Cheryl Lynn

Cheryl Lynn (born Lynda Cheryl Smith; March 11, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known for her songs during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, including the 1978 R&B/disco song "Got to Be Real" from her album Cheryl Lynn.

Cheryl Lynn's singing career began with her church choir when she was a young girl. She appeared on an episode of The Gong Show, a daytime entertainment TV show in June 1976, performing Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful". Soon after, she was hired as a backing vocalist for the national touring company of the musical drama The Wiz. Eventually, she obtained the role of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West during the six-month national tour.

After her performance on The Gong Show, Ahmed Ertegun of Atlantic Records was unable to attend an initial meeting with Lynn, with the result that she was contracted with Columbia Records. She released her first and best-known song, "Got to Be Real", which was composed by Lynn alongside keyboardist David Paich (of the band Toto) and David Foster. The song peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Rhythm & Blues chart. The success of the single prompted her debut album, Cheryl Lynn, which was produced by Paich and Marty Paich. It sold more than a million copies and hit No. 5 on Billboard magazine's R&B albums chart and No. 23 on the Billboard 200. The next single from the album, written by Judy Wieder and John Footman, "Star Love", also became a success.

Wieder and Footman joined songwriting forces with the artist for her second album, In Love. The first single, "I've Got Faith in You", was a moderate hit on the R&B chart. The follow-up single, "Keep It Hot", was a club hit. During this time, members of the rock music group Toto were producing their debut album Toto. During the production Lynn was asked to provide the female backing vocal for one of the album's singles, "Georgy Porgy". The single scored No. 48 on Billboard's popular music chart. Although Toto would go on to chart more than a dozen pop and rock songs throughout the years, Lynn's vocal was credited for the group's charting their only R&B (No. 18) and dance (No. 80) hit on the Billboard chart.

In 1981, Ray Parker Jr. was called in to produce Lynn's third album, In the Night. It featured the dance and R&B single, "Shake It Up Tonight". The next year, Luther Vandross was asked to produce Lynn's fourth album, Instant Love. The second single from the album, "If This World Were Mine", a 1982 duet with Vandross that was a cover version of a previous Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song. For her fifth album, Preppie, Lynn produced most of the tracks, with the exception of the single "Encore", which was written and produced by the Minneapolis funk music duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It became Lynn's second No. 1 single on the R&B charts.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.