Taka Boom

The sister of Chaka Khan, vocalist Yvonne Stephens forged a new identity by combining the Swahili word for "love of my people" ("Taka") with a last name derived from her ex-husband's occupation (demolitions expert). She worked alongside Khan locally in their hometown of Chicago until Chaka joined Rufus, and Taka moved to Los Angeles. Boom was a session vocalist in the early '70s, singing with the Gap Band and Carl Carlton, as well as being a member of George Clinton's Brides of Funkenstein. She served as lead vocalist for Undisputed Truth in 1975, then signed as a solo singer with Ariola. Her debut LP, Taka Boom, was released in 1979, and the single "Night Dancing" became her only R&B Top 20 hit (at 20). She later switched to Mirage, and made the LP Climate for Love in 1985. "Middle of the Night" got some attention as a single, but the LP went nowhere. After moving to London in the mid-'90s, she did session work and consistent live appearances. ~ Ron Wynn