Cheryl Lynn

Cheryl Lynn forged strong partnerships with figures like David Foster, David Paich, Ray Parker, Jr., Luther Vandross, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, all of whom helped shape her biggest successes through co-writing or production, yet she equally supplied those same associates with some of their most notable career highlights. No one else could claim ownership of the platinum-certified breakthrough “Got to Be Real,” the Top Five R&B smashes “Shake It Up Tonight,” “If This World Were Mine,” and “Encore,” which arrived between 1978 and 1983; each showcased the church-honed power and unflagging exuberance of her voice. As a songwriter and producer in her own right, Lynn reached her commercial and artistic summit across that span with three Top Ten R&B albums: the gold-certified Cheryl Lynn (1978), Instant Love (1982), and Preppie (1983). Following six Columbia releases, she moved to Manhattan and Virgin, issued her final full-length project in the mid-1990s, and has appeared only sporadically since, most recently contributing to the Shark Tale soundtrack in 2004.

Born in Los Angeles, Lynn first sang in church as a child under her mother’s musical direction and later joined the adult choir. She set aside speech-therapy studies in 1976 to chase acting and singing careers, spending eight months in the national tour of The Wiz, where she began in the background and eventually took on the role of the Wicked Witch of the West. At her manager’s urging she auditioned for The Gong Show, delivering a flawless rendition of Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher’s “You Are So Beautiful” that earned a perfect score. Far from a one-off curiosity, the performance drew label attention, and Columbia signed her late in 1977—the same year she supplied background vocals for D.J. Rogers’ Love, Music & Life and Eddie Kendricks’ Slick while still in her teens.

Her first solo single, the buoyant, sophisticated crossover disco anthem “Got to Be Real,” arrived in 1978. Co-written by Lynn with David Foster and David Paich and produced by Paich alongside his father Marty Paich, the track topped Billboard’s R&B chart, peaked at number 12 on the pop side, and received gold certification from the RIAA. Columbia released the accompanying album Cheryl Lynn while the single climbed; it reached number 23 on the Billboard 200, climbed into the Top Five on the R&B list, and also earned gold status, aided by the number 16 R&B hit “Star Love” (originally the B-side of “Got to Be Real”) and the enduring disco favorite “You Saved My Day.” Around the same period Toto featured Lynn on their own Top 20 R&B single, “Georgy Porgy.”

She steered through the post-disco years by continually changing collaborators. After Barry Blue helmed the follow-up In Love, Lynn teamed with “Got to Be Real” guitarist Ray Parker, Jr., who assembled Raydio members, arranger Gene Page, bassist Marcus Miller, and an array of top session players for 1981’s In the Night. Its standout, the high-energy Mike & Brenda Sutton composition “Shake It Up Tonight,” climbed to number five on both the R&B and dance charts. Next came a close alliance with the rising Luther Vandross for 1982’s Instant Love, her second Top Ten R&B album. Liquid bass lines from Marcus Miller and Vandross’ distinctive vocal arrangements, enriched by Tawatha Agee and Fonzi Thornton, framed a standout cover of Marvin Gaye’s “If This World Were Mine,” which Lynn and Vandross took to number four on the R&B chart. That same year she joined flutist Hubert Laws for a recording of Stephen Sondheim’s “Goodbye for Now,” the theme from the film Reds.

Lynn maintained a steady stream of background vocal work for Parker, Vandross, Greg Phillinganes, Betty Wright, and others without slowing her own output. On her fifth album, Preppie, she produced every track except “Encore,” a Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis song that diverged slightly from their earlier successes with Klymaxx and the S.O.S. Band. “Encore” became Lynn’s second R&B number one and Jam and Lewis’s first of many, while also marking her final Hot 100 entry. The album itself rose to her third Top Ten R&B placement. Two years later Columbia issued It’s Gonna Be Right, where she again worked with Jam and Lewis, fellow former Time member Monte Moir, and Hubert Eaves III, fresh from his D Train project.

She closed the decade with Start Over (1987, Manhattan) and Whatever It Takes (1989, Virgin), both featuring diverse contributors. The former spotlighted the mid-tempo “If You Were Mine,” crafted with future Rihanna hitmakers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, which approached the R&B Top Ten. The latter explored new jack swing on “Upset!,” a Loose Ends and Jesse Johnson collaboration, yet its biggest success was the lush ballad “Everytime I Try to Say Goodbye,” co-produced by Lynn and Johnson.

After contributing background vocals to several early-1990s Richard Marx sessions, Lynn released one final album, Good Time, available only in select European and Japanese markets. Nearly half the tracks were produced by new jack swing architect Teddy Riley, while Jazzie B. collaborated with her on “Renegade.” Issued in 1995, the project marked her last full studio effort; she has since performed only occasionally. “Got to Be Real” earned platinum certification in 2001 and induction into the Dance Music Hall of Fame four years later. In between those honors she reunited with Jam and Lewis to record “Sweet Kind of Life” for the Shark Tale soundtrack.