Chicago Smooth

Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan

Chicago born Chaka sang on Wendy Williams fiftieth birthday show.  It was a rare TV treat.  Naturally I went over to her official website. 

 

It’s vibrant, engaging and very informative.  The bio was so information packed I was impressed and disappointed at the same time.  She has so many accomplishments listed that the bio was very light about her early days in Chicago.  But, after reading it, I saw that they have a timeline and thinking that it will be just about her music, I explored it. 

 

BINGO!  This is what I was looking for – the early life of Chaka Khan.  Complete with pictures.

 

It tells the tale of a girl who grew up in the crucible of the 1960’s civil rights days, the Feminist movement and the Vietnam War Protests, if you know how to read between the lines.  It hints at why when she sang “I’m Every Woman” it rang so true. 

 

Did you know that October 19^th is Chaka Khan Day in both the state of Illinois and the City of Chicago?   But this first weekend of August should be declared Chaka Khan Weekend because she will be at the Chicago Theater on Saturday.  

 

~Lydia Barnes ([email protected])

 

Our Smooth Video of the Day:  It's a bit grainy, but it's one of Chaka's greatest.

 

 

Jazz Streets

The Alabama native spent most of her too-short life in Chicago

Chicago does has a street named Honore (and sometimes pronounced "honorary"), but it is not to be confused with the over 1500 honorary streets that have been named for people who have contributed to life in Chicago. The wide brown signs hang under the green ones to give a nod of gratitude to people who have added memorable threads to the fabric of Chicago.

Joining the ranks of musicians like Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Sammy Davis Junior and Lou Rawls will be Dinah Washington, The Queen of Blues.  Although we haven't heard her voice since her passing in 1963, she has not been forgotten. On what would have been her 85th birthday, August 29th, the block at 3800 to 3900 of South Prairie Avenue in Bronzeville will become Dinah Washington Way thanks to the persistence of jazz lover Al Carter Bey. 

Miss Washington's first hit was, "What a Difference A Day Makes."  Now we can point to the sign and wonder what a difference would it have made to her to have her own street.   

~Lydia Barnes ([email protected])

Our Smooth Video of the Day:  Dinah Washington's signature song.