At age 6, Cheri stepped onstage for the first time at a family friend’s bar called Shane's. From there, she began singing in her church and appeared in numerous talent contests. Upon entering high school, Cheri had no doubt she wanted to be a country singer/songwriter. She sang in her school choir, continued appearing in talent contests, and sat in with local bands at various clubs despite being underage. Realizing she would have to support herself to pursue her dream of reaching Nashville, Cheri attended cosmetology school and worked two years as a hairdresser after graduating. In her spare time, she drove 600 miles to Nashville, sitting in at Barbara’s and the Broken Spoke while still appearing in various singing contests back home. Upon winning the talent show at the Lenawee County Fair at age 20, she packed her bags, loaded up her Ford F-150 truck and headed for Nashville.

In June 1994, Cheri arrived in Nashville and began circulating within the community. She got a job at a local hair salon and, while working there, met country music artists Darrly Worley and Daryle Singletary, and songwriter Brice Long. Eventually, she became friends with the guys and mustered the nerve to ask their professional advice. Of course, she heard what she didn’t want to hear: Don’t give up. Pressing forward, she continued paying the bills by cutting hair, and cracked the Nashville music community with her first paying gig at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway in 1996.

Since then, she has been a Broadway staple. She played Tootsie’s the next three years, The Stage for two and Wolfy’s for a year. She has spent the last 3 ½ years performing at the Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar in Printer’s Alley.

As a result of the success Cheri found on Broadway, she nearly signed a record deal with Sony Music in 2002, when then-president Alan Butler had her audition for his staff and do showcases at Douglas Corner and Wolfy’s. The opportunity vanished, however, following the Sony Music/BMG merger.

In 2007, Cheri met her husband Scott, and more good fortune followed. She started writing with various prominent songwriters, opened Darrly Worley’s annual Tennessee River Run, performed at CMA Music Festival, and continued to play the Fiddle & Steel on a regular basis. Clearly, Cheri was starting to make a name for herself in Nashville.

Cheri’s influences include Gary Stewart, Merle Haggard, K.T. Oslin and Lee Ann Womack. Her music is full of style, class and tradition. She is able to pull all her influences together and come up with her own distinct sound. The music is believable and real. Her music is soft and soothing with a touch of sass, enabling her to deliver the music the way it is meant to be heard. She sells it.

“I’ve always heard Nashville is a 10-year town,” Cheri says. “I’ve paid my dues and my time is now.”