Ava Cherry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ava Cherry
Cherry at Metro Chicago, 2016
Background information
Also known as	Black Barbarella
Born	1953 (age 71–72) Woodlawn, Chicago, U.S.
Origin	New York, New York
Genres	R&B, disco, post-disco, dance-pop, new wave
Occupation(s)	Singer, model
Years active	1972–present
Labels	RSO, Capitol
Signature

Ava Cherry is an American singer and model. She worked with the famous English musician David Bowie from 1972 to 1975. They met in New York City when she was a waitress and Bowie was on tour.

Their time together greatly influenced Bowie's Young Americans album, which had a "blue-eyed soul" sound. After this, Ava Cherry started her own singing career. She also sang backup for other musicians like Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan.

Ava Cherry grew up in Chicago and was surrounded by amazing African-American music. She became an important influence for many artists. Her work with Bowie on Young Americans is a big part of her story. She also worked with a band called the Astronettes, which played music that sounded like early new wave.

Ava Cherry's solo career has been long. Her first album, Ripe!!!, came out in 1980. Her solo music is known for its disco style. Critics often liked her music, but it did not always sell well. Some people believe this was due to unfair challenges in the music industry.

In January 2022, she released her book called All That Glitters: The Ava Cherry Story.

Early Life and Beginnings

Ava Cherry was born in 1953 in Woodlawn, a neighborhood in Chicago. Her father was a postal worker and played the trumpet. Her mother worked in administration.

Ava grew up loving music because of her father. 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 often went to the Regal Theater in Chicago, a popular place for black music fans.

After high school, Cherry wanted to be a model. She put together photos and found work with some agencies. She moved to New York City for her modeling career. When modeling did not work out as planned, she became a cocktail waitress to earn money.

Working with David Bowie

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

Cherry was working as a waitress at the Genesis nightclub. She was also 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 a tour in Japan.

Their working relationship quickly became personal. Cherry quit her job and sold her apartment for the Japan tour, but the tour was canceled. She then traveled to Europe to find Bowie.

Modeling in Europe

While traveling in Europe, Cherry caught the eye of modeling agencies. Designers saw her as "a goddess from outer space." She modeled in major fashion cities like Paris, London, and Milan. Her photos were even in Vogue and Elle magazines.

After a year, Cherry found Bowie working on his album Pin Ups near Paris. They spent a week recording the album. She called it "one of the most beautiful times in my life." They lived together in Paris for eight months.

The Astronettes Project

Bowie wanted to help Cherry's music career. He formed a soul-influenced group called The Astronettes. It included Cherry, Warren Peace, and Jason Guess. They recorded songs in London in late 1973 and early 1974.

The Astronettes project was put on hold, and their music was not released until the 1990s. However, Bowie kept the trio as his backup singers for his Diamond Dogs tour. Some people thought The Astronettes' music was just "sketchwork," but others liked it for its early new wave sound.

Influence on Young Americans

Cherry had a big influence on Bowie's ninth album, Young Americans. This album was heavily influenced by black music. Cherry, Robin Clark, and Luther Vandross were the backup singers who helped create the album's sound.

Cherry introduced Bowie to the Apollo Theater. There, he met Carlos Alomar and Luther Vandross from the house band. Bowie and Alomar wrote some of the album's most popular songs. Vandross also became a famous singer himself. Cherry also introduced Bowie to Sigma Sound Studios, a famous place for Philadelphia soul music, where the album was recorded.

Cherry was a standout member of the Young Americans backup band. Critic Lester Bangs praised her in Creem magazine.

Music Career After Bowie

The Astronettes and GO

Bowie put Cherry and two other singers into a group called The Astronettes. They recorded an album, but it was not released until 1995. The album was called People From Bad Homes. Cherry was upset that these unfinished songs were released to the public.

Some critics saw People From Bad Homes as interesting mainly for showing the history of later Bowie songs. However, others praised the album for its early new wave style. In 2008, the same recordings were released again as The Astronettes Sessions.

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

Solo Career Highlights

After GO, Cherry returned 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. It faced challenges because it was a disco album released when disco was becoming less popular. Two singles from the album were "Love Is Good News" and "I Just Can't Shake This Feeling."

Cherry's second album, Streetcar Named Desire, came out in 1982 with Capitol Records. It was produced by Bob Esty. This album was not commercially successful. Its lack of success was partly due to unfair challenges in the music industry. Pop radio stations reportedly stopped playing the album when they found out Cherry was a black artist making 'white' music. Critics at the time liked the album, calling it "electric, heart-pumping funk."

Picture Me, Cherry's third album, was released in 1987. It was her most successful solo album, with two songs reaching the Top 40 dance charts. However, it did not meet the record label's sales expectations. The album's continued disco influence was seen as a reason why Cherry did not become a mainstream pop star. Still, Picture Me was successful enough for Cherry to be recognized as one of the women changing pop music.

Cherry did not release another solo record until the EP Spend the Night in 1997. This EP was 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 distribute music mainly through the Internet. After Spend the Night, Cherry released several singles on her own in the early 2010s. In 2019, she signed with Wake Up! Music. With them, she released a cover of Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the nu-disco song "Testify Love."

Backup Singer Work

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

Cherry also sang backup for Chaka Khan and Robert Palmer. In 2013, she appeared in 20 Feet from Stardom, a documentary 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)