herry was born in 1936 in Oklahoma City. He first came to prominence as trumpeter in the bands of Ornette Coleman with whom he played from 1957 onward. He was a member of the "classic" Ornette Coleman Quartet into the 1960s. From 1963-1964 Cherry was one of the co-leaders of the New York Contemporary Five. The next couple of years he spent in Europe, living in Paris and later on in Sweden. At the same time he toured Asia and became interested in the musical traditions of different continents.