Reflections on Bill Cherry - Found This Post and Thought I would share almost a decade after I wrote it....

Great Legends from The Triangle For those of you that read Facebook, you know I think we have definitely lost some great legends in the past, and one of the things that I want to do with this Blog is reflect on some of our past people who definitely left a great legacy, as well as profile some of our great entertainers and cultural icons who are still doing trailblazing work....... For the first profile, I want to start with a friend of mine who was always supportive of the various events I was involved with, be it the Hayti Film Festival where he would appear and give advice into the world of filmaking, or the Blues Festival where he would come and hang out with old time friends of his like Pops Staples....He was also a fixture at the National Black Theatre Festival as well as a advocate who tried to help the film studio in Yanceyville... His legacy is still felt by many who remembered him like myself, Brett Chambers, and Ray Paschall just to name a few....I always enjoyed giving him a call and being encouraged as I pursued various endeavors in the entertainment and media world, and I also enjoyed hearing about the various projects he was involved in and throughout his life he was definitely involved in quite a bit and was definitely seen as a great resource by the many who knew him. Here's a little bit about his legacy for those that don't know about him and what kind of contribution he left to the area. He was always one to advocate for the working class and definitely understood the power of entertainment in advocating for social causes, and was very active in that work, and one of the events that he worked on that definitely fit that kind of mode was Wattstax. Here is some other information about Bill that was featured in Target Market News after his death, "He had the ability to make people stars and not get in their spotlights. He was a master builder," Reverend Al Sharpton said of Bill Cherry's promotions work. "I've known Mr. Cherry since I was 13-years-old. He has helped me literally all my life: [Bill] believed in people and he believed in the cause of the African-Americans, said Sharpton. "Bill Cherry was a renowned man, an excellent promoter who used 'show business' to organize social justice. He realized the cause was more important than the money." Reverend Jesse Jackson, a friend for more than forty years said Bill Cherry was a creative genius. "After Dr. King's assassination there were marches, riots, and a chance for some terrible violence; but, Bill Cherry was on the other side of that. Bill Cherry used his creativity to turn the situation around and to begin building coalitions, to heal wounds and to create warmth and productivity". Reverend Jackson said Mr. Cherry's work in the entertainment field was unmatchable. "Bill had knowledge of the industry. He worked with the Supremes, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes and the Barkays. He also had a working relationship not just with the artists, but with their managers and agents. And his relationships made him a superb communicator and an excellent coordinator. I thank his family for sharing him with us for so many years. He meant so much to so many of us!" Born in Manhattan, New York, Mr. Cherry received a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University . He was the vice president of Richard Pryor Enterprises and he worked with Pryor on at least six films and comedy tours. He was a publicist for the Negro Ensemble plus On-Off Broadway productions. Mr. Cherry co-produced the film, "Save the Children" for Operation Push. And he was the director of publicity and promotions for Campaign/Stax Records, Free Southern Theater and UniWorld Group Advertising out of Newark. Mr. Cherry was involved in many civic, educational, and church organizations. In addition, he worked in media entertainment, marketing, video and film production and promotions. Notably, he produced a documentary for BET (Black Entertainment Television) on the life of the Honorable Louis Farrakhan. He has also produced a documentary on gospel great Kirk Franklin . He was the founder of the National Association of Black Promoters. Mr. Cherry did national marketing and publicity consulting for Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox Films, United Artists Films, and Bill Cosby Productions to name a few. Durham, N.C. Mayor Bill Bell said Bill Cherry was a trailblazer for Durham and folks around the country. "It's a tremendous loss. Bill Cherry ventured in an area where people dared not to go. He didn't mind taking risks. Just recently, he had one of our people (UDI) go to Darfur, Africa; and had it not been for him, they would not be participating in this business trip." As you can see, Mr. Cherry was definitely a trailblazer and though he may be gone, his legacy lives on...Hopefully some day, some one will do a movie or book on this true trailblazer and all of the great work that he was involved in.