Ava Cherry facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Ava Cherry
Cherry at Metro Chicago, 2016
Born	1953 (age 71–72) Woodlawn, Chicago, U.S.
Other names	Black Barbarella
Occupation	Singer, model
Years active	1972–present
Musical career
Origin	New York, New York
Genres	R&B, disco, post-disco, dance-pop, new wave
Labels	RSO, Capitol
Associated acts	David Bowie, Luther Vandross

Signature

Ava Cherry is an American singer and model. She worked with the famous English musician David Bowie from 1972 to 1975. They first met in New York City when she was a waitress and Bowie was on tour. After this meeting, they started working together, which greatly influenced Bowie's "blue-eyed soul" music style, especially on his album Young Americans.

Later, Ava Cherry started her own singing career. She also sang backup for other well-known musicians like Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan. Growing up in Chicago, she was surrounded by a rich African-American music scene. This helped her become an important influence on many artists and a respected musician herself.

Her work on Young Americans is a key part of her story. She helped connect Bowie with important places in soul music, like Sigma Sound Studios and the Apollo Theater. She also worked with a band called the Astronettes, which played music that was like "new wave" before that term even existed.

Ava Cherry's solo career has been long and active. Her first album, Ripe!!!, came out in 1980. Her solo music is known for its disco sound. While critics often liked her work, it didn't always sell well. Some people believe this was due to challenges in the music industry and changing tastes in music. In January 2022, she released her autobiography called All That Glitters: The Ava Cherry Story.

Growing Up: Ava Cherry's Early Life
Ava Cherry's Time with David Bowie
- A Special Connection and Influence
- Shaping the Young Americans Album
Ava Cherry's Music Career
Discography
- Albums and EPs
See Also

Growing Up: Ava Cherry's Early Life

Ava Cherry was born in 1953 in Woodlawn, a working-class area in Chicago. Her family was African-American. Her father was a postal worker and also played the trumpet. He worked very long hours, so she didn't see him often. However, he taught her to love music.

She went to Academy of Our Lady High School and finished in the early 1970s. As a teenager, she sang in a girl group that was inspired by the Supremes. She also often went to the Regal Theater in Chicago, a popular place for black music fans.

After high school, Cherry first wanted to be a model. She put together a book of photos and found work with a few agencies. She didn't like her last name, Cherry, because it was unusual. But modeling agencies told her it was actually a good thing for her career. Later, Cherry moved to New York City to pursue modeling. When it didn't work out as planned, she became a cocktail waitress to earn money.

Ava Cherry's Time with David Bowie

Ava Cherry first learned about David Bowie from her agent, who was a big fan. Her agent gave her a copy of Bowie's album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Cherry loved the album and Bowie's unique style.

At the time, Cherry was a waitress at the Genesis nightclub. She was also good friends with Stevie Wonder's girlfriend, who knew Bowie. When Wonder hosted a party at Genesis, Bowie came. When Bowie and Cherry met, he liked her short blonde hair. He asked if she was a singer and invited her to sing backup on his upcoming tour in Japan.

A Special Connection and Influence

Their working relationship quickly grew into a close personal one. Cherry soon learned that Bowie was married. Cherry and Bowie's wife, Angela Barnett, became friends at first, but later felt jealous of each other. Cherry quit her job and sold her apartment, expecting to go on the Japan tour. However, the tour was canceled.

Not giving up, she traveled to Europe to find Bowie. While in Europe, Cherry caught the eye of modeling agencies. Designers saw her as "a goddess from outer space" because of her striking look. She appeared in magazines like Vogue and Elle. After a year, Cherry found Bowie working on his album Pin Ups near Paris. They spent a week recording the album, which she called "one of the most beautiful times in my life." They lived together in Paris for eight months.

Bowie wanted to help Cherry's music career. He thought she could be the "next Josephine Baker" and wanted her to sign with his manager's company, MainMan. He formed a soul-influenced group called The Astronettes. This group included Cherry, Warren Peace, and Jason Guess. They recorded songs in London in late 1973 and early 1974. The Astronettes project was put aside, and their music wasn't released until the 1990s. However, Bowie kept the trio as his backup singers for his Diamond Dogs tour.

Shaping the Young Americans Album

Cherry had a big impact on Bowie's ninth album, Young Americans. This album was heavily influenced by soul music and Bowie's interest in black music. The backup singers for the album were Cherry, Robin Clark, and a then-unknown Luther Vandross. They greatly shaped the album's sound.

Cherry introduced Bowie to the Apollo Theater, where he found musicians Carlos Alomar and Luther Vandross for his band. Bowie and Alomar went on to write some of the album's most famous songs. Vandross later became a star himself. Cherry also introduced Bowie to Sigma Sound Studios, a famous studio for Philadelphia soul music, where the album was recorded. Cherry later said that her encouragement inspired Bowie to explore black music. Critics praised her as a standout member of the Young Americans backup band.

The early to mid-1970s was a busy time for Bowie. He had financial problems with his manager, which led him to suddenly cut ties with many people, including Cherry. He dropped her from his upcoming tour. Cherry believes Bowie wrote the songs "Golden Years" and "Stay" from his album Station to Station about her.

Ava Cherry's Music Career

The Astronettes and GO

Bowie put Cherry and two other singers into a group called The Astronettes. They recorded an album, but it wasn't released until 1995 as People From Bad Homes. Cherry was upset that these unfinished songs were released to the public without her or Bowie's permission. Some critics saw People From Bad Homes as just a curiosity, mainly useful for understanding how later Bowie songs developed. However, others liked the album for its early "new wave" style. In 2008, the same recordings were re-released as The Astronettes Sessions.

After her time with Bowie, Cherry joined a progressive jazz supergroup called GO. This group included Steve Winwood, former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve, and Stomu Yamashta.

Solo Singing Career

After GO, Cherry went back to Chicago to start her solo career. Her first solo album, Ripe!!!, was released in 1980 by RSO Records. It was produced by Curtis Mayfield. The album had a small impact on the Billboard Black Albums Chart. However, it faced challenges because it was a disco album released when disco music was becoming less popular. Two singles were released from the album: "Love Is Good News" and "I Just Can't Shake This Feeling." The album's small success helped Cherry sign a deal with Capitol Records.

Cherry's second album, Streetcar Named Desire, came out in 1982 through Capitol Records. It was produced by Bob Esty, who had worked with famous singers like Donna Summer and Cher. Streetcar Named Desire did not sell well, and neither did its two singles, "Streetcar Named Desire" and "Love To Be Touched." Its lack of success was partly blamed on unfair ideas in the music industry. Pop radio stations reportedly stopped playing the album after finding out Cherry was a black artist making 'white' music. Still, critics at the time gave it good reviews, calling it "electric, heart-pumping funk."

Picture Me, Cherry's third album, was released in 1987. This was her most successful solo album, with two songs reaching the Top 40 dance charts. However, it still didn't meet the record label's sales goals. The album's continued disco influence was seen as a reason why Cherry didn't become a mainstream pop star. Despite this, Picture Me was successful enough for Cherry to be recognized as one of the women changing pop music at the time. The album received mixed reviews.

Cherry did not release another solo record until the EP Spend the Night in 1997. This EP was best known for its cover of "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. Spend the Night was released by J-Bird Records, one of the first labels to mainly distribute music online. After Spend the Night, Cherry released several singles on her own in the early 2010s. In 2019, she signed with an independent label called Wake Up! Music. Through this label, she released a cover of Bowie's "Let's Dance" and a nu-disco song called "Testify Love."

Backup Singer Work

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Cherry also worked as a backup singer for R&B musician Luther Vandross. They had met years earlier as backup singers for Bowie and became very close friends. Cherry thought of him like a brother. As Vandross' friend and backup singer, she played a special role in his stage shows. Her glamorous style often stood out, and his shows were sometimes designed around her and other backup singers. The dresses Cherry wore on stage often cost more than Vandross' own outfits.

Cherry has also sung backup for Chaka Khan and Robert Palmer. In 2013, she appeared in 20 Feet from Stardom, a documentary film about backup singers.

Discography

Albums and EPs

Ripe!!! (1980, RSO Records)
Streetcar Named Desire (1982, Capitol Records)
Picture Me (1987, Capitol Records)
People From Bad Homes (1995) as Ava Cherry & The Astronettes
Spend the Night (1997, J-Bird Records)
The Astronettes Sessions as The Astronettes (2008, Black Barbarella Records)