From Pop Icon to Oscar Winner: Cher’s Enduring Legacy in Music, Television, and Film Spans Six Decades of Reinvention and Artistic Triumph
Cher’s rise to stardom started in the 1960s when she formed a musical duo with her husband Sonny Bono. Their song “I Got You Babe” climbed to the top of the charts, which led to their own TV program, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. At the same time, Cher launched a thriving solo career creating hit singles like “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” “Half-Breed” and “Dark Lady.” The 1980s saw Cher try her hand at acting. She appeared in movies such as Silkwood and Mask, and won an Oscar for her performance in Moonstruck. Her music career kept going strong with rock-influenced tracks in the ’80s and the worldwide dance smash “Believe” in the late ’90s. After a hit Las Vegas show at Caesars Palace, Cher put out Closer to the Truth in 2013, her first studio album in 12 years. She made a big comeback to the big screen in 2018 with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
Early Years
Cherilyn Sarkisian entered the world on May 20, 1946, in El Centro California. Her mother Georgia, who worked as a model and actress, raised her. Cher grew up with Georganne, her younger half-sister, in the San Fernando Valley. Money was tight for the family, and at one point Cher had to stay in an orphanage. Even so, she felt pulled toward the arts on and took part in acting programs at school.
The Sonny and Cher Era
At 16, Cher dropped out of high school and headed to Hollywood. She’s said to have run into Salvatore “Sonny” Bono, who was learning from the well-known producer Phil Spector, at a coffee shop nearby. (Fun fact: Cher sang backup for hit songs Spector produced, like the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.”) Though Sonny didn’t fancy Cher at first, they grew close and tied the knot on October 27, 1964.
“I Got You Babe”
Sonny and Cher fine-tuned their routine and gained recognition as a duo. In 1965, they struck gold with “I Got You Babe,” climbing to the top of the charts under the Atco label. Fans connected with their bohemian look and counterculture attitude. They continued to produce hit singles such as “Baby Don’t Go,” the aware “The Beat Goes On,” “Little Man,” and “What Now My Love.” At the same time, Cher began a solo career with Imperial. She covered Bob Dylan’s “All I Want to Do” and released “Where Do You Go,” before landing her first top 5 solo success with “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).”
TV Variety Show
As the ’60s came to an end, Sonny and Cher’s hit songs became scarce, and they encountered financial difficulties because of tax problems. They switched to a more grown-up cabaret act showcasing clever back-and-forth. This paved the way for a summer replacement show on CBS, which then gave rise to their own variety program in 1971. The Emmy-nominated The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour aired until 1974 and revived their music career. They scored more top 10 hits with “All I Ever Need Is You” and “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done.”
But things weren’t all sunshine behind the scenes. Cher later said Sonny controlled their business dealings. They split up in 1975, and Cher started her own TV show, which got an Emmy nod and lasted for a year.
Songs as a Solo Artist
Cher had been growing her solo career since the ’60s. She became known for bold songs that spoke to her outsider status, an image she took on over time. Her top 10 hit “You Better Sit Down Kids” had her singing from a dad’s point of view about divorce.
In 1971, Cher put out the album Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves (at first called Cher). The title song became her first solo No. 1 hit telling the tale of a “travelin’ show” family and a pregnant teen. Another song that made the top 10, “The Way of Love,” had Cher singing about a lover who left her to be with a man. She hit the top of the charts again with “Half-Breed” from her 1974 album with the same name, which dealt with the hardships of a mixed-race Native American caught between two cultures.
After Cher and Sonny split, she couldn’t perform because of business ties. To pay her bills, she started modeling. David Geffen, a music bigwig, stepped in to help her fix her money troubles and jumpstart her career again.
By the end of the ’70s, Cher made a comeback in pop music. Her disco-flavored song “Take Me Home” from her 1979 Casablanca album with the same name hit the top 10.
Movies and Oscar Win
‘Silkwood,’ ‘Mask’
Cher tried acting before, but the ’80s saw her getting serious about it. She played in the Broadway show Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982 then did the same role in the film version. Critics and fans noticed as she took on harder movie parts. In 1983’s Silkwood, she played Dolly Pelliker, Meryl Streep’s gay roommate. This role got her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. In 1985, she starred in Peter Bogdanovich’s Mask as the strong but struggling mom of a boy with a rare face problem.
‘The Witches of Eastwick,’ ‘Moonstruck’
1987 marked Cher’s big-screen breakthrough. She took on roles in three movies: the suspense film Suspect with Dennis Quaid, the offbeat The Witches of Eastwick with Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jack Nicholson, and the romantic comedy Moonstruck. In Moonstruck, Cher portrayed Loretta Castorini, an Italian-American widow who rekindles love and desire with her fiancé’s brother (Nicolas Cage). The movie became a timeless favorite, and Cher’s acting earned her the Oscar for Best Actress.
Cher’s ‘Turn Back Time’ Outfit on MTV
Despite her acting success, Cher kept making music. In 1987, as “Moonstruck” played in theaters, she put out an album with her name on it. It had the pop-rock hit “I Found Someone,” a song about new love that made it to the top 10. Her 1989 album “Heart of Stone” stuck with rock giving her two more top 10 hits: “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Just Like Jesse James.” The “If I Could Turn Back Time” music video caused a stir. Cher wearing a leather jacket and see-through bodysuit, sang to a bunch of excited sailors on a navy ship. MTV thought her outfit was too racy so they showed the video at night.
Cher’s daring fashion choices often cross lines. She’s teamed up with designer Bob Mackie for years crafting eye-popping playful outfits. At times, her clothes send a message. During the 1986 Oscars, she sported a well-known black chain-link top and feather headpiece to object to her lack of nomination for “Mask.” At the 1989 event, she picked a more low-key Mackie creation: a sleek mini-dress with frills.
More Movies, TV and Music Hits
‘Mermaids’
As the ’90s kicked off, Cher began to struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. Despite this, she continued her acting career. She took on roles in the dramedy “Mermaids” (1990) alongside Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci, the HBO film “If These Walls Could Talk” (1996), and the historical comedy-drama “Tea With Mussolini” (1999) with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Lily Tomlin. In 2010, she shared the screen with pop star Christina Aguilera in “Burlesque.” The movie didn’t perform well at the box office, and Cher herself wasn’t pleased with the end result.
‘Believe,’ ‘Strong Enough’
Cher rocked out in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but she also had a top 40 hit with her pop version of “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” from the Mermaids soundtrack. She made an impact on the club scene too, with her 1996 single “One by One” from It’s a Man’s World. In 1998, Believe put Cher in dance/electronica territory. The upbeat title track became a worldwide hit selling millions. “Believe” started a trend of producers using vocoders and won a Grammy to recognize Best Dance Recording. The empowering “Strong Enough” also reached the top of dance charts.
‘A Song for the Lonely’
Cher launched her next studio album, Living Proof, in the U.S. in 2002, after its European debut. The single “A Song for the Lonely” performed well on dance charts and paid tribute to those impacted by 9/11. The album also featured tracks like “Alive Again” and “A Different Kind of Love Song.” Following the release of Living Proof, Cher said goodbye to live performances with a huge 325-date tour from 2002 to 2005.
Emmy Wins and More Club Hits
Cher: The Farewell Tour
NBC broadcasted a live performance by Cher titled Cher: The Farewell Tour in 2003. The show received six Emmy nominations and won three: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special; Outstanding Camerawork for a Miniseries, Movie or Special; and Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program.
In 2006, Cher held an auction to sell items from her Malibu home. The sale included furniture, art, and personal belongings such as memorabilia, jewelry, and stage outfits. The auction brought in $3.5 million, with a portion going to the Cher Charitable Foundation.
Two years later, Cher changed her mind about retiring and got back on stage. She started a show called Cher at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas on May 6, 2008. When the show ended in February 2011, she had done 192 performances.
‘Closer to the Truth’
Cher dropped her first album in over a decade in September 2013. She told Reuters that Closer to the Truth was “my best work yet, so I’m pleased.” The album’s singles “Woman’s World,” “Take It Like a Man,” and “I Walk Alone” topped dance charts. Cher hit the road in March 2014 to promote Closer, but had to cancel some shows due to kidney issues.
Stage Productions
‘Classic Cher’
On February 8, 2017, the music icon returned to the spotlight, kicking off her Classic Cher show at the Park Theater in Las Vegas’s Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. Her knockout performance featured her biggest hits and Bob Mackie’s stunning costumes.
In May 2017, Cher received the Billboard Icon Award after a high-energy performance of “Believe” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.” In her speech, she reflected on her long career: “I’ve wanted to do this since I was 4. I’ve been at it for 53 years. That’s not for applause, I turned 71 yesterday. And I can hold a plank for five minutes, just saying.”
‘Mamma Mia,’ ‘The Cher Show’
2018 saw Cher back on the big screen in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, reuniting with Meryl Streep. She released a tribute album, Dancing Queen, and launched the Here We Go Again Tour in September.
That year also marked the debut of The Cher Show, a jukebox musical that opened in Chicago before moving to Broadway. Cher initially said it “needed work,” but by April 2019, she was excited enough to perform with the cast on The Tonight Show.
Personal Life
Cher is known for her candid talk about her life and views. Streep once said Cher refreshingly lacks the usual showbiz facade. Cher dated Warren Beatty as a teen and later was linked to Geffen, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Richie Sambora, and Robert Camilletti.
Cher has been married twice and has two children. Her first child, Chaz Bono, was born as Chastity and transitioned from female to male in 2008. Chaz is from Cher’s first marriage to Sonny Bono, who sadly died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. Her second son, Elijah Blue Allman, was born in 1976 during her brief marriage to musician Gregg Allman.
In 1998, Cher shared her life story through a collection of short essays in her memoir The First Time. Later, in 2013, she appeared alongside her mother and sister in the Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, which delves into their family’s history.
Sources:
The Best Music At The Super Bowl Is The National Anthem!!!! – Daily Story. https://dailystorya.com/the-best-music-at-the-super-bowl-is-the-national-anthem/
Biography. (May 13, 2021). Cher. https://www.biography.com/musicians/cher. Accessed October 17, 2024
Cher performing in London during her Here We Go Again Tour in October 2019.
Raph_PH, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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