Don Cherry

Donald Ross Cherry was born in January of 1924 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Don found that he possessed a talent for the game of golf and was destined to become the only professional singer to play the game at the highest level.

Don spent four years in military service during the Second World War. Upon his release he discovered that he could endulge in his passion for golf by day and perform as a singer at night.

Having sung with the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey and Victor Young, Don’s voice — that of a baritone — drew the attention of Decca Records. He was signed to record in 1950 and his recording of the song, “Thinking Of You” — which had firstly been a hit in 1928 — rose to No.4 on the national hit parade.

“Vanity”, a single released in that following year, just fell short of entry to the Top Ten, and, as a result Don would have to wait until 1955-’56 to experience a hit that would rival the success brought by “Thinking Of You”. This success came in the form of “Band Of Gold”, which sold in excess of a million copies.

Five relatively minor hits followed, most notably “Wild Cherry” and “Ghost Town”, and, by the end of 1956, Don’s entries to the chart ceased. Nevertheless, Don’s love of performing did not die and during the 1960s he appeared on stage to such an extent that he moved to live in Las Vegas permanently.

In spite of his busy life, Don Cherry continued to concentrate upon golf, and, in 1960, when playing as an amateur in the U.S. Open he finished in fourth place, just four strokes from the winner, Arnold Palmer. He turned professional in 1962, and, in total, played in The Masters nine times and in the U.S. Open, eight.

Don Cherry lost his son, Stephen, to the first aeroplane to strike one of the ‘Twin Towers’ in New York City on the eleventh of September in 2001. Stephen was the father to four sons.

Don Cherry, at this moment of publishing, is eighty-five years of age.