A tribute to Whitney Houston.<br/> <br />Chaka Khan performed her hit "I'm Every Woman" for her late friend at New York's Apollo Theater on Monday night (June 4)...<br/> <br />...And spoke about trying to deal with the singer's death.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Singer Chaka Khan, saying (English):<br/> <br />"It was, it was tough like it was for everybody. She was much loved, she was a beautiful, beautiful girl inside and out. And she was like my baby sister, or a daughter."<br/> <br />The seventh annual Spring Gala Benefit saw Lionel Richie and the late Etta James inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.<br/> <br />The Apollo Theater is where many African-American performers got their start in show business.<br/> <br />Richie first hit the Apollo stage as a member of the band "The Commodores".<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Lionel Richie, Singer, saying: (English)<br/> <br />"In my growing up if you made the Apollo and passed the test you had a career and it was just that simple. This is our Carnegie Hall, this is our Staples Center, this is our Madison Square Garden. I mean, when there was nothing else but talent, the only place to showcase it was the Apollo."<br/> <br />The theater was opened in 1914 and renamed the Apollo theater in 1934. From then on it focused on attracting the growing African-American community in Harlem with various variety shows.<br/> <br />Nickie Omer, Reuters
