Cheryl Pepsii Riley facts for kids

Cheryl Bridget "Pepsii" Riley (born October 18, 1968) is an American singer and actress. She is famous for her music from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her most well-known song is the 1988 R&B ballad "Thanks for My Child".

Cheryl Pepsii Riley has also acted in many of Tyler Perry's stage plays. These include Madea's Class Reunion (2003) and Why Did I Get Married? (2006).

Life and Career Highlights

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Cheryl Bridget Riley was born in Brooklyn, NY. She was the first of two children. She went to Clara Barton High School. Before becoming a singer, Riley worked as a nurse, caring for children with disabilities.

Her music journey started as the lead singer of a band called Stargaze. They released their first song, "You Can't Have It," in 1982.

Rise to Music Fame

In November 1988, Cheryl Pepsii Riley's song "Thanks for My Child" became a huge hit. It reached number one on the US R&B chart. It also made it to number 32 on the main pop chart. The group Full Force wrote this special song. It was inspired by one of their member's experiences with his wife's first pregnancy.

Her first album, Me, Myself and I, also had a popular song with the same name. This song reached number 18 on the R&B charts in early 1989. Another song from that album, "Every Little Thing About You," also did well.

Riley released her second album, Chapters, which included songs like "How Can You Hurt The One You Love." She also covered Aretha Franklin's classic song "Ain't No Way." Her third album, All That!, featured the singles "Gimme" and "Guess I'm In Love."

Acting and Recent Music

After taking a break from the spotlight, Riley returned in the late 1990s. She appeared on songs for the group The Beatnuts. She then began acting in many popular gospel plays by Tyler Perry. Some of these plays include Madea's Class Reunion, Madea Goes to Jail, and Why Did I Get Married?.

Cheryl Pepsii Riley also appeared in the movie versions of Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Big Happy Family. She has a regular role on Tyler Perry's TV show House of Payne.

In 2006, Riley released Let Me Be Me, her first album in fourteen years. She released another solo album called Still Believe in 2015.

Personal Life

Cheryl Pepsii Riley has been married twice and has one child. She first married David Jones, who was also in the band Stargaze, in 1985. They later divorced in 2000. In 2003, she married Mike Grace. They raised his son, John Grace, together. Riley and Grace later divorced in 2011.

Discography

Albums

• 1988: Me, Myself & I
• 1991: Chapters
• 1993: All That!
• 2006: Let Me Be Me
• 2015: Still Believe

Singles

• "Thanks for My Child" (1988)
• "My Myself & I" (1988)
• "Every Little Thing About You" (1988)
• "How Can You Hurt The One You Love" (1991)
• "Ain't No Way" (1991)
• "Gimme" (1993)
• "Guess I'm in Love" (1993)
• "Good Lovin'" (1995)
• "Let Me Love You Boy" (Snatch featuring Cheryl Pepsii Riley) (2000)
• "He's a Hurricane" (James Day & U-Nam feat. Cheryl Pepsii Riley) (2018)