The Original Punk Poet: Cherry Vanilla (Season 5; Ep 2)

Cherry Vanilla is a fearless, iconic figure in glam rock, punk, and the experimental underground of New York City. She was also a publicist for David Bowie, contributing significantly to the development of the Ziggy Stardust mystique. In the 1970s, she started performing her poetry as songs and released two albums for RCA in 1978 and 1979, in the early days of punk.

Aside from music, Cherry Vanilla collaborated with some of the most provocative and culturally important artists of the time, including her work in Pork (a raucous, surrealistic off-Broadway play by artist Andy Warhol). Cherry has continued to be a defining influence on anyone interested in creating daring, performative art and music during this creative era of New York City in the 1970s.

Catch Cherry Vanilla, Tony Zanetta, and August Bernadicou in conversation on Zoom on March 29, 2026, at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT. Register: lgbtqhp.org/intermission.