Cher - WikiHQ

Cher ( ; legally mononymous; May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous, contralto voice, bold fashion, elaborate stagecraft and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her public image as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, Cher has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention.

Cher rose to fame in 1965 as part of the folk rock duo Sonny & Cher, whose hit single "I Got You Babe" became emblematic of 1960s counterculture. She simultaneously launched a solo career with moody pop songs such as "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", whose theatrical storytelling foreshadowed her 1970s US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady". After a period of acting, she released the hair metal albums Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989) and Love Hurts (1991), scoring international top-ten hits "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)". At 52, she released the dance-pop album Believe (1998), which introduced the "Cher effect"—a stylized use of Auto-Tune to distort vocals. Its title track became 1999's number-one song in the US and the UK's best-selling single by a female artist. In the 21st century, she released her highest-charting US Billboard 200 albums, Closer to the Truth (2013) and Dancing Queen (2018), each debuting at number three.

Cher became a TV star in the 1970s with her CBS variety shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which drew more than 30 million weekly viewers, and the solo Cher, on which she became the first woman to deliberately expose her navel on American television after fighting network censors. She later gained critical acclaim with her Broadway debut and the film adaptation of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). Transitioning to film, she earned two Academy Award nominations—for Silkwood (1983) and Moonstruck (1987), winning Best Actress for the latter—and received the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award for Mask (1985). Other starring roles include The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Mermaids (1990), If These Walls Could Talk (1996, her directorial debut), Tea with Mussolini (1999), Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).

One of the best-selling music artists in history, Cher has sold over 100 million records and is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the US Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s). Her accolades include two Grammy Awards—among them the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award—a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. She is the only performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her 2002–2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist at the time, earning $250 million—about $ million in . Her life and career inspired the 2018 jukebox musical The Cher Show. Beyond entertainment, Cher is known for her progressive politics, status as a gay icon and advocacy for causes including LGBTQ rights and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Life and career

1946–1961: Early life

Cheryl Sarkisian was born in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946. Her father, John Sarkisian, an Armenian-American truck driver with drug and gambling problems, was rarely present during her early life. Her mother, Georgia Holt, was a model and actress of Irish, English, German and Cherokee descent. Cher's paternal grandparents were survivors of the Armenian genocide. Cher's parents divorced when she was 10 months old. Before leaving, her father placed her in an orphanage for several months; Holt was allowed to visit once a week, only able to see Cher through a window. Both found the experience traumatic.

upright|thumb|right|alt=Cher, as a teenager, smiles with dark, voluminous curls in her hair.|Cher in high school, 1960

In 1951, Holt married actor John Southall, with whom she had Cher's half-sister, Georganne. Holt's marriage to Southall ended when Cher was nine; Cher later described him as her "real father" and a "good-natured man who turned belligerent when he drank too much". Holt remarried and divorced several times, frequently moving the family across states, including New York, Texas and California. They often struggled financially, and Cher recalled using rubber bands to hold her shoes together. While living in Los Angeles, Holt pursued acting while working as a waitress, occasionally securing minor television roles for her daughters in shows such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

By fifth grade, Cher organized a class performance of the musical Oklahoma!, taking on male roles when boys refused to participate. At nine, her voice was unusually low for a female child. Fascinated by film stars, Cher idolized Audrey Hepburn, particularly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), emulating Hepburn's character's unconventional outfits and demeanor. She also admired Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, but felt discouraged by the lack of dark-haired actresses in Hollywood. She recalled, "In the Walt Disney cartoons, all the witches and evil queens were really dark. There was nobody I could look at and think, 'That's who I'm like.'" As a child, she dreamed of fame but struggled with feelings of inadequacy, describing herself as "unattractive" and "untalented". Reflecting on her ambitions, she later said, "I couldn't think of anything that I could do ... I just thought, 'I'll be famous'. That was my goal."

In 1961, Holt married bank manager Gilbert LaPiere, who adopted Cher (under the name Cheryl LaPiere) Many radio programmers rejected the song, mistaking Cher's deep contralto for a male voice and assuming it was a gay man singing to the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Cher and Sonny became close friends, then lovers, and held an unofficial wedding ceremony in a hotel room in Tijuana, Mexico, on October 27, 1964. Although Sonny initially intended to launch Cher as a solo artist, she encouraged him to perform with her due to her stage fright, and he began joining her onstage to sing backing vocals. Cher masked her nervousness by looking at Sonny; she later said she sang to the audience through him.

In early 1964, Cher and Sonny recorded together for the first time, releasing "The Letter" as Caesar & Cleo on Vault Records. It featured inverted harmonies—Cher sang the lower part and Sonny the higher—a reversal of the typical male–female vocal roles they continued using in later recordings. Later that year, the duo signed a one-off deal with Reprise Records for another Caesar & Cleo single, "Love Is Strange". A week before its release, their managers reintroduced them to Reprise as a new act—Sonny & Cher—in an effort to secure a more lucrative contract. Unaware they were the same duo, Reprise released both singles simultaneously: "Love Is Strange" as Caesar & Cleo and "Baby Don't Go" as Sonny & Cher. Reprise declined a long-term deal after discovering the connection. While the Caesar & Cleo singles were commercially unsuccessful, "Baby Don't Go" found success in Los Angeles, prompting Atlantic Records to sign them to its Atco label. Meanwhile, the Byrds released their own version of the song. As the two versions began competing on the charts, the Byrds' label shifted focus to promoting their single's B-side. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds recalled, "We loved the Cher version ... We didn't want to hassle. So we just turned our record over." Cher's debut album, All I Really Want to Do (1965), reached number 16 on the US Billboard 200.

1965–1967: Sonny and Cher's breakthrough

alt=Sonny and Cher stand against a stone wall; Sonny wears a vest over a white shirt and dark pants, while Cher wears a striped sleeveless top with matching flared pants.|thumb|left|upright|1960s publicity photo of [[Sonny & Cher]]

While launching her solo career, Cher continued recording with Sonny as a duo. Sonny & Cher's first Atco single, "Just You", failed to chart upon its April 1965 release. The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour premiered as a summer replacement series on August 1, 1971 and had six episodes. Following its ratings success, the couple returned that December with a full-time show.

Watched by more than 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, while her Bob Mackie-designed outfits set 1970s fashion trends.

In 1971, Sonny and Cher signed with the Kapp Records division of MCA Records and Cher released the single "Classified 1A", in which she sings from the point of view of a soldier who bleeds to death in Vietnam. Written by Sonny, who felt that her first solo single on the label had to be poignant and topical, the song was rejected by radio station programmers as uncommercial.

Since Sonny's first attempts at reviving their recording career as a duo had also been unsuccessful, Kapp Records recruited Snuff Garrett to work with them. He produced Cher's second US number-one single, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", which "proved that ... Garrett knew more about Cher's voice and her persona as a singer than Sonny did", wrote Bego. "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was the first single by a solo artist to rank number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time as on the Canadian singles chart. It was featured on the 1971 album Chér (later reissued under the title Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves), which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its second single, "The Way of Love", reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and established Cher's more confident sound as a recording artist.

Cher's next single, "Dark Lady", was released in December 1973 as the lead single from her 11th studio album, Dark Lady (1974). It became her second consecutive and fourth overall number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, tying her with Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page and Connie Francis for the most number-one singles by a female solo artist in US history at the time. In 1974, she released a Greatest Hits album that, according to Billboard, proved her to be "one of the most consistent hitmakers of the past five years", as well as a "proven superstar who always sells records".

Between 1971 and 1973, Sonny & Cher's recording career was revived with four albums released under Kapp and MCA Records: Sonny & Cher Live (1971), All I Ever Need Is You (1972)—with the US top-ten singles "All I Ever Need Is You" and "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"—Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs (1973) and Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2 (1973). Cher later commented that her tight schedule required her to record entire albums in a few days while also touring and filming their TV show.

1974–1979: Divorce, marriage to Gregg Allman and media scrutiny

Cher and Sonny ended their relationship in late 1972 but stayed legally married for two more years to protect their careers. Their relationship had been troubled for years due to Sonny's infidelity and controlling behavior. By 1973, they lived in the same house while dating other people. "The public still thinks we are married," Sonny wrote in his diary, "that's the way it has to be." Sonny filed for separation the next month, citing "irreconcilable differences". A week later, Cher countered with a divorce suit, accusing him of "involuntary servitude" and withholding her rightful share of their earnings. Their show was cancelled in April 1974. Later that year, Sonny launched The Sonny Comedy Revue with the same creative team, but it was canceled after 13 weeks.

During divorce proceedings, Cher learned she was legally an employee of Cher Enterprises, a company 95% owned by Sonny and 5% by his lawyer. She was also required to work exclusively for Sonny's company, leaving her with no career or financial control. Record executive David Geffen, with whom Cher had begun a relationship in 1973, helped her break free from the contract. Cher won custody of Chaz after a highly publicized legal battle, and their divorce was finalized on June 26, 1975. Geffen hoped to marry Cher, but she ended the relationship due to his possessiveness and struggles with his sexuality.

Cher debuted her solo CBS show, Cher, on February 12, 1975. The show showcased Cher's music, comedy, monologues and an extensive wardrobe—the largest for a weekly TV series. Critics praised it, with the Los Angeles Times stating, "Sonny without Cher was a disaster. Cher without Sonny ... could be the best thing that's happened to weekly television this season." Musical guests included David Bowie (in his American TV debut), Ray Charles, Elton John, Bette Midler, Tina Turner and the Jackson 5, with Billboard crediting Cher for bringing "a rock sensibility to prime-time TV".

thumb|alt=Farrah Fawcett, in a feather boa and light-colored dress, sits beside Cher, who stands in a sequined floor-length gown with feather trim at the hem and cuffs, her dark hair in a bob with bangs.|left|upright|Cher with [[Farrah Fawcett on The Sonny and Cher Show, 1976]]

Despite high ratings, the Cher show ended after two seasons, replaced by a reunion show with Sonny. The Ringers Lindsay Zoladz commented that network censors were stricter with Cher as a single woman, viewing her as more provocative alone than as Sonny's wife. Cher later reflected, "Doing a show alone was more than I could handle."

In 1975, Cher signed a $2.5 million contract with Warner Bros. Records, aiming to establish herself as a serious rock artist rather than "just a pop singer". Influenced by the introspective style of singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and James Taylor, she recorded her 12th studio album, Stars (1975). Richard Seeley of the Daily Breeze praised the album as "an important link between the rock and roll subculture and the mass popular music audience", noting that Cher showed "real talent" by choosing lesser-known rock songwriters over "surefire hit makers like John [Lennon] and [[Paul McCartney|[Paul] McCartney]]". In contrast, Janet Maslin of The Village Voice argued that she lacked rock credibility, writing that "image, not music, is Cher Bono's main ingredient for both records and TV." Though Stars was a commercial failure, it later developed a cult following and has been regarded as one of her best works.

On June 30, 1975, four days after finalizing her divorce from Sonny, Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman, co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, whom she had been dating since January, shortly after ending her relationship with Geffen. She filed for divorce nine days later due to his heroin and alcohol problems, but they reconciled within a month. Their son, Elijah Blue Allman, was born on July 10, 1976. Cher's TV reunion with Sonny, The Sonny and Cher Show, debuted on CBS in February 1976—the first show ever to star a divorced couple. Although it premiered to strong ratings, their biting onscreen banter about the divorce along with her troubled relationship with Allman sparked a public backlash that contributed to the show's cancellation in August 1977.

thumb|alt=Cher, in a fitted tank top and jeans, stands next to Gregg Allman, who has long blond hair and a beard, wearing a buttoned-up shirt.|right|upright=0.9|Cher with then-husband [[Gregg Allman, 1976]]

In 1976, Mego Toys released a line of Sonny & Cher dolls. The Cher doll outsold Barbie, becoming the year's best-selling doll. Under pressure from Warner Records to return to her earlier narrative pop style, Cher recorded her 13th and 14th studio albums, I'd Rather Believe in You (1976) and Cherished (1977), neither of which charted. Orange Coast writer Keith Tuber suggested that her weekly TV shows may have hurt record sales by giving audiences regular access to her music. Reviews were largely negative: Larry Rohter of the Houston Chronicle called I'd Rather Believe in You "atrocious", citing "dreary vocals" and describing it as "one of the lamest records of the year", while Christine Brown of the Miami Herald wrote of Cherished, "It might help to stare at the album cover as you listen ... It takes your mind off what you're hearing."

In 1977, under the rubric Allman and Woman, Cher and Allman recorded the duet album Two the Hard Way. though audience reception was mixed. With a combination of Cher fans and Allman Brothers fans in attendance, fights frequently broke out at venues, prompting Cher to cancel the tour. Their relationship ended soon after the tour's cancellation, and their divorce was finalized in 1979.

In 1978, Cher began a two-year live-in relationship with Kiss member Gene Simmons. She briefly returned to prime-time TV with the specials Cher... Special (1978)—featuring a segment in which she performs all of the roles in her version of West Side Story—and Cher... and Other Fantasies (1979).

1979–1982: Second musical comeback—from disco diva to rock frontwoman

In 1979, she legally adopted the mononym Cher, with no surname. Facing financial pressures as a single mother of two, she decided to steer her singing career toward greater commercial success. Temporarily setting aside her desire to be a rock singer, she signed with Casablanca Records and launched a comeback with the single "Take Me Home" and the album of the same name, both of which capitalized on the disco craze. The album and single became instant successes, remained bestsellers for more than half of 1979 and were certified gold by the RIAA. earning $300,000 weekly. Beginning in June 1979 and running until 1982, the residency evolved into Cher's first solo tour, the Take Me Home Tour, with dates in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.