Cheryl Pepsii Riley

Birthday: 1968-10-18
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

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

Year Title Character
2018-12-03 Warrior Pride Diane
2014-11-25 Tyler Perry's Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned - The Play Anita Lincoln
2012-03-15 Tyler Perry's Madea Gets A Job - The Play Carla
2011-08-30 Laugh to Keep from Crying Carol
2011-04-22 Madea's Big Happy Family Choir
2010-11-23 Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - The Play Joyce
2006-06-27 Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married - The Play Sheila
2006-06-27 Madea Goes to Jail - The Play Wanda
2005-02-25 Diary of a Mad Black Woman Singer at Banquet (uncredited)
2003-09-13 Madea's Class Reunion - The Play Stefanie
1999-01-01 Colorz of Rage