Cheryl Howard was born in Englewood New Jersey. Christened Cheryl Lynn Howard, she is one of three children of New York Yankee great Elston Howard and writer Arlene Howard. Elston Howard was the first African American to play for The New York Yankees. He was the first African American to win the most valuable player award in the American League, and the first African American to be the most valuable player in a world series. He is a recipient of the Babe Ruth award and is a multiple Golden glove winner.

After graduating from Teaneck High school, she attended Emerson college in Boston Massachusetts to study Mass Communications, Journalism, and theatre. During a spring brake she auditioned for the Broadway touring company of: "Theyre Playing Our Song" and to her surprise she got the job. She decided to leave school and tour with the show for three years. Upon returning to New York she was cast as the lead singer at the prestigious Monte Carlo Sporting Club in Monaco, during there spring and summer season.During that time, she also accepted an offer to stay in Europe and star in Andre Hellers production of: "Body and Soul" which toured extensively throughout Europe.

She returned to the United States and was cast in a Broadway bound workshop entitled: "Tales of Manhattan" and although the show did not make it to Broadway, the Choreographer Billy Wilson was so impressed by her work that he asked her to audition for the leading role in a European musical that he would be directing based upon the life of Josephine Baker. She was flown to Amsterdam by the Dutch producers and was cast in the leading role.

She toured throughout Europe once again in the production titled: "Josephine The Musical" for three years while appearing on several European Television shows and wining the Golden Heart Award in Holland for Best Actress in a Musical. Later, she returned to Europe once again, to star as Deena in the world premiere production of : "Dreamgirls" in Berlin.

At the end of Dreamgirls she returned to the United States to finish her education. She completed her Bachelors degree in Theatre Arts from Douglass College at Rutgers University. Then continued her education at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri were she received a Masters in Drama and was the proud recipient of the Shakespeare Globe Theatre fellowship award, where she studied theatre and acting in London with Jane Lapotaire.

She was nominated for an Adelco award for best solo performance for her work in: "The Sensational Josephine Baker" for which she wrote and starred in at the Beckett theatre on Theatre Row in New York City.

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