Name	Chaka Khan
Height	5' 1"
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	23 March 1953
Place of Birth	Great Lakes, Illinois, USA
Famous for

Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in Great Lakes, Illinois to Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman. Her sister is dance music artist Taka Boom. Khan was raised on Chicago's South Side, and at the age of 11 formed her first group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells. A few years later, she adopted the African name "Chaka" while working as a volunteer on the Black Panthers' Free Breakfast for Children program in Chicago. She took her name from the historical figures of either Chaka Bey or Shaka Zulu. Khan attended Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. After quitting high school in 1969, Chaka joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting that group to join another dance band, The Babysitters; neither enjoyed any success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher to form Rufus. In the meantime she had married bass guitarist Hassan Khan, hence her name Chaka Khan.