Chaka Khan checks into rehab for painkiller addiction, cites Prince’s death as a wake-up call

Chaka Khan has put her July concerts on hold and entered rehab for an addiction to prescription pain medicine, representatives for the singer have confirmed.

Khan, who was to have played in Sacramento on Monday night, “has entered an addiction rehabilitation and aftercare program which will cause her to postpone all dates scheduled for the month of July,� her team said in a statement to The Times.

“Chaka has struggled with a dependence on prescription pain medications and has voluntarily entered the program to get healthy and stay that way. As part of the ongoing outpatient treatment the doctors have urged her to resume recording mid-July and commence all performances beginning August 1st and onward.�

The loss of a friend to a fentanyl overdose influenced the 63-year-old’s decision, she told the Associated Press.

“The tragic death of Prince has had us both rethinking and reevaluating our lives and priorities,� the singer said of herself and younger sister Yvonne Stevens, a.k.a. singer Taka Boom, in a statement to the Associated Press. “We knew it was time to take action to save our lives.�

Prince, who died in April at age 57, took home a 1984 songwriting Grammy for Khan’s hit song “I Feel for You.�

In April, the songstress — whose real name is Yvette Marie Stevens — mourned her friend, saying on social media, “I LOVED him, the world LOVED him. Now he’s at peace with his Father. Rest in power, @prince, my brother.�

The 10-time Grammy winner’s best-known tunes include solo hits “Through the Fire� and “I’m Every Woman,� as well as “Ain’t Nobody� and “Tell Me Something Good,� recorded with funk band Rufus.

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Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.