Overview
- Cheen built a decades-long career at Tetragrammaton, Mercury, Capitol and Far Out Music in promotion, A&R and management roles.
- He worked with John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Rick James and promoted concerts across international markets.
- After producing the first Pacific Rim Festival, he consulted for China’s Ministry of Culture and Australia’s Ausmusic, and his InterStar Music formed the first Western joint venture to distribute pop and rock in Asia.
- He spent 13 years in Beijing and Hong Kong, introduced American blues, jazz and reggae to Chinese audiences, produced local reggae, jazz and country albums, and collaborated with the rock band Tang Dynasty.
- Returning to the U.S., he served as VP for B.B. King’s Blues Clubs, taught at Catawba College, founded the Charlotte Music Awards, helped launch the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, and is survived by his wife, two sons and two grandchildren, with donations requested to Autism Speaks.