Judy Cheeks (born February 13, 1954) is an American singer. In the 1970s and 1980s, she recorded as a soul and R&B singer, before releasing more dance-oriented music in the 1990s. Cheeks performed with Ike & Tina Turner as an Ikette. She also worked as a backing vocalist for various artists such as Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Amanda Lear, and David Knopfler.
Cheeks co-wrote and produced her solo album No Outsiders, released by Polydor in 1987.[1] In the same year, she appeared with Austrian band, Opus, on their self-titled album being co-vocalist on the song, "Givin' a Gift." Cheeks had a career resurgence in the 1990s, when she re-emerged with a string of dance charthits, including two No. 1s, "Respect" and "As Long As You're Good to Me", released on EMI's imprint Brilliant! in 1995.[2] Her single "Reach" appeared on the Summer Hitmix 94CD released by ZYX Records in Germany. A solo album, also titled Respect, was released in 1995.[1]
In 2013, Cheeks wrote and co produced her own solo album, True Love is Free. In 2018, she released her single and remixes of "Crying In The Rain"; a song she had written and first recorded by Randy Crawford as "When The Evening Comes". This was followed by the album Danger Zone.[3] In February 2019, Cheeks released a further album of original material, A Deeper Love.[4] In 2020, Cheeks released a new album of original material. "Love Dancin'" the title track was co-written with Stevie Wonder the album also includes a composition by Cheeks longtime friend Betty Wright "Safe In Your Arms." In 2020 she released the single "Within" followed by "Same Pain" in 2021 both in a more acoustic country style.[5] In 2023 Judy Cheeks started collaborating with POSE and released Let Your Soul Dance and Hands Up In The Air. In 2024 the team released Be Happy.
Rory Nicoll RMN and Jus Jez produced these singles they cowrote with Judy.
Other work
Cheeks acted in various movies and TV shows: She starred in her first movie Caribbean Rhapsody (Caribia, 1978) with Rossano Brazzi, filmed in Haiti. 1980 La playa del amor, 1984 SOKO 5113 (TV series, episode: Tapetenwechsel), and starred in one episode of the TV series Salzburger Nockerln in 1992.
Cheeks is the author of Love and Honor about her late father Reverend Julius Cheeks.[6]
Discography
Albums
1973: Judy Cheeks (United Artists)
1978: Please Give Me This Night (Ariola)
1978: Mellow Lovin' (Ariola, Salsoul)
1979: Disco Cheeks (Koala)
1983: Hard on the Heels of Love (Durium)
1988: No Outsiders (Polydor)
1995: Respect (EMI, Positiva) – #99 on the UK Albums Chart[7]
