Klymaxx

http://www.pr.com/press-release/486419

Los Angeles, CA, April 20, 2013 - IC Punch Media, Inc. (QTCQB: PNCH). Punch TV, presented their primetime schedule for the 2013-2014 television season at their 2nd annual Upfront programming presentation on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at The John Lovitz Club on Universal City Walk.

It was a spectacular evening with hundreds of advertisers, shareholders, celebrities, media and the general public joining Punch TV for a special event to see the network’s hot new show lineup.

The Red Carpet was saturated with media and the lights flashed again and again as a host of A-List celebrities.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Punch TV’s new, hot urban shows: Life With The Binghams, Taste of Hunney, Welcome To Mayweather’s House, Meet The Sanchez, Step Up 2 The Mic, a live show by Filberts Big Bash, Hollywood Fast Lane, Go Beyond The Lens, News Brief, Horse Talk, Battlefest, Writerz, Rumble, Who Mag?, 12 Steps To Recovery, Make Love Not War, Get Thee Behind Me, and EROS, that left the audience thirsty for Punch TV.

The excitement continued to build when Klymaxx, the hot all-girl Band hit the stage with a high energy, show stopping performance and a dynamic solo by original Band Member “Cheryl Cooley” that brought the audience to their feet and ultimately left them screaming for more.

Punch TV Network
Office: 562-424-4597
Email: media@punchtvnetwork.com - Punch TV Network

http://www.mysteryisland.net/klymaxx

Lucy: What happened with the previous crew? Did all those other women turn into drama divas and rock star bitches, or what?

Cheryl: When I was approached to put the original band back together, the girls told me all kinds of excuses as to why it wouldn’t work: “I got too many kids. We’re too old. It’s not going to work. Who’s going to want to hire us …” So I pressed ahead anyway, hoping they would change their minds, after they saw I would have done most of the work. But that didn’t happen and as you say “they became drama divas.”

I was very disappointed, but I still wanted to be a musician. Do I stop for them, or do I continue to express the talent I have been blessed with? I just performed at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA for more than 10,000 fans. I think I choose to express my talent no matter the opposition.

Lucy: Okay, now that’s out of the way, let’s learn more about Cheryl. When did you start playing the guitar? Who/what influenced you to pick up that instrument?

Cheryl: My sister was married to a jazz musician by the name of Hubert Laws. One day while he was on the road, he & my sister were staying at my mom’s house and I began to play my toy guitar and my sister said to my mom, “Hey, why don’t we get Cheryl guitar lessons?” Now, if you read some stuff on Google, it will say Hubert taught me how to play guitar. That is not so. But he was encouraging. As far as influences, well, in Hubert’s circle there was George Benson, that was my first exposure, but do I play anything of his or like him -- NO. Funk, baby, it’s in my soul! I learned from 70’s Funk. I had a High School teacher that taught me everything about Music theory I could absorb and went on to get a College degree in Commercial Music.

Lucy: “This is so Crazy” is one of the coolest songs I’ve heard in a long time.
You have such an incredible range, at times invoking Carlos Santana or Jimi Hendrix. What kind (make/model) of guitar do you play?

Cheryl: I thank you for the comparison, I am honored. They are the Greats, I just play what I feel. I play a Fender Squire Telecaster on stage, a Valley Arts Custom Pro as a stage backup, and an Esteban acoustic guitar from that guy with sun glasses on TV. I carry a Brownsville mini guitar in my car at all times, and at home in my “alone time” I play a Gibson Les Paul I’ve had since High School. For the tech heads: I prefer a Roland JC120 amplifier and I use a Boss GT8 processor.

Lucy: The music on the radio right now sounds like it’s all made with the same set of cookie cutters. How is Klymaxx different?

Cheryl: Klymaxx has always made music from the ground--up. Meaning, not using music from somewhere or someone else, but writing and recording from individual creativity. A composer must listen from within not from without.

Lucy: Give us some insight on what it was like to be an all female band making hits in the 80s, anyone try to hold you back?

Cheryl: Yes. The success of Klymaxx was not an overnight success story. We were told no one wanted to hear a bunch of girls playing instruments. OR: What if you all get pregnant?

But when decision-makers at a record company finally took a chance on us and we had the right type of music to come out with, it was a magical time in the 80s to have a hit record. It was a dream come true; a dream I had even before I started playing guitar.

Lucy: What’s the craziest fan letter you’ve ever received?

Cheryl: What’s crazy, is that I’m still receiving them. Even if it’s by email as opposed to U.S. mail like back-in-the-day. I so appreciate the acknowledgement and the admiration from the fan letters.

Lucy: Tell us a funny/wild Klymaxx concert story:

Cheryl: Well, you know how women have thrown their panties on stage at the guy bands? Well, we had a male fan throw his Fruit-of-the-Loom briefs up on stage at us.

Lucy: Ha, I wonder how he got them off. That's so funny. Did you keep them as a trophy? Nevermind, don't answer that! Give us an update on the latest Klymaxx/Unruley Cooley recordings:

We have recently signed a Management deal with Buzz Willis and Central Entertainment Group in New York. We are on a Freestyle Explosion tour that started in June on through October, with more dates to come. We have recorded music that we wanted to play and express with the Unruley Cooley project as well as new music coming out soon, and we’re having fun!

Lucy: Are you still “meeting” in the ladies room?

Cheryl: Yes, and aren’t you suppose to be there with us when we come to Sacramento in August? We’ll be waiting!!!

Lucy: You got that right. We'll be there for an action-packed follow up and review of the show. Locals take note, that show's at Arco Arena: August 16, 2008!
- Lucy Hell

http://www.discomusic.com/people-more//13867_0_11_0_C/

Cheryl Cooley from the all female group Klymaxx is interviewed by Dayna Newman.

Dayna: Hi Cheryl, Thank you for letting me have some of your time today for this interview.


Cheryl Cooley: You're so welcome and thank you as well Dayna.

Dayna: Let me start at the beginning.
You are an original member and co-founder of the all-female R&B funk band, Klymaxx.
How did it all start for you?


Cheryl Cooley: Well I was working in a bank and one of my supervisors was the niece of Johnny Pate, Johnny was Peabo Bryson's producer. I gave a Demo tape to Linda Pate who was Johnny's niece and she gave it to Johnny, but Johnny wasn't really feeling it so Johnny gave it to Margaret Nash a big wig at Solar Records. She listened to it and loved it so she took it to Dick Griffey "the founder of Solar" and he signed us immediately.


Dayna: How was it working with the people at Solar?


Cheryl Cooley: It was great; we were so green and new to everything
They took us under their wing and taught us what we needed to know.
No one was shady but very helpful.
Our first album Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman was produced by Lakeside and Bernadette and I wrote the title Track.


Dayna: Girl I love Lakeside, I had no idea they produced that record, see I'm learning things already!
What about your second album Girls will be Girls?


Cheryl Cooley: That was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.


Dayna: How was it working with the great Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis?


Cheryl Cooley: They were awesome, they let you express yourself and gave you so much creative freedom. The only time they really stepped in was to tweak something if they thought it needed it.

WE were the first act outside of their group, The Time, that they produced. Even though they were so cool, it was intimidating at first, when we recorded the song Wild Girls they locked me in the booth and turned up the Marshall amp loud as hell and said go for it Cheryl and I did. (both of us laughing)


Dayna: I have to ask this even though I already know the answer.
For the record, it is really you playing the guitar not just standing on stage holding it correct?


Cheryl Cooley: (Both laughing again) I have been playing the guitar since I was 11 years old. When you see me on stage I am playing my heart out, that's what I do.
My mother bought me a toy guitars when I was a little girl, I would pick it up and pluck at it, also my sister went to Julliard and met and married Hubert Laws, he had a guitar as well. I would take turns plucking at his guitar and my toy guitar so it was sort of divine intervention so to speak.


Dayna: Sounds like that's what you were meant to do.
When Disco left the scene around 1981 and all the new wave started to invade the clubs and radio stations I and many other lovers of funky dance music depended on groups like Klymaxx to keep us on the dance floor.

I have to tell you that when me and my girls went out to the clubs when we heard Meeting In The Ladies Room or The Men All Pause and it only took about 2 notes to decipher that was the jam and we would throw our hands up and yell out HEYYYYYYY That's my jam and run to the dance floor, so in a way you were apart of our lives.
As an artist how does it make you feel to know you make that kind of impact on people's lives?


Cheryl Cooley: That's so humbling to hear that, Thank you Dayna.
I really didn't look at it like that, in my mind I was just doing my job and doing what I do and the fact that I made an impact is such an added bonus.
You have heard the saying, can't see the forest for the trees; well I live in the forest that's my environment, you don't really process the effect as it is going on, at least I didn't.


Dayna: Tell me a story or memory you have about the early days?


Cheryl Cooley: There are so many, but this one stands out.
I remember we went to a club that had a talent night and asked some musicians if we could use their instruments. At first they wouldn't let us, thinking these girls can't play these instruments! Plus all the other negativity you get as a female in a man's domain.

They finally said yes and when we got on stage and started playing the people were like WOW these girls can really play, we played cover tunes but they worked, and that's the kind of attitude we knew that people were going to have until we proved ourselves, and we did prove ourselves.

Dayna: Yes you did Girl. You play the hell out of that guitar, you are no joke up there. What's your favorite Klymaxx track?


Cheryl Cooley: Hands Down Diva's Need Love too. It has that certain sleazy slimy rhythm to it.

Because you know I'm a Funkateer. (Both of us laughing and saying I know that's right) I'm all about rhythm. It takes over your groove pattern and it just goes (Cheryl makes a load roaring sound).It's that pocket groove, not too slow not too fast.


Dayna: OH I like Fu - Dayna Newman

Klymaxx took the stage to bring the house down. Speaking of bringing the house down, Klymaxx's show at the Inland Empire Pride Festival on May 31st brought the crowd to their feet and the fans to tears. And when I say tears, I mean tears of joy! Klymaxx's performance was so powerful and so asbsolutely off the hook that new Klymaxx fans were born that night.
6/2003 - Jennifer Melby

Fantastic guitar work and the players are all around one tight unit! The vocalist is excellent and gets extra credit for bringing fresh life to classic songs.
6/2003
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/klymaxx - Donald Martin