Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble (formerly Clemons; born June 13, 1970), better known by her stage name Coko, is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of the R&B vocal trio

Sisters With Voices SWV (Sisters with Voices) is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson, and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B g ...

(SWV). Aside from her R&B career, Gamble also has a solo gospel career. As a member of SWV, Coko has sold 10 million records in the US, and 25 million records worldwide, and is a four-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominee.

Early life and career

Gamble was born in

The Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...

as Cheryl Gamble to gospel singer Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble, Gamble was raised in the

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose, and Port Morris. In the early 1900s, the South Bronx was or ...

section, Gamble also lived in Brooklyn before moving back to The Bronx. Gamble began singing at age 3, beginning her recording career as a choir member in Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.

Sisters With Voices (SWV)

From 1990 to 1998, Gamble sang with the platinum recording group, Sisters With Voices (SWV). Collectively the female trio released five albums - with their debut '' It's About Time'' (1992) selling over three million copies making SWV a big hit and earning the group numerous awards and accolades, including a nomination for the

Grammy Award for Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

at the

1994 Grammy Awards The 36th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 1, 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston was the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year while opening t ...

. After their 1997

Christmas album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

, SWV disbanded. To commemorate their tremendous success and huge contribution to the

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip hop music, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive Recor ...

genre in the early 1990s, six compilation albums were released compiling their best efforts. Gamble made the final decision to disband the group. In an interview, Gamble stated it was not a mutual decision, that many people tried to convince her to stay but it was inevitable. Gamble went on to say that she didn't feel appreciated, that there was no unity within the group and the communication was gone. Gamble did not speak to founding member Leanne "Lelee" Lyons for several years. SWV eventually reunited and released two albums in the 2010s.

Solo career

After SWV disbanded, Gamble went on to work with other artists such as

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

, most notably on his

-winning hit single "

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses ...

" from the blockbuster film of the same name (1997). Gamble went on to release her first solo album under

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westin ...

, titled '' Hot Coko'', released in August 1999. The first single, "Sunshine," which was dedicated to her son

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, both the album and singles did not gather the same mainstream success as Gamble once did with SWV. Meanwhile, Gamble was working on a second solo album titled ''Music Doll'' in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. In 2001, Gamble and her Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble did a remake of the song " Tears in Heaven" (originally recorded by Eric Clapton) on the album ''Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge"''. The album featured other artists such as

Jennifer Holliday Jennifer Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American actress and singer. She started her career on Broadway theatre, Broadway in musicals such as ''Dreamgirls (musical), Dreamgirls'' (1981–83), ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with G ...

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

, and Tramaine Hawkins. Gamble sang on the

Brent Jones and the T. P. Mobb Brent Ray Jones (born May 7, 1966) is an American gospel musician, pianist, and choir conductor. He started his music career, in 1999, with the release of ''Brent Jones & the T.P. Mobb'' with Holy Roller Entertainment, and this charted on three ...

single "Midnight" in 2002. Gamble also appeared on Youthful Praise's 2003 gospel album ''Thank You for the Change'' singing lead on "Up There". Coko's full gospel solo debut, ''Grateful'', was released in the United States on October 31, 2006 and debuted at #5 on Billboard's Top Independent albums chart. ''Grateful'' includes an all-star cover of The Clark Sisters' "Endow Me" which features R&B singers

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al ...

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...

and Lil Mo. An alternate version, minus Faith Evans was performed on BET's ''Celebration of Gospel '07''. A special edition of ''Grateful'' only available through

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarte ...

includes two bonus tracks "I Wish" and Brent Jones' "Midnite" featuring Gamble on lead vocals. Gamble was reported to have joined an all-black touring cast performing the critically acclaimed play ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

'', along with

Sherri Shepherd Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...

, Star Jones,

Vanessa L. Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...

, and others. In June 2008, Coko performed in Japan for the Billboard Live Tour. Gamble sang some of her solo hits "Sunshine", "Clap Your Hands", and the SWV song " Right Here/Human Nature".

Reuniting with SWV

Gamble reunited with SWV and performed during their first live performance in eight years in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

for urban radio station KKBT 100.3 "The Beat"'s Summerjam concert on August 20, 2005. They also appeared on the 2006 New Jack Reunion Tour. SWV was featured in the '' XXL'' where they discussed single releases from their debut album ''It's About Time''. In the interview, Gamble mentioned that the group would no longer perform sexually-explicit songs such as "Downtown" and "

Can We "Can We" is a song by American R&B trio SWV featuring guest vocals from Missy Elliott and production by Timbaland and Elliott. The song was eventually included on SWV's third album, '' Release Some Tension'' (1997), but was originally a hit earl ...

" anymore out of a new respect for her beliefs as a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. The group's final performance took place in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

in late June 2007. On April 4, 2008, Coko returned with SWV to perform some of their hits for the local DJ Kid Kutts' birthday. As SWV was in the midst of new shows for early 2011, Gamble posed for a shoot in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

with photographer Will Sterling. The photos were in fashionable gowns, set against the natural beauty of the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yaz ...

Personal

Coko has a son with Digable Planets member

Ishmael Butler Ishmael Reginald Butler (born July 3, 1969) is an American rapper, record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his work with such groups as Digable Planets in the 1990s and Shabazz Palaces in the 2010s. Early life Butler, who is a nati ...

, Jazz Butler, better known by his professional name,

Lil Tracy Jazz Ishmael Butler (born October 3, 1995), professionally known as Lil Tracy, is an American rapper and singer. He was also known under the name Yung Bruh during the beginning of his career. Tracy is best known for his collaborations with the l ...

(b. 1995). Gamble married gospel producer and drummer for Israel and New Breed, Mike "Big Mike" Clemons on October 19, 2003. They have a son, Jalen Clemons, who is also known as a singer under the stage name Jayye Michael. The couple divorced in 2018 after 15 years of marriage. Gamble currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

¹U.S. Airplay charts

Other performances

: "Men In Black (featuring Coko)" ''Men In Black Soundtrack'' (Columbia, 1997) * LSG: "All The Times (featuring

, Coko, &

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

)" (Elektra, 1997) * Johnny Gill & Coko: "Fire and Desire" ''Booty Call Soundtrack'' (Jive, 1997) *

Jon B. Jonathan David Buck (born November 11, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, '' Bonafide'' (1995), went platinum. Early life Born in Providence, Rhode Island, United States and raised in Altadena, ...

, Coko and Jay-Z "Keep It Real" '' Hav Plenty'' soundtrack (Yab Yum, 550 Music, 1998) * Coko,

: "He Be Back" '' Why Do Fools Fall In Love Soundtrack'' (Elektra, 1999) *

Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. R ...

: "Everything You Are (featuring Coko)" (Qwest, 1999) *

: "Midnite (featuring Coko)" (EMI Gospel, 2002) * Coko: "Got A Hold Over Me ( Easy Lover)" '' Urban Renewal: The Songs of Phil Collins'' (Atlantic, 2001) * Bishop Eric Mcdaniels "Somehow Someway" featuring Coko We Are Healed Butterfly (2003) * Youthful Praise: "Up There (featuring Coko)" (Evidence Gospel, 2003) * Onitsha: "My Life" (featuring Coko, Mary Mary and

Deborah Cox Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before ...

) (Stillwaters Records, 2007) * Case & Coko: "Face To Face" '' Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns'' soundtrack (Atlanta Records, 2008) * George Huff "Destiny" featuring Coko and Tasha Collins George Huff (Koch Records 2009) * Keith Sweat My Valentine featuring Coko Til The Morning (KDS Entertainment Inc & Entertainment One Us 2011) * Jeff Bradshaw So Thankful featuring Coko Bon Appetit Volume 1(Hidden Beach Records 2012) * Donald Lawrence "Might God" featuring Coko Best For Last (Quietwater Entertainment 2013) *

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...

featuring Coko and

"Last Time"

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

(Sunni Gyrl 2015)

References

External links

CokosPlace.com
* {{Authority control African-American Christians American gospel singers American contemporary R&B singers Living people American sopranos 1970 births African Americans in New York City Entertainers from the Bronx 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers