Cheryl Wheeler - Sue Auclair Promotions
Cheryl Wheeler - Sue Auclair Promotions
Cheryl Wheeler - Sue Auclair Promotions
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<strong>Cheryl</strong> <strong>Wheeler</strong> <br />
<strong>Cheryl</strong> <strong>Wheeler</strong> has to be seen to be appreciated. Nothing you read and nothing you hear from her albums prepares you for <br />
how good a performer she is.<br />
You may not be familiar with <strong>Cheryl</strong>, but you have <br />
probably heard her music. She is very respected as a <br />
songwriter by her peers, which can be seen by how <br />
many of them record her songs. Chery's songs have <br />
been covered by artists as diverse as Dan Seals, Peter <br />
Paul and Mary, Kenny Loggins, Garth Brooks, Suzy <br />
Boggus, Melanie, Bette Midler, Maura O'Connell, Sylvia, <br />
Kathy Mattea, and Holly Near. If they think she is <br />
great, then you owe it to yourself to learn more if you <br />
aren't familiar with her.<br />
From her albums you can tell that she is a gifted <br />
songwriter with a beautiful voice. From other people's <br />
comments about her you can learn that she is a <br />
natural story teller with a fantastic sense of humor. <br />
But until you see her in person, you never really <br />
believe what you've been told about her. Besides, <br />
almost half of the songs she does during her shows <br />
haven't been recorded!<br />
If you have never seen her do a live concert, then by all <br />
means do so! Folks go to the concert knowing they <br />
will enjoy it, and often Nind it even better than they <br />
had thought it would be. If she doesn't ever perform <br />
near you, then try to Nind a copy of her video and see <br />
what you are missing. You can Nind some clips of her <br />
on YouTube, but they are usually only the songs, and <br />
not the stories. If she ever performs near you, do what <br />
you can to attend. If you don't, you will kick yourself <br />
later for missing a great show.<br />
Her Career<br />
<strong>Cheryl</strong>'s Nirst concert was to a captive audience. She <br />
found an old toy ukulele in a neighbor's attic and serenaded her mother who was taking a bath at the time. A year later she got <br />
a real ukulele, then Ninally got her Nirst guitar. She learned guitar from a neighbor, who also taught a group of boys. Each week <br />
they would get together and play just about any song they could think of for hours on end. Her Nirst public performance was at <br />
a Hootenany type show when she was 12. She started writing songs when she was 17.<br />
She has never had a "day job". Her Nirst professional gigs were at the Steak and Ale Restaurant in her home town of Timonium, <br />
Maryland. The place only had one PA system; in the middle of her songs you would hear: "Jones, party of four ... Jones, party of <br />
four." She Ninally convinced them to get a second PA system. <br />
<strong>Cheryl</strong> did have a "job", teaching music. In her words: "I did have a job for a few years, "teaching" music at Jemicy School, a <br />
wonderful school in the Baltimore area for kids with dyslexia. ("Teaching" is in quotes so as not to suggest I had the training or <br />
skills of an actual teacher). I was Nilling in for the music teacher who had left, and after a few days, I told the director she
needn't be in a hurry to Nind an actual teacher. I just played guitar and sang with the kids. We put on shows, both at the school <br />
and at a local library and a nursing home. Those kids were brilliant. I loved it. During that time I was also doing local bar gigs at <br />
night and after a few years I felt like I wanted to devote all of my time to playing and writing, so I moved up here to New <br />
England and did that."<br />
She performed at venues around Baltimore and Washington DC before moving to New England in 1976, where she now lives. <br />
She tours extensively. She had a band for a while, but usually performs solo now, or with Kenny White, who often opens and <br />
then accompanies her and sings backup. She often appeared in the On a Winter's Night tour, and was part of the Philo 25th <br />
Anniversary tour.<br />
Her Albums<br />
In 1983, <strong>Cheryl</strong> released a self produced EP called Newport Songs. Her Nirst two albums <strong>Cheryl</strong> <strong>Wheeler</strong> in 1986, and Half a Book <br />
in 1991 were on an independent label, North Star. That company also released a promo tape called Live and Otherwise in 1987. <br />
This was a bonus tape that was sent to anyone who Nilled out a survey form that was included in a number of the North Star <br />
albums.<br />
Her third album, Circles & Arrows, was originally released on Capitol in 1991, but it was dropped almost immediately due to a <br />
political shakeup with the label company. (The people who had promoted her album were let go, and Capitol decided to heavily <br />
promote Garth Brooks)<br />
Her fourth album Driving Home was on Philo in 1993, a division of Rounder, and produced three singles: Almost, Silver Lining, <br />
and 75 Septembers, a song written for her father, and covered by Peter, Paul & Mary on their album Life Lines.<br />
Rounder later reissued Circles & Arrows in 1995, followed by Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar in 1995, Sylvia Hotel in 1999, the compilation <br />
album Different Stripe in 2003, and Ninally Defying Gravity in 2005.<br />
In 2003, <strong>Cheryl</strong> graciously allowed the creation of No Previous Record, a two-‐disc album of songs that were never released on a <br />
commercial label. This album consisted of audience, FM, and soundboard recordings, and is restricted to members of her email <br />
list.<br />
In 2009, <strong>Cheryl</strong> released Pointing at the Sun on her own label, Dias Music. This album includes some of the songs that appeared <br />
on No Previous Record, along with other new songs and a remake of SummerKly.<br />
In 1998 a video of a live concert was released, What Do I Care? I Don't Have Any Kids Construction Company. The Nilm had been <br />
shot a few years before, so that by the time it came out, <strong>Cheryl</strong>'s act had changed enough that people who saw the video would <br />
still see a different show when they went to see <strong>Cheryl</strong> perform. Unfortunately, this video is out of print, although there are <br />
reports of used versions appearing on amazon.com and eBay.<br />
Her Songs<br />
<strong>Cheryl</strong>'s songs are often emotional portraits of people, leaving you with the impression that you know the characters. You Nind <br />
yourself being dragged into the song rather than standing outside and observing. Other songs by <strong>Cheryl</strong> are hilarious situation <br />
comedies.<br />
From her songs you can get glimpses about her childhood: "She was a Tom-‐Boy" ( I Know This Town ) who loved music ( Music <br />
In My Room ).<br />
You can also get glimpses of her adulthood: Her move to New England ( Northern Girl ), her neighbors ( Quarter Moon and His <br />
Home Town ), her surroundings ( When Fall Comes to New England, and The Storm ), and her time on the road ( Rainy Road <br />
Into Atlanta, Lighting Up the Mighty Mississippi, and Sylvia Hotel ).<br />
But the songs that touch people the most are her songs about relationships, such as Arrow, Aces, and But the Days and Nights <br />
Are Long (formerly "Boulder Hotel Room"), and Gandhi/Buddha.
<strong>Cheryl</strong>'s funny songs are legendary. Unfortunately, the early ones were almost never recorded. One notable exception was <br />
Estate Sale for which a video was made. <strong>Cheryl</strong> has always said that doing a funny song live is quite different than recording <br />
one. I guess enough of us have complained, because starting with Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar funny songs started appearing on the <br />
albums. For some reason, <strong>Cheryl</strong>'s funny songs stay funny. I know of other artists who do funny songs, but after a few listens, I <br />
grow tired of them. During a show, I Nind myself laughing at jokes I've heard many times before. She is a natural story teller and <br />
a gifted comedienne, so each telling is fresh and often slightly different.<br />
Her Concerts<br />
If your idea of a folk singer/songwriter concert is a bunch of people clapping politely after songs, and then sitting quietly while <br />
the performer says things like "This next song is about ...", well, you've never seen a <strong>Cheryl</strong> <strong>Wheeler</strong> concert before. <br />
<strong>Cheryl</strong>'s concerts are more like what you would Nind at a comedy club than expect to Nind at a folk music concert. She will tell a <br />
story that has you rolling in the aisles, and then sing a song that leaves you wiping tears from your eyes. She will talk about <br />
some serious current event, and then sing a song that will have you howling with laughter. Her entire concert is a emotional <br />
roller coaster.<br />
Her set list is usually a crumpled piece of paper with a bunch of song titles. After each song, she'll look at the list and decide <br />
what to do next. If somebody calls out a request, and her guitar is in the right key, she might try it, even if she hasn't done it in a <br />
while. If she just Ninished writing a song, she will usually try it out in front of the next audience. If she has two sets back to back, <br />
she almost never does the same (or even similar) group of songs.<br />
Her funny stories between songs show as much diversity. Each time she tells a story, it will be a little bit different, so even if <br />
you've heard it before, you still Nind yourself laughing.<br />
To repeat, there is no way you can read about <strong>Cheryl</strong> and get a good picture of what she or her concerts are like. You have to see <br />
one. If she is performing in your area, do whatever it takes to get to her concert. You won't be sorry.