I'm Every Woman

This song is about a strong woman who takes very good care of her man, supporting him and making him a better person. It was written by the husband and wife team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who as Ashford & Simpson, had a hit in 1984 with "Solid." Surprisingly, it was Nick Ashford who wrote the lyric. "The whole woman thing took a long time to come through," he explained in the Billboard Book of #1 Hits. "It's hard when you have to assume the role of the woman."

Whitney Houston recorded the song in 1992, taking it to #4 in the US and introducing the song to a new audience. Houston pays tribute by yelling "Chaka" a few times near the end. Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston, sang backing vocals on Chaka Khan's original version. Whitney's version appears on the soundtrack to the movie The Bodyguard, where she stars as a singer under the protection of Kevin Costner. The soundtrack is one of the best selling albums of all time, thanks mainly to Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You," which is also a cover. That song was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton.

"I'm Every Woman" was Chaka Khan's first single as a solo artist, appearing on her debut album, Chaka, in 1978. She was well known for her work in the band Rufus, who had hits with "Tell Me Something Good" and "Sweet Thing," and was still technically a member of the group when she made the album. To fulfill her contract, she made two more albums with Rufus that got little attention, but her solo career took off, catching fire with the 1984 hit "I Feel For You."