R&B singer Chaka Khan cancels fair show, enters rehab

R&B icon Chaka Khan has canceled her Stanislaus County Fair appearance this week and entered rehabilitation for drug addiction.

Representatives for the singer, known for hits such as “I’m Every Woman” and “I Feel for You,” said she has struggled with prescription pain medication dependence and has “voluntarily entered the program to get healthy and stay that way.” She has enrolled in a rehab and aftercare program. As a result, the 10-time Grammy winner has had to cancel a string of tour dates in July, including her Turlock stop slated for Wednesday.

Stanislaus County Fair spokeswoman Adrenna Alkhas said R&B/soul performers Jody Watley and Shalamar will replace Khan.

“We are extremely disappointed Chaka Khan canceled because we knew how much the community was looking forward to it, yet at the same time we wish her the best in her health and full recovery,” Alkhas said in a statement. “We are very excited to announce that Jody Watley and Shalamar will be replacing her. They will bring a high-energy performance that our guests will love.”

Watley burst onto the music scene in the late 1980s and won the Grammy for best new artist in 1988. Her hits include “Looking for a New Love,” “Don’t You Want Me” and “Real Love.” She is joined by Shalamar, with whom she used to perform when the soul-disco group rose to fame thanks to appearances on “Soul Train” in the 1970s and 1980s. The act reloaded its lineup a couple of years ago with new members Nate Allen Smith and renowned choreographer/dancer and vocalist Rosero McCoy.

-modbee.com

-desertsun.com