Chaka Khan Says She Was Told Rufus Had ‘Too Many Black People in the Band’

Chaka Khan is opening up about racism she faced during her career.

In an interview with The Guardian published Saturday, May 11, the R&B superstar, 71, detailed a challenging experience she faced during her time in the funk band Rufus.

“When Rufus first came out, it was all white guys and myself, but then the band changed and Tony Maiden, Bobby Watson and Andre Fischer came in,” Khan said of the group’s members. “This guy booked us for a gig in Illinois, based on our original album cover, and when we got there he said that there were too many Black people in the band.”

She added, “He actually put some white guys on the stage with us.”

Formed in Chicago, Rufus was one of the most influential funk acts of the ’70s. The band earned four No. 1 R&B albums and 10 top 40 pop hits, and launched Khan’s solo career.

In December, the “Ain’t Nobody” artist revealed to Rolling Stone that she “will not do another tour” for the remainder of her career. While the music legend said that she doesn’t plan to retire from performing live — at least for the time being — she is done with being on a tour bus now that she has “this rich-ass life.” 

“Some people, that’s all they have, you know?” Khan said of touring to the publication. “I got this rich-ass life. I’ve got great-grandchildren I want to get to know better. So I will not do another tour.”

She continued, “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.”

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Chaka Khan in New York City in October 2022.
Roy Rochlin/Getty

Khan also clarified why touring no longer suits her lifestyle.

“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. And then you got a gig that night,” she explained.

Khan continued: “That’s friggin’ insane. It was just insanity. It’s like being a truck driver and a performer. It’s lonely as all get-out.”