Cherie Martorana - lead & background Vocals
Scott Lovelady - lead & background Vocals
Eric Presti - Guitars, back vox
David Z / Drew Mortali - Bass, back vox
Sky - Keyboards, back vox
John LaSpina / Mike Maenza - Drums
Cherie
hails from Boston, MA, where she grew up the fourth child in a clan of
six. She credits her second eldest sister, Susan, for turning her on to
Rock music at a young age when she gave Cherie her first vinyl records.
Among them were pioneers like Blondie, Led Zeppelin, Pat Benatar, and
The Pretenders. Dad, Big Al, broadened her musical tastes by offering
R&B greats such as Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. As
Cherie innocently sang around the house and playground, her mother,
Sarah, instantly recognized her daughter’s gift. Mom became Cherie’s
biggest fan and praised her joining the school chorus and earning star
roles in numerous musicals. Adulthood saw Cherie embark on a successful
career as a board game developer and puzzle book author, while singing
remained her passion hobby. An untapped ‘shower’ singer, it wasn't
until 2006 when she took a huge leap of faith and moved to New York
City that her dream of being a professional vocalist took flight.
Almost immediately upon moving to The Big Apple, Cherie was invited to
join the legendary "World Famous Live Rock and Roll Karaoke Band", the
house group at landmark venue Arlene's Grocery. There she became
"Cherie-oke, The Rock ‘n’ Roll She Devil" as back-up singer, and
quickly made friends with Rubix Kube guitar player Eric Presti. Shortly
thereafter she also got the part of backup vocalist for The Little
Death, an original Rock and Blues band featuring the Grammy-nominated
artist MOBY. Lovingly dubbed "The Death Threats", Cherie and fellow
singers bring feisty and sweet harmonies to the band, which is
currently working on their second album. Cherie soon garnered the rank
of lead singer, and with Presti's recruitment became the female front
woman for Rubix Kube. Her genuine love for '80s music, dancing, and
creating costumes made her a perfect fit for the band - and it quickly
became evident that she belonged in the spotlight, center-stage. A
human jukebox, Cherie has the mystifying talents of a multi-dimensional
vocal range and a computer-like musical memory bank. At will she is
able to call up the lyrics and melody of virtually any song and emulate
the tones and nuances of any 80’s idol. That along with an unwavering
energy level, captivating dance moves, and a commanding yet cute stage
presence make Cherie meant for this dream ‘job’.
Never is a day where Cherie is ungrateful of all that she has
accomplished since 2006, when she took her mom's "It's never too late"
advice. Since then she often reflects on the highlights, including
singing backup for the legendary Lou Reed at the 2007 SXSW Festival. In
2009 she fulfilled a lifelong dream performing at the mecca, Radio City
Music Hall, for David Lynch's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert.
It was there she took the stage with pioneer Donovan as well as singing
backup up for Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper and MOBY. The climax of the
concert was witnessing the magical on-stage reunion of the two
surviving Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Mr. Ringo Starr. Last year,
Cherie was honored to hit the stage and sing a live duet with Rock and
Roll Hall of Famer Chubby Checker during one of his timeless concerts.
She even got to bust out “The Twist” with Chubby, almost thirty years
after her own mother was pulled on stage by the man himself to do the
same! Including all the stars Rubix Kube has played with, to be even
mentioned in the same sentences as these legendary artists is an
absolute honor for Cherie.
Residing today in NYC, Cherie maintains a soulful relationship with
various types of music - Rock being her favorite. When she's not going
back in time with Rubix Kube or performing with The Little Death, she’s
working on various musical projects of her own and for charity. She can
be heard on the Dalai Lama's benefit album, "Songs For Tibet", on a
remake of MOBY's "We Are All Made Of Stars". Cherie is an avid
supporter of reviving the local Rock scene in New York and serves as
the official emcee for ZO2's Rock Asylum, an event created to support
indie rock bands and raise money for music awareness in NY's public
schools. As a session singer her voice is also lent to various indie
band and friends’ recordings. Ms. Martorana is currently working on her
own material as a solo artist, as well as recording tunes with The
Kube. Cherie believes everyone deserves lots of "Love and Music" in
their lives, and works daily at making that a reality for herself
and others . .
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