Fans of the ‘Queen of Funk’ — Chaka Khan — are in for a surprise: the singer will no longer tour.
In an interview with Rolling Stone she said that she will not do another tour, but instead, opt for single live shows. The R&B icon, whose career spans over five decades, pointed to the hardships of touring, recalling “riding on a bus, pissing in a little bathroom, waking up in the morning and you’re five hours from your hotel where you can take a proper bath or shower and go to bed like a normal human being.”
“It was just insanity,” Khan said. “It’s like being a truck driver and a performer. It’s lonely as all get-out.”
Khan, a recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee,seems to be happy and satisfied with her long musical journey.
“Some people, [music is] all they have, you know? I got this rich-ass life,” she told the publication, adding: “I’ve got great-grandchildren I want to get to know better. So, I will not do another tour. I’ll do dates, but it won’t look like a tour. They’ll be far enough apart that I can have time to sleep in between.”
After moving to Georgia from Los Angeles, Khan said she has been experiencing a slower-paced life. When asked if she would ever retire from performing altogether, she said: “Well, I might do that three or four times, like other bitches do [laughs].”
Khan launched her career as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus in the early ’70s. Then, her hit track “I’m Every Woman” dropped as part of her debut solo album, helping the record sell over 1 million copies. The R&B star has released 13 solo studio records to-date, including her most recent, Hello Happiness (2019). The single “Woman Like Me” was delivered in July 2022.
This past year marked the 50th anniversary of Khan’s career in music industry, which she celebrated with several shows. On January 27, she’s slated to perform at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex in Los Angeles, followed by several festivals across the U.K. in June and July.
Find tickets to see Khan perform live via her official website. Fans can also score tickets via MegaSeats (use code “TICKETNEWS” for 10% off), StubHub, or Ticket Club, where members can receive a free membership with the code “TICKETNEWS.”
