Cherry Vanilla (born Kathy Dorritie) is an publicist, singer-songwriter and early 1970's Glam rock star. She has worked as David Bowie’s publicist and previously also performed in Andy Warhol's stage show Pork.

Career

Vanilla was the first female to front a rock band on the NY scene, ahead of Patti Smith and Blondie (who were threatened enough by Cherry's front runner status at the time that they wrote a song about it, "Rip Her To Shreds".) Her high profile in NY was the impetus for Miles Copeland to invite her to England, using her as allure to attract attention to the then unknown band, The Police.

After parting ways with Bowie in the mid 70's, she moved to London (in 1976), becoming part of the emerging punk scene and releasing two albums on RCA Records. The Cherry Vanilla Band consisted of bassist Gordon "Sting" Sumner, guitarist Henry Padovani, drummer Stewart Copeland (who soon went on to achieve global success as The Police, with Andy Summers in Padovani's place), guitarist (and then-boyfriend) Louis Lepore and keyboard player Zecca Esquibel.

In 1980 she performed the narrative on Vangelis' "Not A Bit - All Of It" (from his "See You Later" album). She then ran his American office.

In 1987, she was the composer in the boxing club documentary film Broken Noses.

Filmography

• Let's Get Lost (1988), herself

Discography

• Bad Girl (1978)
• Venus d'Vinyl (1979)

References

External links

• Official site
• Cherry Vanilla at punk77.co.uk
• punk77.co.uk, 2006 interview
• punk77.co.uk, 2007 interview