Chaka Khan apologizes for dissing Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Adele, and Mary J. Blige after discovering she ranked lower than them on a list of greatest singers
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- Chaka Khan has apologized for bad-mouthing Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Adele, and Mary J. Blige.
- She hit out after the singers ranked above her on Rolling Stone's greatest singers of all time list.
- "Okay, I quit," she said when learning that Adele had been named seven places above her.
Chaka Khan has apologized for bad-mouthing Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Adele, and Mary J. Blige after they were placed higher than her on Rolling Stone's greatest singers of all time list.
Rolling Stone released the list on New Year's Day, with Houston coming in second, Carey in fifth place, Adele in 22nd, and Blige in 25th.
Chaka herself came in at No. 29.
During an appearance on "The Originals" podcast for Los Angeles Magazine last week, Khan shared her thoughts on the aforementioned stars being ranked above her.
On Houston's placement, the "Ain't Nobody" singer said: "I introduced her to the business. I made her mother bring her down to the studio and sing background with me. Her and Luther Vandross. They both sang background for me on my albums."
On Carey's placement, she said: "That must be payola or some shit like that." On Adele coming in seven places above her, Khan said: "Okay, I quit."
When told that Blige. had beaten her by four places, she called the critics who compiled the list "blind bitches."
"They are blind as a motherfucking bat!" said the 69-year-old singer. "They need hearing aids. These must be the children of Helen Keller!"
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On Sunday, Khan shared a lengthy Instagram post apologizing for her comments.
"Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait," she said.
"It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize," she added.
"Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.
"Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change...and change begins within the heart."
Rolling Stone's list was topped by Aretha Franklin, who the magazine described as a "force of nature" and a "gift from the heavens."
"Her singing is the most magnificent sound to emerge from America — more universal than Coltrane's horn, bolder than Hendrix's guitar," Rolling Stone wrote of the "Respect" singer.
"Whatever she sang, she claimed it as her own. And as long as you live, you'll never hear anything like Aretha Franklin. That's why her voice still goes right on changing the world.
"Singer of singers. Queen of queens. All hail Lady Soul."