The Cheetah Girls

The Cheetah Girls originated as invented figures in Deborah Gregory’s collection of 16 young-adult novels centered on a fictional girl pop group. Those stories first appeared in 1999; their strong appeal among tween readers prompted Disney to develop the concept into a 2003 made-for-television film. The cast included Raven-Symoné, previously seen on The Cosby Show and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and then starring in the Emmy-nominated, NAACP Image Award-winning Disney series That’s So Raven; Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams, both of the group 3LW; and Sabrina Bryan. Several of the models featured on the book jackets later performed together in the similar ensemble Before Dark.

Young viewers quickly embraced the on-screen personas: Raven-Symoné embodied the confident leader Galleria, Bailon portrayed the cautious Chanel, Williams played the style-conscious Aquanetta, and Bryan depicted Dorinda, a sensitive foster child. After the movie achieved double-platinum DVD sales, Disney issued a soundtrack along with the holiday album Cheetah-licious Christmas in 2005 and followed it with the sequel film and its companion album, both titled Cheetah Girls 2, in 2006. That year the characters also became a functioning touring act, sharing stages with Vanessa Hudgens from Disney’s High School Musical franchise. A concert recording, The Party’s Just Begun, reached stores in summer 2007. By September of the same year the lineup had become a trio following Raven-Symoné’s exit to focus on her solo work, and the remaining members issued their first non-soundtrack project, TCG. The franchise continued with The Cheetah Girls: One World, whose 2008 network premiere drew more than 6 million viewers; its soundtrack appeared that summer.