Judy Cheeks dead: R&B legend who worked with Tina Turner dies

Iconic singer Judy Cheeks, who was a member of Ike and Tina Turner's Ikettes and worked with Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer, died at the age of 71 on November 26. The news was confirmed on Facebook by her friend Bill Schrader. "Friends of Judy Cheeks, I'm so sorry to tell you that Judy passed away, peacefully in the arms of her husband...I waited until now to tell you so that you could enjoy Thanksgiving before hearing such sad news. I know that is the way Judy would have wanted it. Please pray for her beautiful, sweet soul and for her husband, who loved her so much.

Filmmaker Alan Cross also paid a touching tribute to the star, writing. "I just learned of the passing of Judy Cheeks and so sad to hear. Judy touched me in so many ways when I worked with her and my co-writer China Burton at Warner Chappell back in the good old haze of the 1990s," he recalled. "Judy worked with some of the truly great artists, had enormous talent and didn't suffer fools gladly. We hit it off instantly and stayed in touch until recently, when she suddenly went quiet. I knew something was up, and to hear she has now passed has come as a shock. I'll never forget the voice and that loving smile! Sleep well, dear Judy. RIP."

Judy was the daughter of gospel singer, Rev. Julius Cheeks and released her eponymous debut solo album at the age of 19 in 1973. It was produced by Ike and Tina Turner, and she subsequently toured with the husband-and-wife group, performing as an Ikette.

Alongside her solo career, she worked as a session singer, lending her vocals to some iconic albums, including Donna Summer's Once Upon a Time in 1977 and Stevie Wonder's soundtrack album for the film The Woman in Red in 1984. She also appeared on Boney M's LP "Ten Thousand Lightyears" in 1984 and Alphaville's album "Afternoons in Utopia" in 1986.

She was also an accomplished songwriter, and The Jackson 5 recorded one of her songs We're Gonna Change Our Style.

Her most recent album release, Love Dancin', was in 2020, and the title track was co-written with her old friend Stevie Wonder. In 2023, she started collaborating with POSE and released the singles Let Your Soul Dance and Hands Up In The Air.

Fans paid tribute to the star as they learnt the sad news. "Judy Cheeks so in love (the real deal), one of my absolute fave dance tunes. Paul Trouble Anderson played it all the time. Both be up there dancing rest in eternal peace," one penned.

"Rest in Peace, Judy. And I send you, Lars Lucas, and everybody who loved her my sincere condolences and a lot of strength," another added.

A third chimed in: "I'm saddened to hear this...I can imagine she had a full life and inspired others. This is the sorrowful part of touching others and creating loving bonds in life."

Meanwhile, a fourth shared: "Learning of the passing of Judy Cheeks caught me off guard. She's one of a short list of singers whose work I admired over years...She was a wide-ranging, classy vocalist with a very rich musical heritage and history that extended far beyond the dance recordings for which many of the people are (familiar) with her."