Get your daily BBC Radio 6 Music fix with “Sidetracked with Annie and Nick.” Today’s guest? The one‑and‑only living legend and all‑around architect: Chaka Khan.
Chaka arrives with that unmistakable mix of humor, soul, and cosmic clarity that only she can bring. Within moments, she’s laughing, storytelling, and dropping the kind of grounded wisdom that makes you lean in closer.
Chaka Khan turns Sidetracked into a legend-level kitchen table chat
Stevie Wonder stories, free-range chickens, privacy rules, new music, and that unmistakable Chaka warmth — this episode sounds less like promo and more like pulling up a chair with a true soul architect.
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One of the first things she opens up about is her longtime friend Stevie Wonder — his warmth, his spirit, and his famously unstoppable relationship with music. She recalls his joy, his jokes, and his absolute refusal to even consider slowing down. Stevie’s stance is simple: he’ll be making music as long as he’s breathing. It’s who he is.
That sparks Chaka’s own reflection on music as a calling — something bigger than a job, bigger than a career, bigger than any one person. She talks about surrendering to her voice, letting it lead, and the deep sense of alignment she feels when she’s onstage doing what she was put here to do.
And then the conversation takes a glorious turn into her cowgirl era.
Chaka reveals she now lives on 80 acres in rural Georgia, far from city noise, sirens, and stacked‑on‑top‑of‑each‑other living. She’s got her own lake, her own well water, and a full cast of free‑range chickens — all with names, all with personalities, all part of her daily rhythm. She laughs about the fiery little hen named after her, a bold, rooster‑esque queen who runs the yard.
She talks about the peace she’s found living close to the land — the oxygen‑rich air, the quiet, the animals, the healing that comes from simply being surrounded by nature. It’s replenished her, grounded her, and given her more energy than she’s had in years.
It’s Chaka Khan in her fullest form: hilarious, soulful, earthy, wise, and completely herself.
