Whitney Houston tribute

A tribute to Whitney Houston.

Chaka Khan performed her hit "I'm Every Woman" for her late friend at New York's Apollo Theater on Monday night (June 4)...

...And spoke about trying to deal with the singer's death.

SOUNDBITE: Singer Chaka Khan, saying (English):

"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."

The seventh annual Spring Gala Benefit saw Lionel Richie and the late Etta James inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.

The Apollo Theater is where many African-American performers got their start in show business.

Richie first hit the Apollo stage as a member of the band "The Commodores".

SOUNDBITE: Lionel Richie, Singer, saying: (English)

"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."

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.

Nickie Omer, Reuters