Meet
CHERYL
YATES
Guitarist / Songwriter / Arranger
New single releases available now!
Get it on iTunes/Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/1639625655
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Backstory
Multi-genre guitarist and songwriter Cheryl Yates was born in Kentucky to a family full of musicians. Inspired by her father, she began playing solo guitar gigs and working as a side-person for rock bands in Detroit by age 16. At 19, she discovered the fingerstyle music of Steve Erquiaga and Phil Keaggy. She was also influenced by both jazz and classical guitarists. In her 20’s, she expanded her skill sets by working as a choir director, band leading and playing bass guitar with CCM artists. But at age 25 when her father died, she was re-inspired by his thumbstyle playing. This led to her eventual return to the south, living outside the Nashville area and playing a lot more fingerstyle guitar gigs. Today, Cheryl’s stage and studio set-ups range from a lone acoustic guitar to a wide variety of electric guitars, pedals and gear. Her newest single “Fly”, written for solo guitar, appears in Fingerstyle Guitar Journal Issue #24, with both the story behind the song and a complete transcription of the music.
To read about performances, press and more, click here:
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"Tasty piece of (original) music."
— Roberta Radley
Assistant Chair, Berklee College of Music
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