From The Auntie Karen Archives

Cheri Maree

Auntie Karen All-Star Band Showcase: Cheri Maree, “The Love Goddess” International Recording Artist/Songwriter/Author/The Vocal Liberator

This video was created at the 2005 and 2006 Auntie Karen Legends of...Concert Series. The 2005 event featured Dianne Reeves and The 2006 concert featured Al Jarreau. Both events took place at The Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina. Cheri Maree was a member of The Auntie Karen All-Star Band under the leadership of Terence Young. In this video, Cheri Maree passionately performs Lionel Richie's classic ballad "Hello" during an opening performance for the legendary Dianne Reeves. Next, Ms. Maree performs her original song "Soft Places" from her debut cd "Pure Voice" during a concert with the master himself, Al Jarreau. Since 2003, The Auntie Karen Foundation has presented the annual Legends of...Concert Series. The Auntie Karen Foundation is a global 501(c) 3 charitable corporation based in Columbia, SC. Video footage provided by Don Patterson & DDCP Communications. For more on Cheri Maree https://linktr.ee/cherimaree To learn more about the Auntie Karen Foundation, visit www.auntiekaren.org. #thinkbigknowbigger ###

About Cheri Maree Silky “Souljazz” vocal powerhouse Cheri Maree is a highly sought after, multi-talented, audience-inspiring artist who has graced the stage with legendary Grammy Award-winning artists Patti LaBelle, Al Jarreau, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ashford and Simpson, Dianne Reaves, and Brian McKnight, and more. Cheri Maree is a multi-talented musician whose eclectic sound and style enthrall international crowds and transcend language barriers. From sold-out performances in Japan, to an 8-city tour of Russia, as well as England and Canada, her place on the international music circuit is connecting across cultures to spread her essential message – LOVE.

Cheri Maree brings her dynamic stage presence and an authentic soul-stirring flavor that heals, inspires, and transforms to every performance. “The Love Goddess” sizzles on center stage whether in the United States or abroad, channeling a range of muses from Barbra Streisand to Earth, Wind, and Fire. Ms. Maree's current album 360° Woman: Rebirth (part 1 of the trilogy), produced by world-renowned musician Marcus Williams, is being met with rave reviews. It's described as "Truth Serum for Your Soul" because of the raw honesty she expresses in both the musical and lyrical content of this CD. Cheri feels, "It was time to tell my story so that I can liberate myself and other women throughout the world."

“Cheri Maree’s songs have a message that comes from a real place,” says Mo Pleasure, renowned producer and multi-instrumentalist for the iconic Bette Midler and principle keyboardist for the legendary Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, “She doesn’t fit a mold, but brings her own style, much like Jill Scott.”

Cheri’s beloved friend the late John Blackwell, Jr. shares, “Cheri’s always had a great stage presence and a phenomenal voice. I know she’s doing it up.” —John Blackwell, Jr., World Class Drummer for artists including Prince, Patti Labelle, Justin Timberlake, Bootsy Collins and Cameo.

Before every recording, an album or performing on stage, Cheri Maree’s love affair with music emerged in early childhood. Born in Muncie, Indiana, she tested her vocal chords during early years in Chicago and Columbia, South Carolina. This humanitarian songbird’s musical gifts resonated in church, talent contests, and local bands – her dynamic vocal range embracing jazz, rock, soul, and gospel.

Her 2007 debut release, “Pure Voice,” melded the jazz, funk, hip-hop, and R&B inspired sound music lovers crave. CD singles brought positive nods from music promoters and influencers from the UK’s Soulchoonz, U.S.-based Soul Tracks, and the international independent soul community. Cheri’s performance at the prestigious Carnegie Hall with the Peacemakers Choir helped spotlight her versatility, performing a vocal score composed and conducted by the world-renowned Karl Jenkins.

In addition to music, Cheri Maree has written her very first book entitled “Wealthy Woman’s Stew: The Journey To Nurturing My Soul”, released on February 14th. It is her story of challenge and triumph centered on 8 simple ingredients of a homemade stew that transformed her life and inspired Cheri to learn to Love herself again. “Music is love’s pathway,” says Cheri Maree. “It generates an energy that calms, nourishes, and transforms the heart, helping us to move through challenges and make positive changes in our lives.”

At home in Atlanta and from New York to California, Cheri Maree is pairing with some of the industry’s best to personally design her “Global Lovefest” and orchestrate her passionate rebirth. Her trilogy of projects over the next five years, beginning with “Rebirth,” has “The Love Goddess” bearing her soul, owning her future, and living her divine purpose.

“My passion, my life, is music,” she shares. “I intend to bring a deeply Divine and LOVE-INFUSED experience every time I grace the stage.”