Cheryl Wheeler

About Cheryl Wheeler

Cheryl Wheeler is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician born in Timonium, Maryland. Known for blending poignant songwriting with comedy in her performances, she gained widespread attention for her song "If It Were Up to Me," written after a 1998 school shooting. Her composition "Aces" became a top-ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss in 1992. Wheeler was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

In this interview

• Discusses unauthorized use of "If It Were Up to Me" in Columbine massacre video
• Explains her record label demanded the song be removed from the video
• Talks about her album "Sylvia Hotel"
• Describes herself as both a songwriter and comedian

Since this interview

Wheeler faced mental health challenges in 2022, leading to hospitalization and concert cancellations in October of that year. She returned to performing in 2023.