If you search for the name Vivian Cherry, you get a lot of hits. If you eliminate those connected to a photographer by that name, you still get a lot of hits. Literally: she has been in hit movies (Everyone Says I Love You), sung on popular commercials (Have a Coke and a Smile) and on a variety of records, particularly jazz albums.
What she hasn't had - as far as I can tell - is much success as a solo singer under her own name, or with her own material. But within my catacombs I came across two five inch reels containing a total of eleven songs which she sings, and, according to one of the boxes, wrote.
These are not particularly in a style that I appreciate much, but it's an interesting listen, she clearly has an abundance of talent, and there's no reason except for luck and the right people behind her that would have kept Vivian Cherry from being as successful as any number of singers who did make it to the charts in the '70's and '80's (my guess is that these are from the '70's, although the studio identified on the boxes was open until 1985).
Here are the two reels, heard without edit as they played on my machine. I have not edited the individual songs, the titles of which can be seen above and below.
Download: Vivian Cherry: One Set of Songs
Play:
Download: Vivian Cherry: Another Set of Songs
Play:
Thanks for posting these. I do like her voice quite a lot.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting you mention success. Success isn't always awarded to the most diligent, or those with talent to spare. Sometimes being successful is simply blind, dumb luck in getting noticed by the "right" person/s. Often it's who you know. And that's too bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob.
The link to "Another Set of Songs" seems to be broken.
ReplyDeleteWith Lani Groves Gwen Guthrie and Patti Austin, Ms. Cherry was one of the best background singers in NYC for like forever. She toured with Roberta Flack. Always wondered what she sounded as a solo. Both Gwen and Patti Austin had serious solo careers.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful voice .. I remember her .. Brenda Starr she sang with.. 1985.. Is she still in NYC? She reminds me of Melba Moore .. Any pics of her?
ReplyDelete