Key Takeaways
- Syleena Johnson publicly auditioned for Chaka Khan’s Soul Train Awards tribute with a powerful rendition of “Ain’t Nobody,” telling BET, “I will be expecting a call.”
- Johnson highlighted her connection to Khan through their Chicago roots, Zeta Phi Beta membership, and shared place in the soul tradition.
- Khan will receive the Classic Soul Honor during the Nov. 27 ceremony, though BET has not revealed the tribute performers or additional guests.
Syleena Johnson wants in on Chaka Khan’s Soul Train Awards tribute—and she made her pitch in song. The Grammy-nominated singer posted an Instagram Reel delivering a full-throated rendition of Rufus and Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” then directly called on BET to put her services to work when the Chicago icon receives the Classic Soul Honor next month.
“Alright now, @BET, somebody said y’all are honoring the Chicago Queen, Auntie and my soror @ChakaKhan,” Johnson wrote. “Now I will be expecting a call to attain my services to hoot and holler for this glorious tribute.” She also made sure the network understood the hometown connection: “And I’m from the Chicago???? Come on nah.”
Johnson tagged BET, BET Her, BET Soul, BET+, and the Bethlehem Soul Festival in the Reel, effectively turning her performance into a public audition. BET has not announced the artists participating in Khan’s tribute, but Johnson has now made her interest—and her availability—very clear.
The pairing would carry more weight than a singer simply covering one of Khan’s records. Johnson grew up outside Chicago, while Khan was born on the city’s South Side before breaking through as Rufus’s commanding voice.
The two singers are also members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
Johnson has spent much of her career working in the soul tradition, from “I Am Your Woman” and “Guess What” to her Grammy-nominated “All Falls Down.”
Khan will receive the Classic Soul Honor during the Nov. 27 ceremony following a year filled with major career milestones. The 11-time Grammy winner received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award and released Chakzilla, her 13th studio album, featuring Snoop Dogg, Sia, and Lenny Kravitz. She was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
BET President Louis Carr called Khan “the embodiment of soul music” when the honor was announced. “From her groundbreaking work with Rufus to a solo career that has produced some of the most iconic records in music history, she has continually expanded the possibilities of R&B and soul while inspiring generations of artists to find and own their voices,” he said.
The tribute will also be part of the Soul Train Awards’ larger comeback. BET put the ceremony on indefinite hiatus last year, then revived it with Spotify as its exclusive streaming partner and Chicago, where Don Cornelius launched Soul Train in 1971, as its host city.
Anthony Anderson will lead the broadcast, which airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS.
Performers and additional special guests are still under wraps.
