01_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Smallwood at "Journey" recording with Bishop Walter Hawkins, Lynette Hawkins-Stephens, Tramaine Hawkins-Richardson and Chaka Khan. Photo taken by Jared ](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-15e6890f95d8.jpg) Richard Smallwood at "Journey" recording with Bishop Walter Hawkins, Lynette Hawkins-Stephens, Tramaine Hawkins-Richardson and Chaka Khan. Photo taken by Jared  — Pianoplaya1983 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Bishop_Walter_Hawkins%2C_Lynette_Hawkins-Stephens%2C_Richard%2C_Tramaine_Hawkins_and_Chaka_Khan.jpg/1280px-Bishop_Walter_Hawkins%2C_Lynette_Hawkins-Stephens%2C_Richard%2C_Tramaine_Hawkins_and_Chaka_Khan.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chaka Khan at a performance of The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker in December 2010.](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-e619249e0593.jpg) Chaka Khan at a performance of The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker in December 2010. — Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/ChakaKhanDec10.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Wash D.C. Inaugural activities on mall Jan. 20, 1997](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-d21ee9b61d3e.jpg) Wash D.C. Inaugural activities on mall Jan. 20, 1997 — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel  Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Chaka_Kahn_bw_%2849094906083%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Wash D.C. Inaugural activities on mall Jan. 20, 1997](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-7f277bdabc3a.jpg) Wash D.C. Inaugural activities on mall Jan. 20, 1997 — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Chaka_Kahn_during_inaugural_activities_on_the_National_Mall_in_Washington%2C_D.C._on_January_20%2C_1997.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Dwight McCann, http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4267-1000.jpg, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 G](https://film.one/media/person/451269/gallery-3c1628cac04b.jpg) Dwight McCann, http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4267-1000.jpg, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 G — The original uploader was Dwightmccann at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Chaka_Khan.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (won)
- Icon Award 2015: Icon Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/chaka-khan