Cheatham was born and grew up in
Akron, Ohio, the first child of Elizabeth ( Smart) and Ernest Evans. At the age of five, she started having lessons on her aunt's newly acquired piano, which was soon moved to Cheatham's home when it transpired that she had a talent for music her aunt lacked. Not long after, she began playing for services at the church her family attended. Throughout her school years, Cheatham's piano teacher also took her to play at weddings and social events, as well as to give recitals. Cheatham first played
jazz music when, aged 14, she was asked to join a local 15-piece rehearsal orchestra. While still in high school, she began playing in smaller groups, and found herself in demand professionally as most younger musicians were
drafted into the
US Army during
World War II. In 1944, she was accepted as a student at the
University of Akron, but was unable to complete more than one year for financial reasons. In 2006, Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham received a lifetime achievement award at the
San Diego Music Awards, and in November 2022, were inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame. ==Discography==