Cherry Vanilla

Cherry Vanilla, born Kathleen Anne Dorritie in 1943, is an American singer, actress, author, and publicist who played a notable role in New York's music and art scenes during the 1970s. She gained recognition as David Bowie's publicist during his Ziggy Stardust period and later pursued her own music career. Initially working in advertising, she became involved with Andy Warhol's Factory scene and performed in experimental theater productions, including Jackie Curtis's "Femme Fatale" and the London production of "Pork." Her transition into music publicity led to significant work with MainMan Management, where she handled press for David Bowie and other artists. As a recording artist, Cherry Vanilla released two albums in the late 1970s: "Bad Girl" and "Venus d'Vinyl." Her band notably included future Police members Sting and Stewart Copeland during their early careers. In 2010, she published her memoir "Lick Me: How I Became Cherry Vanilla," documenting her experiences in the music industry and her relationships with various cultural figures of the era. The book provides firsthand accounts of the New York and London punk scenes and her interactions with influential artists of the period.

Readers praise Cherry Vanilla's memoir "Lick Me" for its raw honesty about the 1960s-70s music scene and her relationships with David Bowie and other musicians. Many reviews highlight her detailed accounts of working at MainMan management and her marketing role during Bowie's rise to fame. Readers found value in: - Behind-the-scenes music industry stories - Firsthand accounts of counterculture movements - Clear, conversational writing style - Photos and documentation from the era Common criticisms: - Too much focus on sexual encounters - Name-dropping becomes repetitive - Some readers question accuracy of certain claims Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (50+ reviews) Notable reader comment: "An insider's view of a fascinating time in music history, even if she sometimes gets carried away with the salacious details" - Goodreads reviewer

Lick Me: How I Became Cherry Vanilla (2010) An autobiographical account of the author's journey from Catholic schoolgirl to David Bowie's publicist and punk rock performer in the 1970s.