The Evolution of Cherrelle
Follow the singer's journey and catch her at BET Honors '13.
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What’s in a Name? - Born Cheryl Week Norton in 1958 in Los Angeles, CA, Cherrelle is the cousin of singer Pebbles of LaFace Records fame. Norton got her stage name thanks to a former boss at her bank job who used to yell, “Cher—relle, you’re late!” (Photo: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Hitting the Road - Cherrelle toured with Michael Henderson and Luther Vandross. A demo she recorded caught the attention of Tabu Records owner Clarence Avant. (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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When Cherrelle Met Jimmy and Terry - Cherrelle teamed with producers and songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for her 1984 album, Fragile. It featured hit singles "When I Look in Your Eyes" and "I Didn’t Mean yo Turn You On." (Photo: The Right Stuff/Virgin)
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Turning Us On - “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” featured a King Kong-themed music video, with Cherrelle portraying the object of the beast’s affection. Robert Palmer covered the song in 1985 and Mariah Carey remade it in 2001 for the Glitter soundtrack. (Photo: The Right Stuff/Virgin)
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No Sophomore Jinx - The R&B songstress’ sophomore album, High Priority, yielded the hits "When I Look in Your Eyes" and the number-two R&B hit "Saturday Love," one of several duets with label-mate and soul crooner Alexander O’Neal. (Photo: Tabu Records)
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Cherrelle’s Musical Affair - Jam and Lewis went the concept route for Cherrelle’s third album, Affair. Using the same formula they used for Alexander O’Neal’s Hearsay album, all of Cherrelle’s songs chronicled a love affair and romance that went bad. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Hits on Parade - Cherrelle's Affair album yielded "Everything I Miss at Home" and another number-two R&B hit single, "Never Knew Love," a duet with Alexander O’Neal. The single helped to cement the duo as a modern day Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye for a new generation. (Photo: Tabu Records)
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Nonstop Chart-Topper - Cherrelle enjoyed lots of chart success in the late '80s. "Everything I Miss at Home," another collaboration with Alexander O’Neal, went to the number-one spot on Billboard’s R&B chart in 1988. The album Affair went to number 15 and the title track became a number four R&B hit in 1989. (Photo: Susan J. Rose/PI /Landov)
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Guest Starring… Cherrelle - In addition to her own albums, Cherrelle appeared on several albums by Alexander O’Neal including 1993’s Love Makes No Sense, where she’s featured on the track "In the Middle/Your Precious Love." She also duets with O’Neal on the single "Baby Come to Me" from his 1997 album, Lovers Again. (Photo: Tabu Records)
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Family Affair - Cherrelle collaborated with her cousin Pebbles on two of the "Mercedes Boy" singer’s releases. She was featured both on the 1990 album Always and 1995’s Straight From the Heart. (Photo: Tabu Records)