Cher
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Cher[1] (born Cheryl Sarkisian LaPiere on May 20, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, author and all-around entertainer. Through her achievements in music, television and film, she has won an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy and 3 Golden Globe Awards, among others.
She first rose to prominence in the mid 1960s as one half of the pop/rock duo Sonny & Cher and also established herself as a solo recording artist, releasing 26 albums, numerous compilations and achieving 22 Billboard Top 40 hits, (including 12 Top 10 hits and 4 #1 hits) over her career. Her albums have so far included 10 gold, 1 platinum and 3 multi-platinum RIAA certifications.
She became a successful television star in the 1970s and a film actress in the 1980s. In 1988, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the romantic comedy Moonstruck.
According to the 2007 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records, Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour is the top grossing tour ever, after earning nearly $400 million.
In a career that has now surpassed 40 years, Cher has emerged a pop-culture icon and she is one of the world’s most successful female entertainment stars.[3]
Early life
Cher was born in El Centro, California, on May 20 1946 at 7:25 a.m. Her mother, Georgia Holt (née Pelham), an aspiring actress and occasional model, is of Cherokee, Armenian and English descent.[2][3] Her father was John Sarkisian, an Armenian-Iranian refugee. Cher's mother and father separated when she was young and she was mostly raised by her mother. Her mother later remarried. Due to severe dyslexia she left high school at the age of sixteen.
The 1960s
Beginnings: Sonny and Cher
Cher first met Sonny Bono in a Los Angeles coffee shop in November 1962 when she was 16. The much older Sonny (he was already 27) was working for legendary record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. Sonny and Cher became fast friends, eventual lovers, and later married. Through Sonny, Cher (as she was called early on for short) started as a session singer, eventually singing back-up on several of Spector’s classic recordings, including The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”, “Da Doo Ron Ron” by The Crystals and The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”.
Her first solo recording was the unsuccessful novelty single "Ringo, I Love You", released under the pseudonym of Bonnie Jo Mason and produced by Phil Spector. Her second attempt was the more popular single "Dream Baby", released under the name Cherilyn, written and produced by Sonny. Both were released in 1964.
With Sonny continuing to write, arrange and produce the songs, Sonny and Cher’s first incarnation was as the duo "Caesar and Cleo". They received little attention, despite releasing the single "The Letter" in late 1964 which featured a B-side of the song "Baby Don't Go".
They re-emerged as "Sonny and Cher", and released their first album Look at Us in the summer of 1965. This album contained the overnight smash single "I Got You Babe" (#1, 1965) which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cher was 19 years old. They re-released "Baby Don't Go" (#8, 1965) which peaked at #8. Several more hits would follow, most notably "Just You" (#20, 1965) "But You're Mine" (#14, 1965), "What Now My Love" (#14, 1966) "Little Man" (#21, 1966) and "The Beat Goes On" (#6, 1967). Sonny and Cher charted a total of 11 Billboard Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1972 including 6 Top 10 hits.
The duo became a quick sensation, travelling and performing around the world. Following an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in the fall of 1965 in which Mr. Sullivan had infamously pronounced her name 'Chur' during their introduction, the singer began spelling her name with an acute accent: Chér. They soon appeared on other hit television shows of the era including American Bandstand, Top of the Pops, Hollywood a Go-Go, Podunk, Hollywood Palace, Hullabaloo, Beat Club, Ready Steady Go and Shindig.
While initially perceived as the slightly awkward and underestimated half of the popular singing duo, Cher often covered up for her stagefright and nervousness with quick-witted barbs toward her husband. She soon rose to prominence as the more outspoken, daring and provocative half of the team. With her dark, exotic looks, she became a fashion trend-setter, quickly popularizing fashion bellbottoms, and incorporating "hippie" attire and eccentric gowns and elaborate costumes into their live shows.
Early solo success
Later in 1965, Cher released her debut solo album titled All I Really Want To Do which reached #16 on the Billboard 200 album chart. This album was certified gold, and contained a cover of the Bob Dylan song "All I Really Want To Do" which peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Numerous solo hits continued during the Sonny & Cher days including "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (#2, 1966), "Where Do You Go" (#25, 1965) "Alfie" (#32, 1966) and the divorce-themed "You Better Sit Down Kids" (#9, 1967) from various album releases.
In an attempt to capitalize on the duo’s intitial success, Sonny penned their first feature film (themed similarly to The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine) Good Times in 1967, in which the duo starred. The film was a flop.
Sonny and Cher's career had stalled by 1968, as album sales quickly dried up. Their gentle, easy-listening pop sound and drug-free life had become unpopular in an era becoming increasingly consumed with the psychedelic rock that came with the overall evolutionary change in the landscape of American pop culture during the late 1960's.
Sonny and Cher welcomed their first child, Chastity Bono, born on March 4, 1969. The duo made another unsuccessful foray into film later in 1969 with Bono writing and producing the film Chastity, intended as a dramatic debut for Cher as an actress. That film (directed by first and only-time director Alessio De Paulo) was also a commercial failure.
The 1970s
Television success
In 1970, Sonny and Cher starred in their first television special, The Sonny and Cher Nitty Gritty Hour. A mixture of slapstick comedy, skits and live music, the show was a critical success, which led to numerous guest spots on other early 70s hit television shows.
Sonny and Cher caught the eye of CBS head of programming Fred Silverman while guest-hosting on The Merv Griffin Show, and Silverman offered the duo their own variety show. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in 1971 as a summer replacement series. The show returned to primetime later that year and was an immediate hit, quickly reaching the Top 10 in its time slot. The show received numerous Emmy Award nominations throughout its initial four seasons on CBS.
Some of the many guests who appeared on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour included Chuck Berry, Carol Burnett, George Burns, Glen Campbell, Dick Clark, Tony Curtis, Bobby Darin, Phyllis Diller, Merv Griffin, The Jackson Five, Jerry Lee Lewis, Liberace, Steve Martin, Ronald Reagan, Burt Reynolds, Neil Sedaka, Dinah Shore, The Supremes, Sally Struthers, The Righteous Brothers and Racquel Welch among others.
The duo also revived their recording career, releasing four more albums and charting two more Top 10 hits: "All I Ever Need Is You" (#7, 1971) and "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" (#8, 1972).
Cher, at 25, continued to establish herself as a solo recording artist, enlisting the help of hit producer Snuff Garrett and charted her first solo #1 hit with the song "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (#1, 1972). She scored her second #1 with "Half-Breed" (#1, 1973) which became a signature song from the album Half Breed, which was later certified gold. In 1974, she she scored a third #1 hit with the song "Dark Lady" (#1, 1974) from the album of the same name. She also released her first Greatest Hits album in 1974.
Divorce and solo television show
By the third season of the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour in 1974, the marriage of Sonny and Cher began to fall apart; the duo separated later that year. The show also therefore fell apart, while still in the top 10 of the ratings. What followed was a nasty and very public divorce (finalized on June 27,1975). Bono launched his own show, The Sonny Comedy Revue in the fall of 1974 while Cher also announced plans to host and star in a new variety TV series of her own. Bono’s show was abruptly cancelled, however, after only six weeks.
The Cher show debuted as an elaborate, all-star television special on February 16, 1975 featuring Flip Wilson, Bette Midler and special guest Elton John. Cloris Leachman and Jack Albertson both won Emmy Awards for their appearances as guest-stars a few weeks later, and the series received 4 additional Emmy nominations that year. Among her other guests were Pat Boone, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Dion, Patti Labelle, Cheryl Ladd, Wayne Newton, Linda Ronstadt, Lily Tomlin and Frankie Valli. The first season ranked in the Top 25 of the year-end ratings.
A lot of press was generated throughout 1975 about Cher's exposed bellybutton and daring ensembles created by famed designer Bob Mackie. Her show featured numerous outlandish costume changes, even more than typical variety shows. The Cher show ran for two half seasons, before a pregnant Cher pulled the plug herself, deciding instead to reunite with her ex-husband for a revamped version of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
Marriage to Gregg Allman
On June 30, 1975, three days after her divorce from Sonny was final, Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. They had one son, Elijah Blue Allman born July 10, 1976. Together, they released the album, Two The Hard Way – Allman and Woman, which featured a cover of the Smokey Robinson hit "You Really Got A Hold On Me". This project was not considered a critical or commercial success. They were divorced by 1978.
The return of Sonny and Cher
On February 2, 1976 The Sonny and Cher Show debuted to Top 10 ratings and high expectations. Some of the guests who appeared on The Sonny and Cher Show included Frankie Avalon, Muhammed Ali, Raymond Burr, Ruth Buzzi, Charo, Barbara Eden, Farrah Fawcett, Terri Garr, Bob Hope, Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis, Tony Orlando, The Osmonds, Debbie Reynolds, The Smothers Brothers, Tina Turner, Twiggy, and Betty White, among others. It was cancelled after its second season due to a decline in ratings.
Their overall television success, though brief, was unique in that variety programming in general was no longer attracting viewers. Cher continued to release numerous solo albums during this period, though none matched the critical or commercial success of her earlier 70s recordings.
She made a brief return to prime-time starring in the television specials Cher…Special in 1978 (for which guest-star Dolly Parton was nominated for an Emmy Award) and Cher…and Other Fantasies in 1979. A highlight of her television work included a song and dance number based on the classic musical West Side Story in which Cher portrayed each of the main characters.
Sonny and Cher appeared together one last time on The Mike Douglas Show in the spring of 1979 (until their infamous 1987 Letterman appearance) and performed a medley of their hit "United We Stand" with the song "Without You".
Later in 1979, Cher would capitalize on the disco sensation, signing with Casablanca Records, and scoring yet another Top 10 hit with the single "Take Me Home" (#8, 1979). Sales of the album Take Me Home may have been boosted by the image of a scantily-clad Cher in a Viking outfit on the album’s cover. The album was certified gold. For her second Casablanca release, Prisoner (1979), Cher appeared on the album's cover virtually naked and wrapped in chains, igniting a firestorm of controversy with women's rights groups for her perceived "sex slave" image. This album produced no hit singles.
The 1980s
Film Stardom
In 1980, Cher, at age 34, formed the rock band Black Rose with her then-partner, guitarist Les Dudek, and released the album Black Rose by year's end. The album was a failure, despite an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and the band broke up the following year. In 1982, Cher released I Paralyze, and despite appearances on American Bandstand and The Tonight Show, critics panned the album and sales were disappointing.
With album sales and hit singles again at a standstill, Cher decided to expand her career into serious film acting. Her earliest entertainment ambitions had always lain in film, as opposed to music. However, she soon found herself in an uphill battle trying to land credible roles for a woman now in her mid-30s with little acting experience. At the time, she was also quoted as saying that she didn’t really care if she ever made another record.
In 1982, at 36, Cher landed her first major role in an off-Broadway production of Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Her performance was critically praised, and she was later cast in the film version directed by acclaimed Hollywood director Robert Altman. She was next cast alongside Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell in the critically acclaimed drama Silkwood (1983) in which her character was a lesbian. She received her first Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. For this film, she also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
Her next film was a starring role in the critically-acclaimed Mask (1985), directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The film also starred Eric Stoltz, Laura Dern and Sam Elliott, and was considered her first critical and commercial success. For her role as a mother of a severely disfigured boy, Cher won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1985, Cher was honored with Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award.
In 1987, she starred in three films: the thriller Suspect, with Dennis Quaid; the fantasy film The Witches of Eastwick, with Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer; and the romantic comedy Moonstruck with Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis. For Moonstruck, directed by Norman Jewison, she won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy and the Favorite Film Actress award at the People’s Choice Awards. Dukakis also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Cher's mother in the film.
Letterman controversy
On May 22, 1986, Cher made her infamous first appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Apparently, Cher was quoted referring to host David Letterman in a derogatory sense when asked by producers why she had never, until then, appeared on his show. He later confronted her about this on air during their interview, asking why she had yet to appear on his show. As she thought of an appropriate answer, he pushed her further saying, "Because you thought..." to which she suddenly blurted "You were an asshole!" to a shocked Letterman. She received boos from the audience for the remark, however, Letterman quickly played off the incident as just fun. They patched up their differences for a 1987 show that had Cher and Sonny Bono reuniting to sing "I Got You, Babe". She has also made numerous appearances on Letterman's subsequent show.
This was not the first time an incident like this occurred, however, on one occasion, Cher was on the receiving end. In 2001, Cher was interviewed by British talk show host and television presenter Clive Anderson (most famous for having The Bee Gees get up and walk out on a live interview for calling them a "bunch of tossers" whilst they were on his show). Anderson sparked fury almost right away by saying, "Wow Cher, you look like a million dollars.....is that how much it cost?".
Musical comeback
In 1987, at the age 41, Cher revived her recording career after a five-year hiatus under the suggestion and coordination of rock producer and A&R man John Kalodner. Under a new recording contract with Geffen Records, Cher released the first of three highly successful rock albums, under the executive production of Kalodner and featuring writing contributions from the likes of Diane Warren, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child, Michael Bolton. Guest vocals were featured by Darlene Love and Bonnie Tyler. Cher was released in 1987 and featured the Top 10 comeback single "I Found Someone" (#10, 1987, previously a hit for Laura Branigan) and the hit "We All Sleep Alone" (#14, 1988). This album was eventually certified platinum.
Cher would experience her most successful comeback yet in 1989. At age 43, she released the album Heart of Stone which featured three more Top 10 hits, "If I Could Turn Back Time" (#3, 1989); "After All" (#6, 1989), a duet with Peter Cetera and "Just Like Jesse James" (#8, 1989). The disc also featured the "Heart of Stone" (#20, 1990). The album was eventually certified triple platinum. As well, she launched the Heart of Stone Tour which played throughout 1989 and 1990 in various parts of the world. During this time, she starred in the television special Cher - Live at the Mirage, filmed during a live concert in Las Vegas.
The 1990s
Commercial hits and misses
In 1991, Cher completed her Geffen recording contract by releasing the album Love Hurts. This album produced the Top 20 hit "Love and Understanding" (#17, 1991) as well as two more Top 40 hits: a re-working of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" (#33, 1991) (The Shoop Shoop Song was not on the album in the USA, but did appear on the European versions) and "Save Up All Your Tears" (#37, 1991). The album was certified gold. She embarked on the Love Hurts Tour throughout 1992.
Cher starred in the film Mermaids (1990) with Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, and a then 9-year-old Christina Ricci making her film debut. The film was a moderate success.
In 1992, at age 46, Cher took some time off, following what was widely reported as a case of Epstein-Barr Virus or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She made few public appearances during this period with the exception of appearing in a series of infomercials launching hair-care products for her friend Lori Davis. Many critics said this had a negative impact on her career. Cher made cameo appearances in the Robert Altman films Ready to Wear (1994) and The Player (1992).
At age 50, she released the album It's a Man's World (1996). Though critically praised by critics and a departure from her Geffen-era style, it was mostly overlooked by the general record-buying public.
She produced and recorded an independent alternative-rock album entitled Not. Com.mercial (pronounced "not-dot-com-mercial"). This album was written mostly by Cher after she attended a songwriting retreat in France in 1994 with the exception of two songs; a remixed version of Classified 1A written by Sonny Bono in 1970 and "Born With A Hunger" written by Shirley Eikhardt. The album was quickly rejected by record labels for being "not commercial". Cher chose instead to sell the recording exclusively through her website. This also marked the first time that Cher wrote a majority of the material for an album.
She starred in the poorly-received film Faithful (1996) with Ryan O'Neal and Chazz Palminteri. Also in 1996, Cher co-executive-produced the highly anticipated, controversial HBO abortion drama If These Walls Could Talk (1996) with actress Demi Moore. She also co-starred and directed in one of the film’s three segments, earning a Golden Globe Nomination as Best Supporting Actress in a made-for-television movie.
Sonny Bono dies
Cher was in London, England in January of 1998 when a call from her daughter Chastity brought the shocking news of Sonny Bono's death in a skiing accident. He was 62. Photographed in tears as she fled through Heathrow Airport back to Los Angeles, California, the media had seemingly appointed Cher his widow, though they had been apart for 24 years and he was long remarried, and then married again with a fourth wife and a new career as a popular congressman. Nonetheless, Cher accepted an invitation to deliver the eulogy. The funeral, unbeknownst to Cher, was broadcast live on CNN. In front of millions, she praised the man who had been a father figure, friend, partner, husband, and foe.
Despite charges of opportunism, Cher continued to openly mourn, also paying tribute to Bono in the sentimental CBS special Sonny and Me: Cher Remembers (1998), calling her grief "something I never plan to get over."
Sonny and Cher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 1999. Cher appeared at the event with Mary Bono, who accepted the award on behalf of her late husband.
Musical reinvention and return to commercial prominence
At the end of 1998, at age 52, a newly energized Cher released her much-hyped album Believe, widely reported to be targeted towards her immense gay following. The album marked an extreme departure for Cher, as the record was a sparkling collection of up-tempo dance tracks, conjured up by a large and mixed team of lesser-known, mostly European producers. The first single and title track "Believe" quickly became a worldwide smash, easily becoming the biggest hit of her entire career, reaching #1 in 23 countries around the world. In the United Kingdom, "Believe" reached #1 for a total of seven weeks, and also became the biggest-selling U.K single ever by a solo female artist in that country. (Outselling the previous record holder, Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On)
In the United States, "Believe" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, becoming her fifth U.S #1 overall. This achievement made Cher the oldest woman (at age 52) to have a #1 hit in the rock era, and also gave her the distinction of having the longest span of #1 hits (33 years) and the largest gap between #1's (24 years). She also earned the distinction of being the only female artist to have solo Top 10 hits in each of the past four successive decades. (60s, 70s, 80s and 90s) The Believe album was eventually certified quadruple platinum, and is estimated to have sold at least another 12 million copies worldwide. Cher won her first Grammy Award in February 1999 for Best Dance Recording for the song "Believe". The album was also nominated in four other categories, including Record of the Year, as well as being nominated for numerous other music awards.
Further complementing her latest comeback, Cher published her first memoir in late 1998 titled The First Time. Rather than a tell-all, the book was an intriguing collection of Cher's favorite 'first-time' memories from both her childhood, life and lengthy Hollywood career.
In January 1999, Cher performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" to positive reviews in front of millions around the world for Super Bowl XXXIII. Cher performed on the highly-rated television special Divas Live 1999 and appeared onstage in a memorable performance alongside contemporaries Tina Turner and Elton John. Later in 1999, Cher co-starred in the critically-acclaimed Franco Zeffirelli film Tea With Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Lily Tomlin before embarking on the successful worldwide Do You Believe? Tour, which travelled throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The Emmy-nominated television special Cher: Live at the MGM Grand In Las Vegas aired by year’s end.
The 2000s
The Farewell Tour
The Do You Believe? Tour continued throughout 2000 and became her most successful tour at that time. In May 2000, Cher was presented with the Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award at the World Music Awards.
In February 2002, still in a dance mode, she released the highly anticipated follow-up to Believe. Living Proof entered the Billboard 200 at #9, making it her highest-charting album debut and extending her album chart span to over 37 years. While not as commercially successful as its predecessor, and having no singles reach the Top 40 of the Hot 100, Living Proof still included several re-mixed songs which found their way onto the Hot Dance, Maxi-Single Sales, Club Play and Adult Contemporary charts. The album was eventually certified gold.
That year she won the Dance/Club Play Artist of the Year and was also presented with a special Artist Achievement Award at the Billboard Music Awards by Steven Tyler of the rock band Aerosmith.
In May of 2002, Cher again performed on the VH1 television special Divas 2002: Divas Las Vegas and in June, announced plans for the Living Proof: The Farewell Tour which she claimed would be the final live concert tour of her career, though she vowed to continue recording and releasing music.
The tour faced positive reviews right from the start. The show itself was a tribute to her nearly 40 years in show business. It featured vintage performance and video clips from the 1960s onward, highlighting her successes in music, television, and film, all set amongst an elaborate backdrop and stage set-up, complete with backing band, singers and dancers, including aerial acrobatics. Dates were added, and the tour was extended several times, covering all of the U.S, Canada, several cities in Europe, as well as Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Cher played a total of 325 concerts over three years that continued into 2005.
In April of 2003, she released The Very Best of Cher, a double CD collection of all of her greatest hits spanning her entire career. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and again extended her album chart span to over thirty-eight years. By July, it was certified platinum and later, double platinum.
She found success on television once again in the spring of 2003 with Cher: The Farewell Tour Live, an NBC special taped on November 7th & 8th, 2002 at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena. It netted Cher her first Emmy Award as Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. She released the album Live: The Farewell Tour later in 2003, a collection of live tracks taken from the tour, and could be seen playing as herself in the Farrelly Brothers comedy Stuck on You (2003) with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. Also in 2003, Cher recorded a duet with Rod Stewart, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" for his album As Time Goes By... The Great American Songbook Volume II, which reached the Top 20 on the Adult AC chart.
In February 2004, at 57, she received another Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording for her song "Love One Another".
Cher performed after New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas in 2004. Cher closed the tour in April 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl. The tour played a grand total of 325 dates.
Current projects
Since finishing that tour, Cher mainly kept a low profile. Though she has stated that she will no longer tour, she has vowed to continue releasing new music.
Las Vegas Bound
In May of 2006, it was announced that Cher will replace Celine Dion in an exclusive stage production and residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas once Dion's present contract expires. Cher's show will debut in early 2008. Caesar's Palace intends to build an exclusive concert hall to host Cher's extravagant show.
Personal life
Sonny and Cher first met in 1962. Though they had claimed to be married as early as 1965, numerous reports have indicated that they had exchanged rings in Tijuana, Mexico, but weren’t legally married until an impromptu ceremony in Las Vegas in 1969. She married her second husband, rock star Gregg Allman, in 1975. They later separated and were divorced in 1978.
Following their break-up, Cher was involved in a number of very public relationships with high profile men including record executive David Geffen and Gene Simmons, bass guitarist from the rock band KISS.
In the early 1980s, Cher dated guitarist Les Dudek, whom she had worked with on the Black Rose project. In the mid-1980s, she was rumored to have dated a number of younger film stars, including Eric Stoltz and Val Kilmer. In 2006, her son, Elijah Blue Allman indicated on The Howard Stern show that Cher in fact had a romantic relationship with actor Tom Cruise in the mid-1980s. [citation needed]. She started a well-publicized romance in 1986 with a much younger Rob Camiletti. When they met, he was 22 and she was 40. The media dubbed him “Bagel Boy” as it was learned that he was once a baker in a bagel shop. It was widely rumored that that the couple were planning to marry, as this was the subject of much tabloid speculation throughout the late 1980s.
She was involved with Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora for two years in the early 1990s and was also linked to musicians Eric Clapton and Mark Hudson. Rumors also circulated that she was linked to her lead guitar player on her lengthy Farewell Tour.
Personal wealth
It is believed that Cher has become one of the wealthiest entertainers in the industry. According to a 2002 Rolling Stone magazine article, her personal net worth was estimated to be around $600 million. She is noted for her expansive collection of real estate and maintains a primary home in Malibu, California, which is reportedly valued at $25 million. It was reported in April of 2006 that Cher had purchased a condominium in the Sierra Towers in West Hollywood, California, for $4.5 million, and, in May of 2006, that she had sold her Florida mansion for $8.8 million. In addition, she owns homes in Aspen, Colorado, and London. She has claimed to own an impressive antique and art collection reportedly worth $192.5 million, and her recent contract for a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas was reportedly signed for $60 million.
In August of 2006, it was announced that Cher, in conjunction with Sotheby's and Julien's Auctions were planning to auction about 800 of her personal possessions from her Italian Renaissance-themed Malibu estate, including numerous antiques, art collectibles, paintings, career memorabilia, furniture (including her bed) as well as numerous pieces of jewellery, clothing and stage costumes and gowns, a 2003 H2 Hummer and her 2005 Bentley. The event, which took place October 3-5 in Beverly Hills, California, raised $3.5 million of which Cher had said a large sum would benefit the Cher Charitable Foundation.
As a gay icon
Cher has long been considered an icon in popular gay culture. She has been imitated by drag queens across the world for decades. Her transition to dance music and social activism in recent years has also contributed to her iconic popularity within the gay community.
The NBC sitcom Will & Grace acknowledged her status by making her the idol of gay character Jack McFarland. Cher guest-starred as herself twice on the sitcom, in 2000 and 2002. In 2000, Cher made a cameo on the show, while Jack believed her to be a drag queen and said he could "do" a better Cher. In 2002, she played God in a version of Heaven Jack imagined himself being part of.
Cher's status may have been assisted by her support of her openly lesbian daughter Chastity Bono. Although not supporting Chastity immediately after she came out, Cher has since become one of her daughter's (and the gay community's) greatest advocates and supporters.
In 1998, Cher was honored with a GLAAD Media Award (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and in November 1999, The Advocate named Cher one of the '25 Coolest Women'. In October 2005, the Bravo program Great Things About Being... declared Cher the number one greatest thing about being gay.
Her longevity is the inspiration for the famous quote by gay impressionist Jimmy James: "After a nuclear holocaust, all that will be left are cockroaches and Cher".[4]
Political interests
Unlike her late ex-husband Sonny Bono, Cher has, until quite recently, always been a staunch Democrat. She has attended and performed at Democratic Party conventions and events. Today, she considers herself a Democrat by default, but more of an Independent due to the recent moderate to conservative leanings of the current Democratic Party.
In 1996, Cher appeared on C-SPAN as part of a national AIDS awareness event. She also disclosed her personal friendship with CNN host Lou Dobbs.
On October 27 2003, Cher anonymously called C-SPAN during a phone-in. She recounted a visit she had made to maimed soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and criticized the lack of media coverage and government attention given to injured servicemen. She also remarked that she watches C-SPAN every day. Though she simply identified herself as an unnamed entertainer with the USO, she was recognized by the C-SPAN host, who subsequently questioned her about her 1992 support for independent presidential candidate Ross Perot.
On Memorial Day weekend in 2006 she called in again, endorsing Operation Helmet, an organization started by a doctor which provides helmet upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to those ordered to deploy in the near future. She identified herself as a caller from Malibu, California, and proceeded to complain about the current presidential administration. She read aloud a letter from a soldier on the ground in Iraq, praising Operation Helmet's efforts, and decrying the lack of protection afforded by the military's provisions for troops.
On May 18 2006, Cher was a guest on The Ed Schultz Show to discuss her work in support of U.S. troops fighting abroad, as well as returning veterans. Schultz noted her involvement with both Operation Helmet and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which is constructing an advanced training skills facility at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The center will serve military personnel who have been catastrophically disabled in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those severely injured in other operations, as well as in the normal performance of their duties, combat and non-combat related.
Also, during the interview with Schultz, Cher said she is an independent. Her comments about the current political scene in the U.S. led him to interject, "You're fed up with everybody," to which she replied, "I really am. I couldn't be a Republican 'cause I think I believe in too many services for poor people, but I'm fed up with the Democrats. I just think...you're gonna find all their spines where you find the elephant's graveyard." Towards the end of the interview, Schultz asked Cher what she thinks about today's protest songs. She responded, "You know, I think it's the duty of artists to say what they want, in favor or in opposition. Unfortunately, I think that, with [the Bush administration], you haven't been able to really voice any opposition because of 9/11, if you say anything opposed to the administration, somehow they've been able to wrap themselves in the flag, so that if you have any opposing viewpoint, you're unpatriotic." She was about to offer her thoughts on this, but stopped, saying, "I don't know what you can say on your program so I won't talk the way I normally talk."
Clearly suggesting her comments would be salty, she did add, though, "I don't like it...it rubs me the wrong way. And if I could say all those seven words [that George Carlin's famous routine suggests cannot be said on TV], that's what I'd be saying."
Currently, Cher is involved with Operation Helmet and appeared with Dr. Bob Meaders (founder of Operation Helmet) on C-Span again on June 14 2006. She then appeared with him on Capitol Hill on June 15 2006. It has been reported that Cher has so far donated over $130,000 to Operation Helmet.
Humanitarian work
Cher has been involved with many humanitarian groups and charity efforts over the years. She has served as National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson of the Children’s Craniofacial Association since 1990 after appearing in the movie Mask. Over the years while touring, she frequently donated concert tickets to families and non-profit groups for children and youth with facial deformities. Such donations were alluded to in an episode of the TV series X Files entitled The Post Modern Prometheus.
In 1993, Cher participated in a humanitarian effort to Armenia, (where her father was born) bringing much needed food and medical supplies and touring the war-torn region.
In 1998, she co-hosted the annual amfar AIDS Benefit at the Cannes Film Festival with Elizabeth Taylor.
In August of 2005, it was reported that Cher had voluntarily sent payments to help a 16-year-old Northport, Alabama, boy with muscular dystrophy who required home healthcare. He was all but bedridden after his 69-year-old adoptive mother who suffered two strokes was left disabled and home health care was cut off when he lost his Medicaid coverage.
She is also the namesake of the Cher Charitable Foundation which donates funds to various charities and causes close to her heart.
Cher is a major contributor to Operation-Helmet.org, a charity that provides helmet upgrade kits to troops at no cost to them. This continues her active support of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines since the Vietnam War.
Image and legacy
Cher’s lasting legacy in popular culture has long been disputed. She herself has stated that “singers don’t consider me a singer and actors don’t consider me an actor”, despite her undeniable achievements in both arenas. She is highly respected for her considerable career longevity and ability to bounce back when critics have long written her off. She has also been quoted as saying, “Some years I'm the hottest thing, and the next year, people are so over me”. She has described herself as a "hit and miss artist" and "more of a stylist than a musician" though she also assumes an active role in the production of her music.
Cher convention
Cher has a very large and devoted fanbase that has transcended generations. Such devotion is evidenced through the biennial Cher Convention which began in Chicago in 2000 as a tribute by fans when her song "Believe" reached #1. The event is now held every other year, and has included Las Vegas in 2002 and 2004, and Los Angeles in 2006.
Cher expo
Cher Fans from around the world get together for a presentation of Cher Memorbilia and a Variety Show in the honor of CHER. kicking off the biennal Cher Expo on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in 2007 and Atlanta 2009. Cher fans will be given a chance to bring their love for Cher and their hearts together to raise money for Operation Rebound, a division of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The money raised will be used to help amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan return to an active and athletic life.
Tattoos
Cher became famous for her many tattoos long before they were fashionable among women in Hollywood. Among them were; a large butterfly and floral design on her buttocks; a flowing necklace on her left upper arm with three charms hanging on it: an Egyptian ankh, a cross and a heart, a kanji on her right shoulder; a small cluster of Art Deco crystals on her inner right arm; a black orchid design just above the crease of her right thigh; and a chrysanthemum on her left ankle.
Media reports in recent years have indicated that Cher has since committed to having all of her tattoos removed and the process has apparently been underway. Some pictures from her most recent concert tour have shown blank skin where some of the smaller tattoos once were.
Influence
In her early career, Cher was a fashion trendsetter, popularizing long straight hair, bellbottoms and an exposed midriff. Through her television shows she inspired women and pushed the censors with her baring outfits and creative ensembles. She has also inspired a generation of younger singer/actresses who have noted her as being influential on their careers. In July of 1999, Cher ranked # 43 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll poll and in September of 2002, she ranked # 26 on VH1’s 100 Sexiest Artists. She has also appeared solo on the cover of People Magazine a near record 13 times.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Golden Globe | Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy | TV |
| 1984 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress | Movie |
| 1985 | Cannes Film Festival | Best Actress | Movie |
| 1985 | Hasty Pudding Theatricals, USA | Woman of the Year | |
| 1987 | Oscar | Best Actress | Movie |
| 1987 | Kansas City Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Movie |
| 1987 | Golden Globe | Best Actress - Comedy or Musical | Movie |
| 1991 | ECHO | Best International Singer | Music |
| 1998 | Vanguard Award | Woman of the Year | |
| 1999 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Television | TV |
| 1999 | Grammy | Best Dance Recording | Music |
| 2000 | Lucy Award | Lucy Award Honoree | |
| 2000 | Online Television Academy Awards | Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special | |
| 2000 | World Music Award | Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award | Music |
| 2000 | ECHO | Best International Singer | Music |
| 2000 | Bambi | Best International Female Artist | Music |
| 2000 | Blockbuster Award | Women of the Year | |
| 2002 | Billboard Music Award | Artist Achievement Award | Music |
| 2002 | Billboard Music Award | Dance/Club Artist of the Year | Music |
| 2003 | Emmy | Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special | TV |
| 2004 | Women's World Award | Women's World Award Honoree | |
| 2005 | MTV Australia Video Music Awards | Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award | Music |
Tours and concerts
Tours
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Wondrous World Tour | Not Available |
| 1971 | All I Ever Need Is You Tour | Not Available |
| 1978 | Allman and Woman Tour | Not Available |
| 1989 | Heart of Stone Tour | DVD, VHS |
| 1991 | Love Hurts Tour | Not Available |
| 1999 | Do You Believe? Tour | DVD, VHS |
| 2002 | Living Proof: The Farewell Tour | DVD, VHS, CD |
Concerts
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Live in Monte Carlo | Not Available |
| 1983 | A Celebration at Caesar's Palace | Not Available |
Discography
See Cher discography
Filmography
| Cher filmography and television work | |
|---|---|
| |
| Years active | 1964–present |
- Wild on the Beach (1965)
- Good Times (1967)
- Chastity (1969)
- Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
- Silkwood (1983)
- Mask (1985)
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
- Suspect (1987)
- Moonstruck (1987)
- Mermaids (1990)
- The Player (1992) (Cameo)
- Prêt-à-Porter (1994) (Cameo)
- Faithful (1996)
- If These Walls Could Talk (1996)
- Tea with Mussolini (1999)
- Mayor of the Sunset Strip (documentary) (2003)
- Stuck On You (2003)
- In the Pink (2007)
Television work
- The Sonny and Cher Nitty Gritty Hour (1970)
- The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974) (TV series)
- Cher (1975-1976) (TV series)
- The Sonny and Cher Show (1976-1977) (TV series)
- Cher... Special (1978)
- Cher... and Other Fantasies (1979)
- Cher... at the Mirage (1991)
- If These Walls Could Talk (1996)(HBO, actress/director/co-executive producer/)
- Sonny and Me: Cher Remembers (1998)(also executive producer)
- VH1 Divas Live 99 (1999)
- Cher: Live in Concert from Las Vegas (1999)
- VH1 Divas Las Vegas (2002)
- Cher: The Farewell Tour Live From Miami (2003)(also executive producer)
DVDs
- VH1 Divas Live '99 (DVD Release 1999)
- Live in Concert (DVD Release 1999)
- VH1 Divas Las Vegas (DVD Release 2002)
- The Farewell Tour (DVD Release 2003)
- The Very Best of Cher DVD Edition (DVD Release 2004)
- Live at the Mirage (DVD Release 2005)
Notes
- ^ a b Her record on the California Birth Index, 1905-1995 gives "Cheryl LaPiere" as the name on her birth certificate.[1] Cher also gave "LaPiere" as her birth name on the birth certificates for both of her children. In 1964, she was known professionally as "Cherilyn", and makes a reference to it as her "real name" in her book The First Time. In 1979 she legally changed her name to "Cher", with no surname or middle name.
- ^ Susan Cheever. "Up front: In a Broken Land". People magazine. May 17 1993. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
- ^ [2]ON A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA afternoon in 1963, short, ambitious songwriter Sonny Bono introduced 17-year-old Armenian-Cherokee singer Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pierre to his mentor, producer Phil Spector."
- ^ Michael Musto. La Dolce Musto. Village Voice. 3 June 1998. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
See also
- List of best selling music artists
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
External links
- cher.com — Cher's official web site.
- officialcherfanclub.com — Cher's official Fan Club web site.
- ccakids.com — Children's Craniofacial Association. National Chairperson: Cher.
- cherconvention.com — Cher Convention Foundation dedicated to raising funds for CCA kids.
Cher Fansites
- Cher
- American actor-singers
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- American pop singers
- American television actors
- American disco musicians
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- Hollywood Squares panelists
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- Best Actress Academy Award winners
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- Emmy Award winners
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