Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Gladys Knight, und Stephanie Mills

Raised into an artistic household, when Kjan was young her grandmother introduced her to jazz music and as a pre-teen started her own all-female singing group with her sister Taka named the Crystallites. Whilst still in high school the singer joined the Afro-Arts Theatre through which had the opportunity to tour with Motown star Mary Wells.

In 1967 Khan joined the Black Panther Party and worked on their breakfast program, during her membership she was given a name change by a African shaman to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi. Khan would perform with small groups around the Chicago, U.S., area including the group Lyfe, which featured her then boyfriend Hassan Khan whom she would later marry and change her stage name to Chaka Khan.

Another group Rufus spotted Khan in 1972 and asked her to replace their current singer, the band signed to ABC Records a year later. The 1973 self-titled album from the group had limited success despite a powerful cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Maybe Your Baby”. However, a year later in 1974 Stevie Wonder himself collaborated with the band on the song “Tell Me Something Good”, which he had written for Khan and the band broke out into the mainstream reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band’s subsequent albums “Rufusized”, “Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan”, “Ask Rufus”, “Street Player” and “Masterjame” all achieved platinum status and highlighted Khan’s vocal talents.

1978 brought Khan’s solo career and her debut album “Chaka” which achieved platinum status in the U.S. largely due to the success of the singer “I”m Every Woman”. Her follow-up album titled “Naughty” was released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records and went gold with the help of disco single “Clouds”. Khan released a number of albums from 1980 onwards but it wasn’t until 1984’s sixth studio album titled “I Feel for You”, written by Prince, featuring a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder, and an introductory rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel, that the singer once again came to the forefront of the charts and hearts of people.

The singer has since released the albums “Destiny” (1986), “CK” (1988), “The Woman I Am” (1992), “Come 2 My House” (1999), “ClassiKhan” (2004) and “Funk This” (2007), has won no fewer than 10 Grammy Awards, two Soul Train Awards and has been inducted into the SoulMusic Hall of Fame.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Patricia Holte-Edwards developed her vocal talents whilst being part of the church choir, with her vocal talents recognised at an early age. Together with friends Nonah Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong, they formed the vocal group the BlueBelles, later shortened to the LaBelles. The group went on to have a career full of top ten hits, most notably the pioneering disco number, “Lady Marmalade,” which reached number one on the Billboard Carts, sending the group into wide critical acclaim, becoming the first African American vocal group to be on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1975. Following differences with their musical direction, the LaBelles split in 1977, with Patti LaBelle embarking upon a solo career shortly after.

LaBelle went on to have great success as a solo artist, releasing ecords frequently throughout her forty-year career. As a solo artist, she got her first number one hit with the Michael McDonald duet “On My Own” (1986), with her album “Winner in You,” released that same year, peaking at number one on the Billboard album charts. The song went on to sell over a million copies and be certified Platinum. In 1992, she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for her 1991 album “Burnin’.” The album featured three top ten hits and sold half a million copies.

As well as being a recording artist, LaBelle has also featured in a number of stage productions, performing in “Your Arms Too Sort to Box with God,” and in later years as Fela Kuti’s mother in the award winning musical “Fela.”

Patti LaBelle has been hugely influential to a number of artists following her work with the LaBelles and as a solo artist. She has helped spur the rise of Disco in America, with the hit songs “Lady Marmalade” and “Messin’ with My Mind.” She has inspired a whole generation of soul singers, with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

“Empress of Soul”. You can keep your “King of Rock’n’Roll”, “Lord of the Dance”, and “Pop Princess”, is there a nickname in music that sounds as deliciously regal as “Empress of Soul”? I really don’t think there is. It’s the kind of name that’s earned, not bestowed, and when the woman it describes is Gladys Knight, there’s no-one who it fits better.

Her first taste of fame came when she was a mere seven years of age. She won a TV Talent show contest, namely Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour in 1952, the following year she formed a musical group with her brother, sister and cousins who christened themselves The Pips. By the end of the decade they were touring together and they were signed to Motown by 1966.

At this point in time it was rare for a band to be so incredibly experienced live. Even The Beatles, famed for cutting their teeth in their residencies in Hamburg and the Cavern, had only spent three years regularly performing live. Knight and The Pips however, had over a decade’s experience by this point and it showed.

According to her memoirs, she and The Pips were kicked off a tour opening for Diana Ross and The Supremes because they were upstaging Ross night after night and getting a better reception from the crowd. While arguably a second tier Motown act they still had considerable success on the label, with songs like the first released version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and the Grammy winning "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)".

Come 1973 however, they left for a better deal at Buddha records, where her first single was the monster hit “Midnight Train to Georgia”. Worked out pretty well for her, eh? It wasn’t just the music world she was conquering, as Knight made her acting debut in the 1976 film Pipe Dreams, that saw her get a Golden Globe nomination for Best New Actress.

Since then she’s recorded with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Elton John, along with recording the theme for the 1989 James Bond film Licence To Kill. While her work today might focus more on her church and philanthropy than that electrifying voice, if anyone’s earned the right to take a break now and again, it’s her. Also, if she does take to the road once more, you can bet that she’s be absolutely peerless.

Stephanie Mills was in the music business from a very young age, performing in the Broadway play, “Maggie Flynn,” at the age of nine. That same year, she won first prize at New York’s Apollo Theater at the ‘Amateur Hour’ competition, which led to her being chosen as the opening act for the Isley Brothers. Her debut album, “Moving in the Right Direction,” for ABC Records was released in 1974. Her rich, soulful voice won her the role as Dorothy in the hit Broadway production, “The Wiz,” in 1975, whom she performed with for a number of years.

Mills moved to Motown in 1976, releasing her second album, “For the First Time,” which was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The album was full of sweet, tender songs showcasing her emotive voice. In 1978, Mills moved labels again to 20th Century Records, releasing “Watcha Gonna Do with my Lovin’” which went Gold and peaked at number 12 in the R&B charts and number 22 in the Billboard 200 in 1979. Her next releases, “Sweet Sensation” and “Stephanie” kept Mills’ music in the Top 40, receiving significant airplay with tracks such as “Two Hearts,” a duet with Teddy Pendergrass and “Don’t Stop Doin’ What Cha Do.”

Mills continued to have hit albums and singles throughout the 80s, having moved to MCA Records in 1983. Hits include “I have Learned to Respect the Power of love” (1985) spent two weeks at the R&B chart’s top spot, whereas “I Feel Good All Over” (1987) bettered that record with three weeks spent at number one. In the 90s, her recorded output lessened and also moved towards a more gospel-influenced sound, with her 1995 record, “Personal Inspirations.” Mills made a comeback in 2008, having recorded songs with BeBe Winans and DMX, as well as her independently released record, “Born For This” in 2004. She was also given the opportunity to display her talents to Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, when she performed in front of him at the Yankee Stadium in New York, USA. In 2012, she released a Christmas themed single, “So In Love This Christmas,” available as a download on ITunes.