Coko

Coko
Birth name Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble
Also known as Coko
Cheryl Clemons
Born (1970-06-13) June 13, 1970
The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Origin New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1986–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website cokosplace.com

Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble (born June 13, 1970), better known by her stage name Coko, also known as Cheryl Clemons, is an American R&B recording artist and television personality. Gamble is best known as the lead singer of the American R&B vocal trio Sisters With Voices (SWV).[1] Aside from her R&B career, Gamble also has a solo gospel career.

Early life and career

Born in The Bronx, New York to gospel singer Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble, Gamble was raised in the South Bronx section. Gamble began singing at age 3, beginning her recording career as a choir member in Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.[2]

Sisters With Voices (SWV)

From 1990 to 1998, Gamble sang with the platinum recording group, Sisters With Voices (SWV). Collectively the female trio released five albums - the first "Its About Time" selling over three million copies making SWV a big hit. After their 1998 Christmas album, SWV disbanded. To commemorate their tremendous success and huge contribution to the 1990s R&B Music Scene, Six compilation albums were released compiling their best efforts. Gamble made the final decision to disband the group.[3] In an interview, Gamble stated it was not a mutual decision, that many people tried to convince her to stay but it was inevitable. Gamble went on to say that she didn't feel appreciated, that there was no unity within the group and the communication was gone. Gamble did not speak to founding member Leanne Lelee Lyons for several years.

Solo career

After SWV disbanded, Gamble went on to work with other artists such as Will Smith. Gamble went on to release her first solo album under RCA, titled Hot Coko, released on August 10, 1999. The first single, "Sunshine," which was dedicated to her son Jazz, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, both the album and singles did not gather the same mainstream success as Gamble once did with SWV. Meanwhile, Gamble was working on a second solo album titled Music Doll in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. In 2001, Gamble and her Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble did a remake of the song "Tears in Heaven" (originally recorded by Eric Clapton) on the album Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge". The album featured other artists such as Jennifer Holliday, Patti Labelle, and Tramaine Hawkins. Gamble sang on the Brent Jones & TP Mobb single "Midnite" in 2002. Gamble also appeared on Youthful Praise's 2003 gospel album Thank You for the Change singing lead on "Up There". Coko's full gospel solo debut, Grateful, was released in the United States on October 31, 2006[4] and debuted at #5 on Billboard's Top Independent albums chart.[2] Grateful includes an all-star cover of The Clark Sisters' "Endow Me" which features R&B singers Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino and Lil Mo.[5] An alternate version, minus Faith Evans was performed on BET's Celebration of Gospel '07. A special edition of Grateful only available through Wal-Mart includes two bonus tracks "I Wish" and Brent Jones' "Midnite" featuring Gamble on lead vocals. Gamble was reported to have joined an all-black touring cast performing the critically acclaimed play The Vagina Monologues, along with Sherri Shepherd, Star Jones, Vanessa L. Williams, and others.[6] In June 2008, Coko performed in Japan for the Billboard Live Tour. Gamble sang some of her solo hits "Sunshine", "Clap Your Hands", and the SWV song "Right Here/Human Nature".

Reuniting with SWV

Gamble reunited with SWV and performed during their first live performance in eight years in Los Angeles for urban radio station KKBT 100.3 "The Beat"'s Summerjam concert on August 20, 2005. They also appeared on the 2006 New Jack Reunion Tour. SWV was featured in the XXL where they discussed single releases from their debut album It's About Time. In the interview, Gamble mentioned that the group would no longer perform sexually-explicit songs such as "Downtown" and "Can We" anymore out of a new respect for her beliefs as a Christian. The group's final performance took place in Toronto in late June 2007.[7] On April 4, 2008, Coko returned with SWV to perform some of their hits for the local DJ Kid Kutts' birthday.[8] As SWV was in the midst of new shows for early 2011, Gamble posed for a shoot in Jackson, Mississippi with photographer Will Sterling. The photos were in fashionable gowns, set against the natural beauty of the Mississippi Delta.

Personal

Gamble has concentrated more on her family in later years, and eventually married gospel producer and drummer for Israel and New Breed, Mike "Big Mike" Clemons on October 19, 2006. Gamble and Clemons have a son, Jaylon Clemons.[9] Gamble has another son named Jazz Gamble (b. 1995)[10] Gamble currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions[11]
US
[12]		 US
R&B
[13]		 US
Indie
[14]		 US
Gospel
[15]
Hot Coko 68 14 — —
Grateful — 40 21 5
A Coko Christmas
  • Released: October 14, 2008
  • Label: Light
 — — — —
The Winner in Me
  • Released: July 14, 2009
  • Label: Light, Intersound
 — 55 38 4

Compilation albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Gospel
[15]
Always Coko 44

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
US
Hot[16]		 US
R&B[17]		 US
Gospel[18]		 UK
1997 "Men in Black" (with Will Smith)1 — 1 — 1 Men in Black: The Album
1999 "Sunshine" 70 19 — — Hot Coko
"Triflin'"(with Eve) — 69 — —
2006 "I Get Joy" (with Kirk Franklin) — — 20 — Grateful
"Clap Your Hands" — — — —
"Endow Me" (with Fantasia, Faith Evans, and Lil' Mo) — — — —
2009 "Wait" (featuring Youthful Praise) — — — — The Winner in Me
2010 "The Winner in Me" — — 29 —
2014 "At Your Feet" — — 21 — TBA

1U.S. Airplay charts

Other performances

References

  1. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (23 March 1996). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 "Coko Debuts At #5 On Billboard Chart". GospelCity.com. 2006-11-08. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03.
  3. ↑ Rosen, Craig (1999-07-21). "Coko Talks About SWV Breakup". Yahoo Music. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
  4. ↑ "Interview with Coko: A New Beginning". GospelFlava.com.
  5. ↑ Bonner, Gerald. "Grateful Album Review". GospelFlava.com.
  6. ↑ "STAR JONES, SHERRI SHEPHERD IN 'MONOLOGUES': New black version of 'Vagina Monologues' to begin tour next month.". EURweb. 2008-01-09. Archived from the original on 2008-01-12.
  7. ↑ "The Black Shakespeare Chronicles — The Rebirth of Coko". GospelCity.com. 2007-01-23. Archived from the original on 2007-03-06.
  8. ↑ "SWV returns to Toronto 2008 DJ Skimpy and Kid Kutts birthday". 2008-04-04.
  9. ↑ "Coko Formerly of SWV". 1 October 2008.
  10. ↑ "Coko". WE tv.
  11. ↑ "Coko Chart History". Billboard.com.
  12. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Coko - Chart history (Gospel Albums)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Hot 100)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Coko - Chart history (Hot Gospel Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
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