How Prince saved Chaka Khan’s life: “We knew it was time”
The late legend Prince was far more than a mere musician. Although vocal virtuosity and multi-instrumentalism shaped his early career, Prince would ultimately master most facets of the performing arts. Most notably, a knack for acting and storytelling would shape a career on the big screen through the 1980s and beyond.
After breaking out in 1978 with the hit single ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’, Prince enjoyed a run of highly acclaimed releases, including 1999. Still, nothing could compare to the towering, unprecedented success of Purple Rain.
What began as a country ballad intended for Stevie Nicks’ lead vocal went on to become a top-ten hit single, concept album and musical movie, launching Prince’s career as an actor and coining his nickname as the Purple One.
At around this time, some of Prince’s songs began to enter the charts as reimagined by other artists. Although this meant more money and a surefire indicator of success, Prince was never too keen on covers. Alas, By the early 1990s, Prince’s songs had helped enhance the careers of Sinead O’Connor and The Bangles, among others.
In 1984, Chaka Khan also honoured Prince with a cover of ‘I Feel for You’, which became a huge hit, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single remains one of Khan’s best-known, and over time, she became close with Prince, recording for his label in the late 1990s.
Undoubtedly, Khan feels an enormous deal of gratitude for the influence of Prince in life, but the artist also had a crucial impact on his passing. On April 21st, 2016, Prince tragically died, aged 57, following an accidental overdose. It was soon revealed that the star had been struggling with a dependency on painkillers for some time.
Also concealed from the media at the time was Khan’s concurrent struggle with opioid addiction. Khan had been planning a tour, but following the devastating news, she decided to check into rehab with her sister.
“Unfortunately, I will miss concert appearances over the summer,” she told USA Today at the time. “However, it’s vital that I put my health and well-being first. I know that I am disappointing some of my fans, but I also know they would want me to recover and be well and healthy … The tragic death of Prince has had [our family] rethinking and reevaluating our lives and priorities. We knew it was time to take action to save our lives.”
Thankfully, Khan managed to seek the help she needed and is now enjoying life independent of drug addiction. Earlier this year, Khan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and honoured with the Musical Excellence Award.
