Judy Cheeks, Former Ikette Who Carried Church Soul to Global Dance Floors, Dies at 71

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music singer who was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner and rose to international fame with “Mellow Lovin’” before returning to her gospel roots, died Nov. 26, 2025, at age 71. (Photo Courtesy judycheeksmusic.com0

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music powerhouse whose gospel-trained voice carried from Southern sanctuaries to international dance floors, died the day before Thanksgiving after a long fight with autoimmune illness. She was 71.

The daughter of gospel legend Rev. Julius “June” Cheeks — whose fiery vocals with the Sensational Nightingales and the Soul Stirrers helped define gospel’s golden age — Judy grew up surrounded by voices that blurred the line between spirit and song. Mavis Staples, Sam Cooke, and members of the Caravans were family friends who dropped by the house. “When people say I sound like Mavis, it’s because being around gospel singers was like eating food and drinking water,” she told The Black Gospel Blog in 2013.

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By seven, she was leading hymns at church. By eighteen, she was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner, who produced her self-titled 1973 debut, “Judy Cheeks.” Touring as an Ikette gave her a stage presence and grit that set her apart from the smoother soul stylists of the era.

In 1977, she took a bold leap, moving to Germany with only $35 and a belief in her gift. A televised duet with Austrian crooner Udo Jürgens on “The Rudi Carrell Show” catapulted her to stardom in Europe, and her 1978 disco single “Mellow Lovin’” broke through internationally — hitting No. 10 on Billboard’s Dance Club chart.

 

Through the 1980s she recorded and toured across Europe, lending her unmistakable tone to artists including Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Boney M and Amanda Lear. But it was the 1990s that cemented her second act. “Respect” and “As Long As You’re Good to Me” both reached No. 1 on the U.S. Dance chart in 1995, proving her voice could ride any era’s rhythm without losing its soul. Later singles — “Reach,” “So in Love (The Real Deal)” and “You’re the Story of My Life” — made her a club-culture favorite and earned her crossover respect from house DJs and gospel purists alike.

 

In her later years, Cheeks turned back to her spiritual foundation. Albums like “True Love Is Free” (2013), “Danger Zone” (2018), “A Deeper Love” (2019) and “Love Dancin’” (2020) blended testimony with groove. “There are more important things I want to say,” she told The Black Gospel Blog. “Though my walk with God has always been there, I wanted my music to be gospel this time. It felt good singing from my heart.”

A GoFundMe campaign launched earlier this year revealed her battle with a rare autoimmune disorder that required months of intensive care. Even as her health declined, friends said her faith and warmth never wavered. “She was the real deal,” one longtime friend wrote, echoing the title of her 1990s anthem.