Cheryl Wheeler
Encyclopedia
Cheryl Wheeler is an American
singer-songwriter
of contemporary folk music
, based in New England
. To date, she has recorded several folk albums, and has toured extensively throughout the United States.
Wheeler was born in Timonium, Maryland, where she attended Dulaney High School
. She performed at clubs in the Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore area. She moved to Rhode Island
in 1976, where she played at various clubs in the New England area. Jonathan Edwards asked her to tour with him when his bass
player became unavailable. He has since produced a number of her albums. Wheeler and her partner, Cathleen, were married in 2004.
Although she mostly tours alone, she has also toured with Kenny White
(who produced a number of her albums).
White generally opens for her, and then plays and sings harmony during Wheeler's set.
Wheeler has also toured with the Christine Lavin
-inspired tour "On a Winter's Night", and occasionally as part of Lavin's consortium Four Bitchin' Babes
.
She has released albums on several major labels, the most recent being Rounder Records
. She also approved the production of a double disc album No Previous Record that contains songs that never made it onto a commercial recording. Distribution of this album is free, but restricted to members of her e-mail list. In 2009, she released the album Pointing at the Sun on her own recording label, Dias.
In 1988, Wheeler participated in a "trio" concert with fellow folk singer/songwriters Shawn Colvin
and Mary Chapin Carpenter
. This concert took place the year before Colvin released her debut album. The three performed on two consecutive nights to critical acclaim, at The Birchmere
in Alexandria, VA. The two performances were recorded at the soundboard and although never released officially, have been favorites among fans of the three artists.
, Suzy Bogguss
, Kathy Mattea
, Sylvia
, and Garth Brooks
, as well as artists as diverse as Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bette Midler
, Kenny Loggins
, Melanie
, Holly Near
and cabaret
singer D.C. Anderson.
Her song "If It Were Up to Me" (which was written shortly after the Jonesboro Massacre), with the closing line "If it were up to me, I'd take away the guns" got nationwide attention shortly after the Columbine High School massacre
. Wheeler released that recording into the public domain to exempt radio stations from paying royalties (it was being played every hour near the high school), and Rounder Records ran a promotional campaign to donate money to the Brady Campaign
each time the song was played on Adult Album Alternative
radio stations.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of contemporary folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, based in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. To date, she has recorded several folk albums, and has toured extensively throughout the United States.
Wheeler was born in Timonium, Maryland, where she attended Dulaney High School
Dulaney High School
Dulaney High School is a secondary school in Timonium, Baltimore County, Maryland. The school serves a generally middle- to upper-middle class suburban community, with students from Timonium and surrounding areas in Baltimore County. Dulaney is a Blue Ribbon School and ranked #259 nationwide in...
. She performed at clubs in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Baltimore area. She moved to Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 1976, where she played at various clubs in the New England area. Jonathan Edwards asked her to tour with him when his bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player became unavailable. He has since produced a number of her albums. Wheeler and her partner, Cathleen, were married in 2004.
Performances
Wheeler tours extensively, and her live concerts include comic routines and serious discussions in addition to the songs themselves. About half of the songs she performs in concerts are not available on any of her albums. Many never get recorded, and eventually fade from her set list.Although she mostly tours alone, she has also toured with Kenny White
Kenny White
Kenny White is a singer-songwriter from New York City. Originally known mostly as a writer of music for radio and TV commercials and a producer and session keyboard player, in 2002 he released his first album, and began touring to promote his albums...
(who produced a number of her albums).
White generally opens for her, and then plays and sings harmony during Wheeler's set.
Wheeler has also toured with the Christine Lavin
Christine Lavin
Christine Lavin is a New York City-based singer-songwriter and promoter of contemporary folk music. She has recorded numerous solo albums, and has also recorded with other female folk artists under the name Four Bitchin' Babes...
-inspired tour "On a Winter's Night", and occasionally as part of Lavin's consortium Four Bitchin' Babes
Four Bitchin' Babes
The Four Bitchin' Babes is a group of female singer-songwriters with rotating membership, performing mainly humorous, satirical or light-hearted songs in the folk genre. The group was described as "slyly outre" writing songs about the "humorous satire of everyday life" with an "inherent charm"...
.
She has released albums on several major labels, the most recent being Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
. She also approved the production of a double disc album No Previous Record that contains songs that never made it onto a commercial recording. Distribution of this album is free, but restricted to members of her e-mail list. In 2009, she released the album Pointing at the Sun on her own recording label, Dias.
In 1988, Wheeler participated in a "trio" concert with fellow folk singer/songwriters Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
and Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
. This concert took place the year before Colvin released her debut album. The three performed on two consecutive nights to critical acclaim, at The Birchmere
The Birchmere
The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, known for presenting performers in the bluegrass, country, folk, and jazz genres. The main stage has table seating with dinner service. The room seats 500 people and the tables in front are about two feet from the stage...
in Alexandria, VA. The two performances were recorded at the soundboard and although never released officially, have been favorites among fans of the three artists.
Following
Although primarily classified as a folk singer/songwriter, Wheeler has been covered by a number of country music artists, such as Dan SealsDan Seals
Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including...
, Suzy Bogguss
Suzy Bogguss
Susan Kay "Suzy" Bogguss is an American country music singer. In the 1980s and 90s she released one platinum and three gold albums and charted six top ten singles, winning the Academy of Country Music's award for Top New Female Vocalist and the Country Music Association's Horizon Award.After...
, Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea
Kathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
, Sylvia
Sylvia Kirby
Sylvia Jane Kirby is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. More commonly known by the singular name Sylvia, she enjoyed crossover music success with the song "Nobody" in 1982....
, and Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, as well as artists as diverse as Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, Melanie
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
, Holly Near
Holly Near
Holly Near is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change.-Early years:...
and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
singer D.C. Anderson.
Her song "If It Were Up to Me" (which was written shortly after the Jonesboro Massacre), with the closing line "If it were up to me, I'd take away the guns" got nationwide attention shortly after the Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
. Wheeler released that recording into the public domain to exempt radio stations from paying royalties (it was being played every hour near the high school), and Rounder Records ran a promotional campaign to donate money to the Brady Campaign
Brady Campaign
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are affiliated non-profit organizations in the United States. They are named after James Brady who was permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
each time the song was played on Adult Album Alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
radio stations.
Discography
The following albums are still in print:- Cheryl Wheeler (1986)
- Half a Book (1987)
- Circle and Arrows (1990)
- Driving Home (1993)
- Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar (1995)
- Sylvia Hotel (1999)
- Different Stripe (2003)
- No Previous Record (2003)
- Defying Gravity (2005)
- Pointing at the Sun (2009)