Chaka Khan Says She’s Sorry For Criticizing ‘Greatest Singers’ List
Legendary singer Chaka Khan has apologized for her comments on a recent podcast, blasting Rolling Stone’s list of the “200 Greatest Singers of All Time.”
If you missed it, the “Queen of Funk” recently appeared on the Los Angeles Times’ The Originals podcast with host Andrew Goldman. In short, she didn’t take too kindly her placement on the list (a blasphemous #29), in comparison to some other singers. Among the highlights: She said that Mariah Carey is at #5 because of payola, that Mary J. Blige (#25) messed up her rendition of “Sweet Thing,” and that Joan Baez (#189) couldn’t sing (but can write). Also, when the hosts mentioned that Adele was #22, she simply said, “Ok, I quit.”
Chaka Khan at #29 shares her thoughts on people who came before and after her on @RollingStone’s 200 Greatest Singers of all Time list:
•Aretha @ #1: As she should be
•Mariah #5: Payola or some shit
•Beyoncé #8: She’s a great singer
•MJB #22: These b**** must be deaf pic.twitter.com/gNeZtdnURr
— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) March 2, 2023
The Chicago native slammed the famed music mag for their rankings, calling the staff “blind bat b–ches” for placing her a notch lower than both R&B powerhouses.
“They are blind as a motherf–king bat! They need hearing aids… These must be the children of Helen Keller!” the “Sweet Thing” hitmaker said, according to Page Six.
Khan, a veteran in the R&B and Soul genres, shared that prior to the interview, she had never heard of the Rolling Stone list. But the singer reassured Goldman that she wasn’t taking the snub at face value.
“I didn’t even know what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this doesn’t mean a great deal to me,” she said. “These people don’t quantify or validate me in any way.”
Well, Chaka has since apologized for the harshness of her comments in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday.
In part, she writes, “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. As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes,’ ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.”
She continues, “It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize. Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change … and change begins within the heart.”
You can check out her full statement below:
SEE ALSO:
Chaka Khan Doesn’t Need To Be On Any List To Validate Her Career: Here’s Why
Chaka Khan Cancels Show, Checks Into Rehab For Pain Killer Addiction
Chaka Khan Pulls Out of ‘Inappropriate’ Whitney Houston Tribute
The post Chaka Khan Says She’s Sorry For Criticizing ‘Greatest Singers’ List appeared first on NewsOne.