Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →
Music Icon Chaka Khan Says She's 'Partnered Out' at 73
In a new interview with The Observer, Chaka Khan said she's not looking for a partner and pushed back on assumptions about her sexuality, while also discussing her upcoming album 'Chakzilla'.
Chaka Khan has declared herself "partnered out" at 73, saying she is not searching for another relationship. In an interview with The Observer, published Thursday, August 20, the singer spoke about her personal life while promoting her upcoming album, Chakzilla.
Asked about the lyric "I've been waiting all my life for this moment" on the title track and what she was still waiting for, Khan said: "I don't want to discuss that, because if I talk too much about what I would like to have, somebody will try to arrange it for me. So I'm just going to mosey along and let life do what it do."
She added: "One of them is not necessarily a partner. I'm not looking for that. I'm partnered out."
Rejecting Assumptions About Sexuality
When asked about supporting the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, Khan rejected the notion that she identifies as straight. "A straight icon? What's the straight part?" she asked. "What do you mean, straight in what way?"
After clarifying that the reporter meant "heterosexual," Khan said: "Am I? How do you know what the f--- I am? I don't ever share that part of my life. That's nobody's business but mine."
She continued: "I am for everybody. I don't care what you sleep with at night. If your heart is in the right place, that's all I care about."
A History of Marriage and Privacy
Khan has been married twice. She married Hassan Khan in 1970 when she was 17; the marriage ended the following year. She later wed Richard Holland in 1976, with whom she shares a son, Damien; they divorced in 1980. She also has a daughter, Indira, born in 1973, with Rahsaan Morris.
In past interviews with The Guardian, Khan has reflected on the challenges of separating her private identity from her public persona. In 2017, she said: "Both times I was constantly wondering which person they loved: Chaka Khan or the real me – Yvette Stevens." She also said at the time: "It would take a man of biblical proportions for me to marry again," adding, "I don't have time for a man unless he can bring something big to the table, like a huge amount of money."
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, she said her second marriage caused tension within Rufus, the band she fronted in the 1970s: "They didn't want me to have a husband." She elaborated that the band members were "just very possessive of their little diamond."
New Album and Musical
Khan is preparing to release Chakzilla on September 18 through her EarthSong Records label under licence to BMG. The 10-track record follows Hello Happiness and includes collaborations with Sia, Snoop Dogg and Lenny Kravitz. It is described as being "largely co-written" with Sia, who also features on it.
In a June interview with PEOPLE, Khan described the album as "a really, really great album, a great CD with great songs," adding it would be "on the pop dance side." She also spoke warmly about Sia, saying: "She's got a big, beautiful heart. And she's such a talent; she's so clever and so smart and a great singer, a great writer."
Ahead of the release, Khan has shared three singles: the title track, "Boogie's in My Soul" with Snoop Dogg, and "Curious Subject." In another recent interview, she mentioned Sia was "sick and tired of not hearing her" on the radio.
Career Highlights and Current Projects
Khan's career spans more than five decades. It first began as lead singer of Rufus, recording hits including "Tell Me Something Good," written by Stevie Wonder, and "Ain't Nobody," which was later recorded by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard. Other soon famous recordings include "I Feel for You," written by Prince, and "Through the Fire." She has won 11 different Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
A musical about her life, I'm Every Woman, is currently running in London with Alexandra Burke portraying Khan, but it closes on September 27.
How each outlet told it
people.com
Framing: Headline focuses on her rejection of the straight assumption, framing it as a statement on privacy. — Direct and provocative, with quotes capturing her bluntness.
Facts Included:
In a new interview with The Observer, Chaka Khan rejected the notion she identifies as straight.
She is 73 years old.
Quote: 'A straight icon? What’s the straight part?'
Quote after clarifying: 'Am I? How do you know what the f--- I am? I don’t ever share that part of my life. That’s nobody’s business but mine.'
Quote: 'I am for everybody.'
Quote: 'I don’t care what you sleep with at night. If your heart is in the right place, that’s all I care about.'
She was previously married to Hassan Khan and Richard Holland.
She said 'I’m not looking for that. I’m partnered out.'
Musical 'I’m Every Woman' is running in London through Sept. 27.
Album 'Chakzilla' releases on Sept. 18.
Quote from June PEOPLE interview: 'It’s a really, really great album, a great CD with great songs. It’s going to be on the pop dance side.'
Quote about Sia: 'She’s got a big, beautiful heart. And she’s such a talent.'
Quote about Sia: 'She’s so clever and so smart and a great singer, a great writer. I mean, she’s almost perfection when it comes to art.'
Three singles shared: 'Chakzilla', 'Boogie’s in My Soul' with Snoop Dogg, and 'Curious Subject'.
Framing: Headline highlights her statement 'partnered out' regarding love life, centering on her relationship status. — Neutral/celebratory, with direct quotes and factual career details.
Facts Included:
Chaka Khan declared herself 'partnered out' at 73, not searching for another relationship.
Promoting new album 'Chakzilla', released September 18 on EarthSong Records under licence to BMG.
10-track record follows 2019's 'Hello Happiness' and includes collaborations with Sia, Snoop Dogg, Lenny Kravitz.
Quote: 'I don’t want to discuss that, because if I talk too much about what I would like to have, somebody will try to arrange it for me.'
Quote: 'One of them is not necessarily a partner. I’m not looking for that. I’m partnered out.'
Married Hassan Khan at 17, marriage ended the following year.
Married Richard Holland in 1976, divorced in 1980.
Children: son Damien (with Richard Holland), daughter Indira (with Rahsaan Morris).
2017 Guardian quote: 'Both times I was constantly wondering which person they loved: Chaka Khan or the real me – Yvette Stevens.'
2017 quote: 'It would take a man of biblical proportions for me to marry again.'
2017 quote: 'I don’t have time for a man unless he can bring something big to the table, like a huge amount of money.'
Career history: lead singer of Rufus, hits 'Tell Me Something Good' (Stevie Wonder) and 'Ain’t Nobody'.
Solo career launched in 1978 with 'I’m Every Woman', later recorded by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard.
Other hits: 'I Feel for You' (written by Prince), 'Through the Fire'.
11 Grammy Awards, inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Musical 'I’m Every Woman' opened in London in July, with Alexandra Burke portraying Khan.
Album largely co-written with Sia; Sia complained she was 'sick and tired of not hearing (Chaka) on the radio'.
Chaka became Sia’s godmother.
Prince wrote 'I Feel for You'; her 1984 recording sold over one million copies and won two Grammys.
Prince helped her during drug struggles and encouraged treatment.
Quote about Prince: 'He plucked me out of a place where I was trying to survive...'
Responded to being described as a 'straight icon': 'Am I? How do you know what the f*** I am? I don’t ever share that part of my life. That’s nobody’s business but mine.'
Quote: 'I am for everybody. I don’t care what you sleep with at night. If your heart is in the right place, that’s all I care about.'
Framing: Headline highlights her 'partnered out' statement and age, framing it as a personal life update. — Sympathetic and personal, focusing on her personal life and family details.
Facts Included:
Chaka Khan revealed she is happy on her own after two divorces.
Interview with Observer published Thursday, August 20.
Lyric: 'I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment' on title track.
Quote: 'I don’t want to discuss that, because if I talk too much about what I would like to have, somebody will try to arrange it for me.'
Quote: 'I’m not looking for that. I’m partnered out.'
Married Hassan Khan in 1970 when she was 17, divorced a year later.
Married Richard Holland in 1976, divorced in 1980; shares son Damien.
Coy about Damien's exact age, referencing 2022 TikTok video.
Daughter Indira, 52, with Rahsaan Morris in 1973.
2019 Guardian interview about second marriage causing tension within Rufus: 'They didn’t want me to have a husband.'
Quote: 'They didn’t care who it was – no one could come and visit me. They were just very possessive of their little diamond.'
2017 Guardian interview: 'I’ve been married twice. Both times I was constantly wondering which person they loved: Chaka Khan or the real me — Yvette Stevens.'
2017 quote: 'It would take a man of biblical proportions for me to marry again. I don’t have time for a man unless he can bring something big to the table, like a huge amount of money.'
Adopted granddaughter Daija Jade Holland, Damien's daughter, when she was 9; shared birthday; from 2017 interview.
Quote: 'There’s a lot of things I missed as a young mom... I adopted my granddaughter — my son’s daughter — when she was 9. She’s just turned 16.'
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimChaka Khan declared herself 'partnered out' at 73, saying she is not searching for another relationship.
ClaimChaka Khan told The Observer that she does not want to discuss what she is waiting for because 'if I talk too much about what I would like to have, somebody will try to arrange it for me.'
ClaimChaka Khan has been coy about Damien's exact age, referencing a 2022 TikTok video in which she said something special happened on March 22, 1978 or 1979.
ClaimIn a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Chaka Khan said about her marriages: 'Both times I was constantly wondering which person they loved: Chaka Khan or the real me – Yvette Stevens.'
ClaimIn a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Chaka Khan said 'I don’t have time for a man unless he can bring something big to the table, like a huge amount of money.'
ClaimChaka Khan said of Prince: 'He plucked me out of a place where I was trying to survive. My record company (was) in my ass, being the meanest people on the planet. I felt like I was being pimped. I cried a lot, because I was falling out of love with music. I was ready to throw in the towel, and then Prince came along.'
ClaimChaka Khan said 'Am I? How do you know what the f--- I am? I don’t ever share that part of my life. That’s nobody’s business but mine.' after clarifying she meant heterosexual.
ClaimChaka Khan told PEOPLE in June that her upcoming album is 'on the pop dance side' and that it is 'a really, really great album, a great CD with great songs.'
ClaimAhead of the Chakzilla release, Chaka Khan has shared three singles so far: the title track, 'Boogie’s in My Soul' with Snoop Dogg, and 'Curious Subject'.
ClaimIn a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Chaka Khan said about Rufus: 'They didn’t care who it was – no one could come and visit me. They were just very possessive of their little diamond.'
ClaimChaka Khan said in the same 2017 interview: 'There’s a lot of things I missed as a young mom... I adopted my granddaughter — my son’s daughter — when she was 9. She’s just turned 16.'