The Apollo inducted Chaka Khan into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame at their 8th annual Spring Gala Benefit.
On Monday, June 10th, the legendary Chaka Khan was honored during the 8th Annual Spring Gala at the World famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem.
To celebrate her dynamic 40 years in the music business and to commemorate her iconic status as the Queen Of Funk, celebrities and legends alike filed into the theatre for a night that Chaka will surely never forget.
The contagious and vibrant energy of host Wayne Brady, who we caught up with on the red carpet before the show dished that he was personally asked by Chaka to host the memorable night, “And you just can’t say no to Chaka” he explained. Brady gave the audience exactly what they had all come out in the pouring rain for, an evening filled with fun, laughter, and and unforgettable sing-along celebration!
The night started with “The Voice” star Jennifer Holliday serenading Chaka with a powerful performance of her classic, “Through The Fire.” Followed by Patti Labelle’s tribute to the legend, and newcomer and 2008 Ex Factor UK winner Alexandra Burke, who we also caught up with on the red carpet who looked stunning in an Olcay Gulsen dress and Cesare Paciotti sandals completely rocked the crowd with a stellar performance that even brought Chaka to her feet.
An emotional Mary J. Blige then took the stage performing her remake of sweet thing and later explained to the crowd what a hard decision it was for her to remake the record because she didn’t want to mess up the original! She then thanked Chaka for creating a lane for contemporary artists and for allowing her to create a new classic for her fans.
The star studded night continued with performances by Deborah Cox and Host Wayne Brady who confessed his love to Chaka throughout the evening and later Erykah Badu who was on hand to present Chaka with her award. On vocal rest and unable to perform, she took the sage and gave a short and sweet thank you speech to her fans, family and friends as well as giving the reason why she believes she’s had such a long and successful career, “It’s because I tap into pure emotion whenever I perform, I can’t, It’s just too hard for me to lie”.
Khan who will also receive a plaque on the Apollo Walk Of Fame now joins legends such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin in the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.
-Chasity Saunders
