Chaka Khan is opening the next chapter of her life onstage! 

The funk legend confirmed she’s developing “I’m Every Woman: The Musical,” a theatrical retelling of her career and personal journey that Khan told Harper’s Bazaar UK she’s been “trying to find a way to tell” for years. At 72, Khan said the time felt right to translate a life of music, struggle, and triumph into a stage musical that can celebrate Black womanhood and survival. 

Khan said it was “difficult to find a girl” who was “wild enough” to play her. However, English pop star Alexandra Burke fit the description. “I told her, ‘Free yourself up, baby. Relax, open your mouth and sing.’ And she did exactly that,” Khan recalled telling Burke. 

The project aims to be both a showpiece and a reflection — charting Khan’s rise, her battles, and the joy that produced signature songs like “Ain’t Nobody.” Written by Nia T. Hill, producers said the musical will spotlight the era that birthed funk and modern R&B while centering Khan’s experiences as a Black woman navigating the music industry. Khan said that after decades of performing and storytelling, she wanted a theatrical format that could reach new audiences while honoring the women who inspired her. 

Khan may have built a beautiful music career, but behind the scenes, she was battling cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and prescription medicine addictions. She said her “innate resilience” is what helped her navigate those seasons. “There were times when I thought, will I make it? Will I live through this?” she recalled. “I went through all this stuff – drugs and the whole nine yards – so I’m just happy that I made it.”

Biographical musicals give artists an opportunity to shape their narrative and to rescue nuance from headline shorthand. For Khan, a career that has influenced generations of Black female singers makes her story a connective tissue across eras — from the Black girl choir rooms and clubs to stadium stages and legacy awards. The musical can also be a platform to highlight the contributions of behind-the-scenes Black creators — writers, choreographers and musicians who built the soundtracks of multiple generations.

Khan said that this is “for every woman,” which hints at an expansive, intergenerational tone that could make the musical a major cultural moment for Black musical theater. “I see bits and pieces of what I do for a living, and sometimes I don’t believe it’s me,” Khan said. “I’m still excited about what I do. It still moves me.” 

She continued, “When you know there are all these people out there waiting to hear you sing, it’s a special thing. I find that what I’m doing right now is just that – loving people in a very big way and getting a lot of love back. I know now, this is what I am, this is what God put me here for, and I’m just going to just do it until it’s over.”

“I’m Every Woman” will premiere at the Hackney Empire, London, UK, on March 20.