Cheryl Lynn

Soul singer Cheryl Lynn cemented her place in history with her debut single, the 1978 disco classic “Got to Be Real.” She went on to record with producers like Luther Vandross and Jam and Lewis and score many more R&B hits in the decade that followed.

• The Los Angeles native grew up singing in the church.

In her teens, she was cast to play Evilene in a touring production of The Wiz.