Event happens in Santa Barbara, California - June 24-27


Chaka Khan
(May. 10, 2004) Solombra Ingram, founder of "I'm Every Woman" Conference and the First Lady of Maranatha Community Church in Los Angeles, along with celebrity host Terry Vaughn (All of Us, The Steve Harvey Show) will salute veteran R&B singer Chaka Khan as Woman of the Year during a special awards dinner, citing her Khan's career achievements and charity efforts on behalf of women and children at risk.

The conference will be held at the luxurious Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, California, Thursday, June 24 through Sunday, June 27th. The overall theme of the conference will be Growth and Change. The purpose will be to nurture, challenge and encourage women to survive life's most difficult crises and discover the secrets of personal growth and maintaining inner beauty. For information and registration visit us at www.imeverywoman.org or call (310) 226-6158.

Other special speakers and guests include actress Judge Mablean Ephraim of Divorce Court, Billy Blanks of Tae Bo fame, recording artist Shanice, Eunetta Boone, executive producer of One on One, Dr. Betty Price, author and First Lady of Crenshaw Christian Center; Dr. Billy G. Ingram, pastor and writer of "The Legacy," Maura Gale, entertainer, actress, performance poet and many more.

Top entertainment and business professionals are also scheduled to participate as speakers or panelists. They include Lynn Chamberlain-Tribble, HIV/AIDsS spokesperson, Roz Stevenson, motion picture publicist, Jaki Brown-Karman, casting director/producer, Kasey Phillips-Brown, licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Hilton M. Hudson II, CT surgeon/publisher, Judge Irma J. Brown, Los Angeles Superior Court, Sheila Ducksworth, VP Development, First Move TV/Fox TV and LaRonda Sutton, president of Artist Exposure. It's been three decades since Chaka Khan--award-winning singer, songwriter, and community advocate--first introduced the world to the music and lyrics that would change the recording world. Since her arrival on the scene in the early 1970s, Chaka has been setting standards in most every music genre; pop, rhythm & blues, rock, disco, fusion, jazz, rap, hip-hop and even classical.

Khan first arrived on the music scene in 1973 as the lead singer for Rufus, one of the first multi-racial bands of its time. Touring with popular music legends Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones, the group--known best as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, earned one platinum album, five gold albums, five gold singles, five # 1 hits and two GRAMMY® Awards. Those hits include "Sweet Thing," "Tell Me Something Good," "Once You Get Started," "Everlasting Love," "Do You Love What You Feel," and "Ain't Nobody."

Khan began her solo career in the late 1970s with the smash hit, "I'm Every Woman," a tune written for her by the legendary songwriting team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Since then, she has recorded nine albums and been honored with six more GRAMMY® Awards. Her solo hits include "What Cha Gonna Do For Me?" "Clouds," "Papillion," "I Feel For You," and "Through the Fire." She also served as executive producer for her 1992 GRAMMY®-winning album The Woman I Am.

Khan recently launched her own record label, Earth Song Entertainment, named after "Earth Song," one of her compositions. Khan's mystical lyrics celebrate the purity of heart and mind with which she begins each creation. It all comes together to present the label's true purpose: individual artistic creativity.

In 1999, the Chaka Khan Foundation was established to offer drug and alcohol treatment, programs to help women and children transition out of poverty, and support for battered women. The foundation seeks new treatments and effective preventative education for the HIV and hepatitis epidemics. It also assists communities with their efforts to encourage artistic, cultural and racial expression as an effort to break down barriers. Of this endeavor, Khan simply says, "It's time to build up and time to give back."

One of the ways Khan is giving back is with a delectable line of gourmet chocolates called Chakalates. All proceeds will go to the Chaka Khan Foundation to assist women and children at risk. Chakalates are now available at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. Proceeds from the "I'm Every Woman" conference will support Touching Lives, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing educational materials, learning opportunities, informative trips abroad and scholarships for disadvantaged youth.

Since 2000, the Maranatha Community Church has assisted more than fifty disadvantaged youth with travel opportunities and scholarships.


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source: Roz Stevenson / Roz Stevenson PR / (323) 296-6612

I think the title of the conference gave it away!

One thing they taught me in journalism class 101 is that an inaugural event cannot be classified as "first annual"...since there is no guarantee of a follow up the next year.

glad i remembered something from my useless college years.