European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Profiles Gong show Winner ready to record big album Story and photo by Deedee Arrington Doke staff writer this is the Story of a woman who played the Gong s/7owandwon. Cheryl Lynn. It s a name that brings to mind a Perky blonde cheerleader a quintessential Valley girl with nothing More pressing on her mind than shopping. The Singer who uses that name professionally however is a voluptuous husky voiced belter who sashay across a stage in fringed gowns and Black High heels fully aware of what living s All about. What s More she not Only survived but flourished professionally after an appearance on television s the Gong show in the late 70s. In the mid-80s, however the los Angeles based entertainer slipped from View without so much As a Gong to Mark her disappearance. After wrapping up a monthlong tour of . Military clubs overseas the performer with the deceptively Sweet name will go Back in the studio to make an album and not just any album she vows. It will be the album of life. Everything i want it to be says Lynn. It will be a big  the Telephone interview with Lynn was limited to three minutes by her manager a protective no nonsense woman who sports a red plastic Sherlock Holmes hat. But Lynn s Candor tempered an initial impression that she was somewhat inaccessible beyond her recent one hour 45-minute show at Sembach a in West Germany. Her first show began 42 minutes late. She did t do an encore after either of her two sets. Unlike most entertainers on the club circuit she did t come out for an autograph session after the show. Although the tardiness left a poor impression on this reviewer Lynn s fans did t mind. We re used to it confessed sgt. Stephanie Tyler Cheryl Lynn on stage at Sembach a. Of Sembach a who cited late starts by other celebrity performers travelling the club circuit. All three times there s been a late  a More jaded observer expects More perhaps from a performer eager to be rediscovered by the of so fickle Public. And a few years have passed since her one Mega hit it s got to be real a song the performer describes As a song i did  now the lady is looking for another hit. In the latest phase of her career she not Only sings on her album she writes songs and produces them As she did with her 1987 album Start Over. Basically that was me just trying to take control and follow my heart Lynn says. That album which features the torchy title tune was the Singer s first on Manhattan records after Lynn s two year absence from the music scene. Lynn said the record sold pretty Good but it did not receive the airplay most records require to Edge them up the National charts producing another hit As big or bigger than it s got to be real. I want to see if i can dig deep inside myself and see if i can pull out another one like that Lynn says. A performer who prides herself on High Energy Lynn lives up to that self image in concert authoritatively working the stage with righteous conviction occasionally easing into dance Steps. She presents herself More than anyone else i be seen enthused airman Jeff Blankenship of Sembach a who watched the show from far in the rear of the Sembach no club. Sounding at times like a Pepper Gladys Knight Lynn can croon an earthy passionate ode to the renewal of a flagging Romance just another pretty face then step up the voltage for partying shake it up tonight or dip into a mean Funk new dress without missing a note or a nuance. She s also capable of humor at her own expense by pointing out her ample proportions i know you re thinking Cheryl Lynn you got some hips on you " without sacrificing any dignity. But dignity is a trait Lynn s familiar with. Asked to recall her experience on the Gong show a to show that specialized in performance oddities and a loss of dignity for most involved Lynn admits i was very afraid. I did t want to do it. I did t want to be longed. There were a lot of acts who were not As serious As i was crazy acts things like  but now Lynn figures it s time to move on to the next phase of her career one in which she establishes a firm musical identity for herself and a regular presence in the charts. Energy real feeling that s what i m trying to project. I m going to be myself give More than 100 percent Lynn says. Martial artist writes hand to hand combat guide by Charlie Bowden Munich Bureau Bob Spear is a husky bespectacled balding Man. He hardly looks like a crusader a Man who holds a fifth degree Black Belt in the martial Art of Hap Kido with a sprinkling of judo wrestling boxing fencing and Tae Kwan do. Spear a noted writer and lecturer on martial arts was the first american certified As a Hap Kido instructor. He believes strongly that America s soldiers Lack that ability to confront an adversary quickly respond to the unexpected and win. That belief was the guiding Force behind Spear s recent Book survival on the Battlefield. Spear Hopes it will ignite a crusade to get the army to bring Back hand to hand combat training for soldiers something that was discontinued As an institutionalized program in 1973. There Are isolated instances of it being taught Spear said citing the rangers and special forces As examples but nothing with any real official Sanction and there Are no training  Spear a former army intelligence officer works in Munich As a martial arts instructor. He believes his Book which uses a simple show and Tell format and is Complete with training guides for starting a unit program could fill that void. The Book has it All. I selected a particular mix of techniques that Are easy to do easily Learned easily trained yet do not require great strength but would be extremely effective on the  Spear believes that in a Low intensity conflict . Forces particularly rear Echelon troops could find themselves face to face with enemy airborne forces dropped behind the lines to disrupt and confuse the support elements for frontline . Soldiers. They would be ill trained to meet these forces one on one Spear contends because they have no training in close in combat. All the major armies conduct hand to hand training and certainly All of the threat armies do some of them extensively Spear said. Getting that message across will be the key to getting . Training efforts to include the martial arts. Spear has attracted converts among them Marine maj. Tom Vanderhoof of Munich a student in his Hap Kido class. Vanderhoof has forwarded a copy of the Book to Marine Headquarters recommending that it be adopted As a training manual. The Marine corps like the army has no institutionalized training program in hand to hand combat said Vanderhoof who holds a Brown Belt in judo and has some experience in other martial arts disciplines. He said . Soldiers Are meant to be warriors and need to be trained to fight. You can t be a Warrior if you Don t know How to fight he said adding that the Lack of hand to hand training is a serious shortfall. In every previous War including Vietnam american soldiers have been involved in close in fighting at the Small unit or individual level he said. Spear s Book Vanderhoof said would be beneficial to Marine training because it s easy to understand and provides a common language that could be used and is applicable to individual or unit size  instructors at the army s first sergeant course based in Munich also have taken an interest and Are considering adding the manual to the physical training portion of its curriculum. There Are a couple of things that we could use and would like to incorporate in our program of instruction said sgt. Maj. Kenneth Parrish course Deputy commandant. Parrish said instructors have requested that the Book be approved As a supplement their Normal program. It would offer new first sergeants another option they could use in making unit physical training both fun and beneficial he said. Spear believes that would be a Good use for the Book and the philosophy it preaches. The Beauty of this is that it s a wonderful Way of physical conditioning therefore it could be used As a part of the regularly scheduled it programs Spear said. You get a lot of benefits from it other than the skill to kill. A Good martial arts training program also will give you the will to win. The enthusiasm and Confidence it develops is key to a Good fighting  Spear will appear at autograph sessions at the following stars and stripes bookstores in West Germany july 16, Stuttgart Robbinson Barracks 11 a.m.-1p.m.july 17, Kaiserslautern Vogel Weh shopping Center noon-2 . July 19, Augsburg shopping Center 4-6 . July 21, bad Jolt 4-6 . July 23, Furth shopping Center 11 a.m.-1 . And july 24, Frankfurt shopping Center 1-1 . July 14, 1988 stripes Magazine