Cherrelle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cherrelle | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cheryl Week Norton |
| Born | October 13, 1958 |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genre(s) | R&B, funk |
| Years active | 1983-present |
| Label(s) | Tabu Records, Power Records |
| Associated acts | Alexander O'Neal Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Pebbles |
Cherrelle (born Cheryl Week Norton in Los Angeles, California October 13, 1958) is a soul singer who scored several R&B hits in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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[edit] Biography
Cherrelle began her career working with jazz/R&B artists Norman Conners and Michael Henderson, as well as touring with Luther Vandross. After Tabu Records founder Clarence Avant discovered her demo, he signed her to his label in 1983. Cherrelle decided on her stage name after her boss from a previous job hollered "Cher-relle, you're late again!"[1]
In 1984, under the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, she released her debut album Fragile, which went gold thanks to the Top Ten R&B single, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On"; which became a hit again when pop singer Robert Palmer covered it on his 1985 smash album Riptide. Nearly two decades after its release, Mariah Carey enlisted the help of Jam & Lewis to do a near-identical remake of "Turn You On" to be featured on the 2001 soundtrack of her semi-autobiographical movie Glitter. Cherrelle's debut album sold approximately 400,000 in the US at its time of release, but would eventually be certified gold (500,000 sold).
Her best-selling album, however, came with 1985's High Priority, which featured the minor hits "You Look Good to Me" and "Artificial Heart", but included the smash hit and seminal duet with Alexander O'Neal in "Saturday Love" that produced a #2 single. That single propelled the album to gold status in the U.S.
Her third album, 1988's Affair included the #1 R&B single, "Everything I Miss at Home." The single release of the title track also reached #4 on the R&B charts. On the strength of these two R&B hits, the album sold over 500,000, becoming her third consecutive gold record.
Cherrelle's cousin is pop singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid and Cherrelle was featured on Pebble's 1991 single "Always", which made the R&B Top 20. That same year, Cherrelle released her last chart-topper with The Woman I Am, a first-time departure from using Jam & Lewis productions. Instead the singer linked with Narada Michael Walden (of Whitney Houston fame). She reunited with the producers eight years later with her independent album The Right Time, released in 1999 and featuring a guest appearance from rapper Keith Murray.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1984: Fragile (Tabu) - US #144, R&B #27
- 1985: High Priority (Tabu) - US #36, R&B #9
- 1988: Affair (Tabu) - US #106, R&B #15
- 1991: The Woman I Am (Tabu) - R&B #43
- 1995: The Best Of Cherrelle (Tabu)
- 1999: The Right Time - (Power) R&B #55
- 2005: Greatest Hits (Tabu)
[edit] Singles
- 1984: "Fragile...Handle With Care" - R&B #37
- 1984: "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" - R&B #8
- 1985: "You Look Good To Me" - R&B #26
- 1986: "Will You Satisfy?" - UK #57
- 1986: "Artificial Heart" - R&B #18
- 1986: "Saturday Love" (with Alexander O'Neal) - US #25, R&B #2, UK #6
- 1988: "Never Knew Love Like This" (with Alexander O'Neal) - US #28, R&B #2, UK #26
- 1988: "Everything I Miss At Home" - R&B #1, UK #83
- 1989: "Affair" - R&B #4, UK #67
- 1989: "What More Can I Do For You" - R&B #58
- 1990: "Saturday Love" (re-mix) (with Alexander O'Neal) - UK #55
- 1991: "Never In My Life" - R&B #40
- 1992: "Still In Love With You" - R&B #86
- 1992: "Tears Of Joy" - R&B #23
- 1997: "Baby Come To Me" (Alexander O'Neal featuring Cherrelle) - UK #56
