Jessica Mauboy shares unforgettable encounter with Chaka Khan

Jessica Mauboy opens up about the time she met Chaka Khan and why it’s one of the “greatest moments” of her life.Her new album Yours Forever is streaming now on all music platforms.

Video transcript

JESSICA MAUBOY: A moment that I'll never forget is when I was working at the Harvey Mason Jr. Studio. And where Jordan Sparks makes a lot of music, Chris Brown. And this was kind of like where everyone was kind of making their music and beginning their career.

And I walked out of the studio and into another studio, and out comes Chaka Khan. And she's like, oh, hey, baby girl. I was like, oh hey. You know, the hair, like she still had the same hair. Beautiful as ever.

And she was like, oh, are you using the studios? I'm like-- and she's like, you got an Australian accent. I was like, yeah, I'm Australian. And she's like, oh, I love Australia. I want to go back again. Do you sing? And I was like, yeah. That's how the connection happened. And I just kept thinking, oh my gosh.

(SINGING) Ain't nobody loves me better, makes me--

And like.

(SINGING) I'm every woman. It's all in me.

I just kept-- that was rotating in my brain at the same time. And I just-- I was like-- [STAMMERING]

[LAUGHS]

- You didn't sing to her?

JESSICA MAUBOY: I didn't. But no, what happened was she said, oh, you know, so what are you recording? I'm like, oh, I'm recording my new record. And in fact, I introduced-- or not introduced her, but invited her into the studio I was working in, and she heard a little bit.

And at the time, I was recording Fight For You. And I did Heartbreak Party. And she heard that. She was like, oh, cute. She's like, that is cute, baby girl.

[LAUGHS]

Yeah, baby girl.

[LAUGHS]

She's like, baby. And I just kept going, oh my gosh, if anyone could see this right now, I don't want to ask for a photo, but it's engraved in my brain. It was like one of the greatest moments.