Cheryl Pepsii Riley
Cheryl Bridget 'Pepsii' Riley is an American singer and actress. Riley is best known for her music during the late 1980s through the early 1990s, most notable; 1988's R&B ballad "Thanks for My Child". Riley also starred in multiple Tyler Perry stage plays and films. After high school, Riley worked as a nurse for disabled children before beginning her singing career. Riley began her music career as a lead singer in the band Stargaze, who released the single "You Can't Have It" in 1982. In November 1988, Riley topped the US R&B chart and hit the Top 40 on the pop chart at No. 32 with the ballad, "Thanks for My Child," a song written by Full Force. Her second LP, Chapters, was issued and yielded the singles "How Can You Hurt The One You Love" and a cover of Aretha Franklin's 1968 hit "Ain't No Way". Her third album All That! was released by Reprise, and featured the singles "Gimme" and "Guess I'm In Love." After a hiatus from the entertainment industry, Riley re-emerged in the late 1990s by appearing on the songs "I Love It" and "Look Around" on The Beatnuts album A Musical Massacre. She also starred in a number of gospel plays for best-selling playwright Tyler Perry, including Madea's Class Reunion, Madea Goes to Jail, Why Did I Get Married?, Laugh to Keep from Crying, Madea's Big Happy Family and A Madea Christmas. She also appeared in the film versions of Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Big Happy Family. She is also starred in Tyler Perry's Madea Gets a Job (2012) and Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned (2014). Following her appearance on a number of tracks on the Diary of a Mad Black Woman soundtrack in 2005, the following year Riley released Let Me Be Me, her first album in fourteen years. In 2015 she released a new solo album entitled Still Believe.
Credits
- 2018 - Warrior Pride ( movie ) as Diane
- 2014 - Tyler Perry's Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned - The Play ( movie ) as Anita Lincoln
- 2012 - Tyler Perry's Madea Gets A Job - The Play ( movie ) as Carla
- 2011 - Laugh to Keep from Crying ( movie ) as Carol
- 2011 - Madea's Big Happy Family ( movie ) as Choir
- 2010 - Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - The Play ( movie ) as Joyce
- 2006 - Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married - The Play ( movie ) as Sheila
- 2006 - Madea Goes to Jail - The Play ( movie ) as Wanda
- 2005 - Diary of a Mad Black Woman ( movie ) as Singer at Banquet (uncredited)
- 2003 - Madea's Class Reunion - The Play ( movie ) as Stefanie
- 1999 - Colorz of Rage ( movie )