Cherylann Hawk

As a child, Cherylann Hawk imagined there was a hidden microphone in a button on her shirt that allowed the whole world to hear her sing the songs she made up. Music made her feel better, and she wanted everyone else to feel better too. Her West Virginia mountain mama began to find stages for her to sing on when she was 5 years old... talent shows, minstrels, churches, recitals, family gatherings and such. After being inspired by "Coal Miner's Daughter" when she was 12, she learned to play guitar, and started writing songs, recording, and performing as a country singer at fairs, festivals, restaurants, charity events, parties, and Wheeling's own Capital Music Hall. Her style had changed from show tunes and church songs to country, then she transformed again after she moved to Pittsburgh, PA at the time when Lilith Fair artists graced the music industry. So now, Cherylann has found her niche in indie folk pop... acoustic guitar driven songs of love and introspection, sometimes sweet and jazzy, sometimes cute and country, sometimes primal and indigenous. Her voice and style has been compared to some of her influences... Karen Carpenter, Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette. In addition to playing rhythm and finger-style acoustic guitar, she also plays a little bass, ukulele, percussion, and kazoo! Cherylann Hawk will warm your heart and soothe your soul. Over the past 25 years, while living and performing in Pittsburgh, she released 3 full length CDs and several singles, 3 of which she recorded at home at SunHawk Studio. She will be releasing her song “Love & Gratitude” as a single on SunHawk Records in June of 2024. In addition to sharing her own music, Cherylann has sung and played with many local, regional and world traveling performers on stage and in studios. Her current most frequent collaborations have been with Pittsburgh singer/songwriter John Vento. Her voice can be heard on his album “Love, Lust & Other Wreckage” and on a few tracks for his project “Brick by Brick.” And then, in August of 2023, she and John formed an acoustic group with Bob Zigerelli and Kevin McCarthy called “Vento, Ziggy, Hawk & McCarthy.” VZH&M released a single recently and has 2 on the way! Cherylann has recorded music and voice overs for IRead2Know on iHeart Radio, and has been in regular rotation on American Busker on iHeart Radio as well. She loves singing in hospitals for the Sonny Pugar Foundation’s “Music Smiles” program, in retirement homes through Sound Advice Entertainment, and in shows for charitable organizations, such as Band Together Pittsburgh, a non-profit that brings kids on the autism spectrum together to make music and grow together. Bringing artists together to create community and collaboration has been her passion for many years, such as through hosting open stages and through AcoustiCafe, an organization she co-founded over 20 years ago that is still flourishing. She also hosted open mics at Hambones until covid, then continued to be in the hosting rotation once they went virtual on Zoom. During the pandemic, she did 250 weekday live streams on Facebook and YouTube, often with her kids. Also during those unusual months, she began performing virtually as an avatar all around the world in Second Life, with support of her HeArts Coming Together partner John Stone aka Eyeclectic, from Canton, Ohio, with the mission of bringing non-profit organizations and visionaries together to keep the “Love Train” vision on track. Since restrictions have relaxed, the live streams from home and Second Life shows have ended, but she’s been performing with VZH&M, Pittsburgh Jam Band theCAUSE, Jerry Garcia tribute, Reuben’s Painted Mandolin, and whoever asks her to sing to keep on spreading the love… and gratitude. "I'm starting to remember some riddles of my younger years, when I wanted to sing for the world so that everyone will like it here! Wherever it is that I sing, I love the joy of making music with and for my friends, family and fans. Music is a connection between us and with the divine. It brings us into the moment, and can create a sense of peace and belonging. It's a gift, a prayer, a meditation, a medicine, an inspiration, a discipline, a skill, a link, a magnet, a reminder, and best of all, it's fun! Hope to see you when it's time to make the music!”

Verona, PA