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Chaka Khan to Pay Tribute to Whitney Houston at Apollo Theater Gala

By Jeff Mays | May 18, 2012 5:13pm
Whitney Houston, shown performing at the 2009 American Music Awards, died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at the age of 48.
Whitney Houston, shown performing at the 2009 American Music Awards, died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at the age of 48.
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

HARLEM — Singer Chaka Khan will perform a tribute to the late Whitney Houston at the Apollo Theater's annual fundraising gala next month.

Khan is not the only celebrity singer that will be saluting a recently-deceased legend.

Eddle Levert will perform in honor of the late founder of Soul Train, Don Cornelius, while Valerie Simpson will sing a tribute to her late husband Nick Ashford.

Together the duo formed the successful Motown song-writing duo and group Ashford and Simpson.

The June 4 spring gala, now in its seventh year, will also feature the induction of Lionel Richie and the late Etta James into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.

Past hall of fame inductees include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Each inductee is honored with a plaque on the Apollo Walk of Fame underneath the theater's marquee on 125th Street.

Richie first performed at the Apollo Theter in the 1970s as a member of The Commodores while they were serving as the opening act for Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

“The Apollo is such an important part of music history in this country, and my own personal history,” Richie said in a statement.

“When they called and said they were putting me on that list of names, I was thrilled. It’s an honor to be a part of the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.”