Chaka Kahn has entered a rehabilitation program to help her fight her addiction to prescription pain medication, the same battle that claimed the life of her friend and music legend Prince
AP/Matt Sayles

In a statement to The Associated Press, Kahn details how Prince's death motivated her and her younger sister Yvonne Stevens to enter rehab:

"The tragic death of Prince has had us both rethinking and reevaluating our lives and priorities. We knew it was time to take action to save our lives.”

Prince's overdose on fentanyl, an opioid painkiller, drew attention to the national opioid addiction crisis. According to the CDC, as many as one in four people who are prescribed opioid painkillers for conditions besides cancer struggle with addiction.

Kahn's rep said in a statement to E! News that she will postpone all her July concerts in order to enter rehab:

Chaka has struggled with a dependence on prescription pain medications and has voluntarily entered the program to get healthy and stay that way. As part of the ongoing outpatient treatment the doctors have urged her to resume recording mid-July and all performances beginning August 1st and onward.