Bios

Cherry is:

AJ	Jason	Celeste

What do you get when you cross the low, sweet tones of Karen Carpenter with the quirky pop stylings of Gwen Stefani, Paramore's Hayley Williams & Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley? You get Cherry's own dynamic frontwoman AJ! The creator and driving force behind Cherry, AJ is no stranger to the local music scene. She's recorded with local Superproducer John Custer (DAG, Corrosion of Conformity, Gran Torino, Cry of Love) and Michael Jay (Martika, Kylie Minogue, Mandy Moore, Eminem, Willa Ford). AJ has also co-written with Custer, Jay, and Michael Carey (a protégé of Desmond Child). When she is not performing with Cherry, AJ satisfies her nerdy side by working in the Engineering Applications Development Division of the NCDOT-IT Department. She is also a freelance makeup artist with her own company Blush Cosmetic Artistry, specializing in makeup for Print, Film & TV. Currently her work can be seen on ESPN, Fox News, CNN, CNBC, and in various commercials.	By day Jason is a high school teacher, but at night he ditches the fancy clothes to bring the rock. Cherry's guitarist and sometimes singer has performed primarily as a solo singer-songwriter for the past 8 years but has also played with several bands from Raleigh to DC. His musical stylings can best be described as existential pop rock. In his other role as Cherry's spiritual leader, he is sometimes referred to as Siddhartha Rattail.	If Celeste, Cherry's Amazing Keyboard Diva looks familiar, you have probably seen her performing with some of the area's most notable original and cover bands. Her original band credits include: Annabel Lee (keys), Tao Jones (keys,bass), Prophets of Circe (bass), and The Lulus (bass). She has also played with jazz standard cover band Psycho Cupid (keys), and most recently with former pop/rock cover band Sugar (keys). In addition to her Keyboard and Bass talents, Celeste has also been a singer and backup dancer for original bands Oedipus Dick and Logical Sound Discovery. Celeste is happily married to an amazing songwriter/musician who currently plays with the 3rd Degree Jazz Trio. They have a 12-year-old son who loves to play drums and make people laugh. When she is not playing with Cherry, Celeste can be found at a local spa and aesthetics clinic making Raleigh more beautiful. A certified Besthetician and Massage Therapist, Celeste has earned the nickname "The Compassionate Waxer" because of her empathy toward clients.

Rich

Cherry's multi-talented Bassist Rich is a seasoned musical veteran and a graduate of the renowned Berklee College of Music.

His services as a musician (guitar, keyboards, bass & percussion) have always been in high demand on the road and in the studio.

When he isn't playing with Cherry, Rich can be found working with his full-service production company, RELUCTANT ICON in film, radio, and TV incidental music.

Rich can also be found rockin' his Bass with local cover band Aftershock.

Jeremy "JD" Davis cut his teeth playing drums in the pre-grunge Seattle-area scene. He has played various styles of music since 1985 ranging from orchestral percussion to jazz to pop to 80's hair metal - a genre he still holds close to his heart. Influences include Tico Torres (Bon Jovi) and Rod Morgenstein (Winger, Dixie Dregs) as well as singing drummers Don Henley (Eagles) and Phil Collins (Genesis).

When he's not playing drums with Cherry, you can find JD playing with his 80's Rock cover band project, Aftershock, at his "day job" at Cisco Systems or out in the local music scene appreciating other area-bands.