[dar-list] Cheryl Wheeler

[Wood Alexander]

I don't pretend to be sophisticated enough to know
whether Cheryl Wheeler should be in the top 25, 50, or
whatever. But I do know that she gave me one of the
most exciting concert experiences I ever had. It was
in 1977, at a free concert in Roger Williams Park in
Providence. She opened for Tom Rush. It was just her,
this skinny little girl of about 21 up on stage with
an acoustic guitar, and she managed to create far more
rockin' excitement than Tom Rush would later on with a
full band. I remember literally jumping up and down
when she ended her set with a cover of Arlo Guthrie's
"Coming into Los Angeles."

I wish I'd followed Cheryl's career more closely since
then. I have a couple of her albums, one of which has
a cover photo of her from about the period I saw her,
an impetuous young woman with an acoustic guitar.
Unfortunately, I didn't see her again live until a
recent Falcon Ridge. She's still a great, very funny
performer, and I will always have a soft spot for her.

Alex