Cheryl Prewitt | |
|---|---|
,_in_1980.jpg')) | |
| Born | February 15, 1957 |
| Other names | Cheryl Salem |
| Alma mater | Mississippi State University |
| Occupation | Singer, author, musician |
| Title | Miss Starkville 1979 Miss Mississippi 1979 Miss America 1980 |
| Predecessor | Kylene Barker |
| Successor | Susan Powell |
| Spouse(s) | Harry Salem II (m. 1985) |
| Children | 3 (1 deceased) |
Cheryl Salem (née Prewitt) (born February 15, 1957) is an American Christian evangelist, author, musician, and former beauty pageant titleholder, who was Miss Mississippi 1979 and Miss America 1980.
Early life
At age 11, a horrifying automobile accident left Prewitt with a scarred face, a body cast and was in a wheelchair.[1]
Pageantry
Ms. Prewitt entered, and lost, pageants for five years before winning the crown that would take her to Atlantic City for the Miss America pageant. She won the Miss Starkville and Miss Mississippi titles in 1979.
Prewitt became Miss America 1980, despite a history of poverty, sexual abuse, a physical handicap, and a total of 200 facial stitches.
Personal life
She married Harry Salem II, (the brother-in-law of televangelist, Richard Roberts) in 1985. Along with her husband, she ministers through Salem Family Ministries.[2]
The couple have two sons, Harry III and Roman, and had a daughter, Gabrielle, who died at age 6 in 1999 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.[3][4]
Bibliography
Items with * were written with Dr. Harry Salem II
Discography
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
- ^ Salem Family Ministries
- ^ Tauber, Michelle; Neill, Mike; Russell, Lisa; Fowler, Joanne; Dam, Julie; Tresniowski, Alex; Miller, Samantha; Dougherty, Steve; Yu, Ting (October 16, 2000). "American Beauties: 80 Years". People.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kylene Barker | Miss America 1980 | Succeeded by Susan Powell |
| Preceded by Cheri Brown | Miss Mississippi 1979 | Succeeded by Sherye Simmons |