Cheryl Lynn

Biography

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×Got to Be Real1978 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAGot to Be Real3:42BCome in From the Rain3:32" from her album Cheryl Lynn.

Early life and working on stage

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.

1976–85: the Columbia Records years

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×Got to Be Real1978 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAGot to Be Real3:42BCome in From the Rain3:32", 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×In Love21 December 1979 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1I’ve Got Faith in You4:43A2Hide It Away4:36A3Feel It5:07A4In Love5:58B1Keep It Hot5:28B2I’ve Got Just What You Need3:53B3Love Bomb4:12B4Chances4:11B5Don’t Let It Fade Away5:13. 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×In the Night19 June 1981 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Shake It Up Tonight5:41A2Show You How4:06A3In the Night4:27A4Hurry Home4:29B1I'm on Fire4:22B2With Love on Your Side4:22B3If You'll Be True to Me4:06B4What's on Your Mind4:06B5Baby4:21. 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×Instant Love11 June 1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Instant Love5:13A2Sleepwalkin'6:27A3Day After Day4:36A4Look Before You Leap4:04B1Say You'll Be Mine5:09B2I Just Wanna Be Your Fantasy4:07B3Believe in Me3:21B4If This World Were Mine5:36. 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×Preppie4 November 1983 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Encore5:20A2Fix It4:02A3Fool a Fool3:50A4This Time4:26A5Change the Channel3:15B1Preppie4:08B2Love Rush4:16B3No One Else Will Do4:46B4Free4:40B5Life's Too Short5:07, Lynn produced most of the tracks, with the exception of the single "Encore×EncoreDecember 1983 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksAEncore (dance version)8:18B1Got to Be Real5:07B2Encore (LP version)5:20", 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.

Soundtracks

Lynn also recorded soundtracks for feature films, including a song written by Michael Bolton entitled "At Last You're Mine" for the 1985 film Heavenly Bodies, and the track "Steppin' Into the Night" for the 1986 feature film Armed and Dangerous. The song and the film's soundtrack were produced by Maurice White.

1987–98: Whatever It Takes, Good Time and The Real Thing

In 1989, Lynn released the top 10 single "Every Time I Try to Say Goodbye", from her eighth album, Whatever It Takes×Whatever It Takes1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Upset!6:262Every Time I Try to Say Goodbye5:063Whatever it Takes5:234Good For Me5:315Overworked 'n' Underloved5:056Surrender5:097Most of All4:348The Bottom Line4:25.
She began the 1990s without a record contract. She did mostly session work for Richard Marx albums, Rush Street (1991) and Paid Vacation (1994), as well as Luther Vandross' 1996 Your Secret Love album. During 1995, after a six-year hiatus from recording her own material, Lynn teamed with producer/songwriter Teddy Riley (formerly of the new jack swing music group Guy), to record her ninth album, Good Time×Good Time1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Don't Wanna Be Mistreated4:542Good Time5:153Ain't Gonna Worry Me5:304If You Feel5:225Take Me for a Ride6:076Guarantee for My Heart5:417All My Loving5:378So Sweet4:399I Forgot5:0310Never Thought It Would Rain5:5211Got to Be Real '955:1012Renegade5:41. It was released in Japan and the UK, and later in the United States as an imported CD.
In 1996, Sony Records/Legacy released Got to Be Real – The Best of Cheryl Lynn, which included Lynn's most successful recordings from her years with Columbia Records. This was followed soon by another compilation CD, The Real Thing×The Real Thing22 September 1996 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Got to Be Real5:092I'm on Fire4:253In Love5:594Love Bomb4:145You're the One4:146Star Love7:267Preppie4:118Find Somebody New4:089Daybreak (Storybook Children)3:4510Come in From the Rain3:33, which featured other recordings from Lynn's first six albums.
Two years later, she performed on HBO's Sinbad's Summer Soul Jam 4 (1998), hosted by comedian Sinbad.

Later career

During the new millennium, Lynn toured Japan and did an occasional gig in the United States, performing at charity events in her hometown of Los Angeles. In 2000, she worked with hip-hop musician Jay Supreme on his single "Your Love (Encore)", which was an updated version of "Encore×EncoreDecember 1983 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksAEncore (dance version)8:18B1Got to Be Real5:07B2Encore (LP version)5:20." She performed on ABC's The Disco Ball... A 30-Year Celebration, broadcast during January 2003. In 2004, she recorded the song "Sweet Kind of Life," which was also written and produced by Jam & Lewis, for the soundtrack to the 2004 film Shark Tale. In 2005, Lynn's song "Got to Be Real×Got to Be Real1978 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAGot to Be Real3:42BCome in From the Rain3:32" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. On May 23, 2006, Collectables Records re-released her 1981 album In the Night×In the Night19 June 1981 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Shake It Up Tonight5:41A2Show You How4:06A3In the Night4:27A4Hurry Home4:29B1I'm on Fire4:22B2With Love on Your Side4:22B3If You'll Be True to Me4:06B4What's on Your Mind4:06B5Baby4:21 and 1982's Instant Love×Instant Love11 June 1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Instant Love5:13A2Sleepwalkin'6:27A3Day After Day4:36A4Look Before You Leap4:04B1Say You'll Be Mine5:09B2I Just Wanna Be Your Fantasy4:07B3Believe in Me3:21B4If This World Were Mine5:36, in a double CD package form. It was the first time ever that either album was released as a CD in the United States.
Lynn is considered an influence on some of today's R&B female singers, including Mary J. Blige, who, alongside Will Smith, covered and remixed Lynn's song "Got to Be Real", also for Shark Tale. Japanese pop singer Kumi Koda covered the song for her 2010 single album Gossip Candy.
In April 2010, "Got to Be Real" charted for the first time in the UK, peaking at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.

Compilation albums

Got to Be Real: The Best of Cheryl Lynn (1996, Legacy/Columbia)