Cherry Vanilla
USA- Biography of Cherry Vanilla
- Early Career and Collaboration with David Bowie
- Cherry Vanilla & her Staten Island Band
- London and Record Deal with RCA
- Music Releases and Return to the US
- Later Work and Autobiography
Biography of Cherry Vanilla
Cherry Vanilla is an American singer, songwriter, journalist, and actress. She was born Kathleen Dorritie in Woodside, New York, in 1943. Choosing the stage name "Cherry Vanilla," she gained recognition playing a nurse-necrophiliac in Andy Warhol's controversial project "Pork."
Early Career and Collaboration with David Bowie
In the early 1970s, Cherry Vanilla worked as a publicist for David Bowie, becoming known for her shocking marketing strategies. She openly offered oral sex to DJs in exchange for playing Bowie's records and created a series of radio advertisements starting with the phrase, "Hi, my name is Cherry Vanilla, and I have sensational news for you." After parting ways with Bowie in 1974, Cherry Vanilla formed her own band with session bassist Kasim Sulton.
Cherry Vanilla & her Staten Island Band
In 1976, Cherry Vanilla founded the musical collective "Cherry Vanilla & her Staten Island Band." The band included Buzzy John Vierno on bass guitar, Frank La Rocca on drums, Thomas Morrongiello on guitar, and Gary Cohen on piano. Their first released track was "Shake Your Ashes" in 1976. Cherry Vanilla also presented her art book, "Pop Tart," in the same year.
London and Record Deal with RCA
Thanks to her popularity in the New York scene, Cherry Vanilla received an invitation from influential manager Miles Copeland and arrived in London in 1976. She signed a contract with RCA Records and became part of the emerging punk scene. Her London band initially included her boyfriend, guitarist Louis Lepore, pianist Zecca Esquibel, bassist Gordon "Sting" Sumner, and drummer Stewart Copeland.
Music Releases and Return to the US
Cherry Vanilla's London band released their first single, "The Punk," in September 1977. Their debut album, "Bad Girl," followed in February 1978. After lineup changes, the group released the single and second album, "Venus D'Vinyl," in 1979. Following her breakup with Lepore, Cherry Vanilla returned to the United States, and the band disbanded.
Later Work and Autobiography
In 1980, Cherry Vanilla contributed as a storyteller on Vangelis' unusual track "Not A Bit - All Of It" from the album "See You Lat." She also composed the score for Bruce Weber's documentary film "Broken Noses" in 1987. In the early 1990s, Cherry Vanilla returned to the recording studio, releasing two new singles and an album.
Her autobiography, "Lick Me: How I Became Cherry Vanilla," was published in October 2010 by Chicago Review Press. It was prefaced by musician Rufus Wainwright, and a song titled "Cherry Vanilla," produced by Martin Rushent, was written to promote the book. The book launch took place on November 4, 2010, at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles, with Rufus Wainwright performing and Angela Bowie, David Bowie's ex-wife, among the attendees.
