Cheryl Sarkisian
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Film credits
2
Books
13
Awards
Cher is the only female performer to have US #1 hit singles in four consecutive decades, from the 1960s through the 1990s. She also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Moonstruck in 1987. Beyond music and film, she has earned an Emmy, Grammy, and Kennedy Center Honors. She is known for repeatedly reinventing herself and maintaining enduring popularity.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Cher — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Cher by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Cher — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Cher’s parents divorced when she was an infant, and she was raised by her mother Georgia Holt, who married six more times. Cher suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia, which made school difficult, and she quit high school at 16 to pursue acting. She moved to Los Angeles and briefly dated actor Warren Beatty before meeting Sonny Bono in 1962.
In 1965, Sonny and Cher released I Got You Babe, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, launching them to fame. Their television show The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in 1971 and earned multiple Emmy nominations. Cher transitioned to film in the 1980s, earning an Oscar nomination for Silkwood in 1983 and winning Best Actress for Moonstruck in 1987. In 1998, her single Believe became a global hit, reaching #1 in 23 countries and becoming the best-selling single of the year.
Cher married Sonny Bono on October 27, 1964; they had one child, Chaz Bono, born in 1969. The couple divorced in 1975, and days later she married Gregg Allman. That marriage ended in 1979, producing son Elijah Blue Allman. In later years, Cher dated much younger men, including 36-year-old Alexander A.E. Edwards in 2022.
Cher is the only female artist to have a #1 single in four consecutive decades. She holds the record for the longest gap between #1 hits 25 years between Dark Lady and Believe. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Kennedy Center Honors. Cher is remembered for influencing fashion and music, having reinvented herself across decades.
Browse the complete filmography of Cher — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Cher — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Cher's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Cher — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Don’t Like My Voice That Much. I Think I’m a Much Better Actress Than Singer. Singing Is Like Going to a Party at Someone Else’s House. Acting Is Like Having the Party at Your Own House. When You Go to Someone Else’s House for a Party, It’s Not Your Responsibility at All, but When You Have the Party at Your Own House, There’s a Lot of Responsibility. Everyone Has to Have a Good Time. so for Me, Acting Is Deeper.
In This Business, You Have to Be Tough, and If Someone Pushes Me Really Far, I Can Certainly Be Impossible. I’ve Always Said, If You’re Nice, They Walk Over You, and If You Stand up for Yourself, They Call You a Bitch..
I’m Not a Role Model, nor Have I Ever Tried to Be a Role Model. the Only Thing About Me as a Role Model Is I’ve Managed to Stay Here and Be Working and Survive. for 40 Years.
I’m Like a Bumper Car. When I Did an Infomercial I Was Fodder for Every TV Comedy Show. I Couldn’t Get a Job. People Said I Was a Huge Joke. I’ve Been a Joke so Many Times. I’ve Been on My Way Out Since I Started, but I’m Strong Willed. My Mother Is so Much Tougher Than I Am and My Grandmother Is so Much Tougher Than My Mother.
I Haven’t a Clue Why I’ve Lasted so Long. There’s No Reason. There Are Many People More Talented Than Me. I Think It’s Luck.
The Trouble with Some Women, They Get All Excited About Nothing and Then They Marry Him.
The Only Grounds for Divorce in California Are Marriage.
I Think Men Are Fun and Nice, but I Don’t Think They’re Necessary to Live. Chastity Has a Nice Father, I Think Sonny Is a Decent Father. Elijah’s Father Is Absolutely Useless. He’s Not Worthwhile at All. He Hasn’t Called Elijah in Two Years.
Men Aren’t Necessities, They’re Luxuries.
I Love Ghosts, I Prefer Ghosts to Some People.
I Don’t Think of Myself as a Singer. I Don’t Have That Kind of Confidence. I Want to Put on a Show. I Want to Dazzle People. for Me, Everything Goes Through My Eyes First. Even When I Did ‘the Star Spangled Banner’ I Was Wondering : What Should I Wear?
It Mystifies Me That People Would Care What I Do to My Body… Just Because You Become Famous Shouldn’t Deter You from Doing What You Want with Your Life.
I’ve Worked My Whole Life to Keep My Strength in My Body. There Are 20 Year Old Girls Who Can’t Do What I Do.
People Who Just Disagreed with Each Other Before Are Now Enemies.
Little-known facts about Cher — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Only two female performers in the United States, Cher and Barbra Streisand, have had a #1 hit and won a competitive Oscar.
Cher’s legal name has changed numerous times throughout her life. She was born as Cherilyn Sarkisian, and in 1961 her legal name was changed to Cheryl LaPiere after her stepfather formally adopted her. After her two marriages she had up to four last names, Sarkisian LaPiere Bono Allman. In 1979 she legally shortened her name to Cher, with no surname.
Cher lives by her mother Georgia Holt’s rule-of-thumb life lesson: ‘If it doesn’t matter in 5 years, it doesn’t matter.
When Cher first heard Diane Warren’s demo for If I Could Turn Back Time, she detested the song and firmly rejected it. It was only after much encouragement and badgering from the songwriter that she agreed to record it, and Cher nailed the recording after just two takes.
Cher wanted to play Morticia Addams in The Addams Family 1991, but the role went to Anjelica Huston.
Cher is good friends with Meryl Streep.
Cher is the only certified female performer in music history to have had a US #1 single in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Cher’s Oscar-winning part in Moonstruck 1987 was originally offered to Sally Field, who turned it down.
Cher mostly lived in London, England in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She now lives in Malibu, California.
Cher’s single Believe beat out Céline Dion’s My Heart Will Go On for the best-selling single of 1998.
In 1999, Cher set the record for oldest female artist with a #1 hit on the US singles chart with Believe at age 52. She was later surpassed by Brenda Lee and Mariah Carey, but Cher still holds the record for the oldest female artist to reach #1 with a non-catalog, non-holiday single.
In early 1999, Cher and Jennifer Aniston were set to play mother/daughter con artists in Heartbreakers 2001, but scheduling conflicts arose, and both had to bow out.
Cher’s parents married and divorced three times.
Cher is one of only six actors/actresses to have both a number one single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Jamie Foxx, and Bing Crosby.
Cher was called to be offered the role in The Witches of Eastwick 1987 on the morning of her 40th birthday.
Cher spoke the eulogy at ex-husband Sonny Bono’s funeral.
From 2002 to 2005, Cher had immense success with her Living Proof Farewell Tour, spanning the globe, making her the world’s top diva. She also holds the record for longest-running tour and most money grossed than any female artist in history.
Cher’s father was of Armenian ancestry. Cher’s mother had English and German, with more distant Dutch, French and Irish ancestry. Cher’s mother reportedly had Cherokee ancestry as well.
Cher was the subject of an episode of The X-Files 1993 called The Post-Modern Prometheus 5X06; first aired November 3, 1997. Several Cher songs appeared on the soundtrack, and at the end of the episode, Mulder and Scully take the Cher fan to a Cher concert.
At one time, Cher was living with rock musician Gene Simmons of KISS.
When Cher appeared on Graham Norton’s show in October 2013, shortly after the death of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Norton pointed out the hashtag #nowthatchersdead, which had been misconstrued as Cher’s death.
Cher wore braces as an adult.
Cher was rejected as being too old to play Robert Redford’s love interest in Legal Eagles 1986 even though she’s ten years younger than Redford.
Cher considers her performance as Rusty Dennis in Mask 1985 to be her finest work onscreen.
Cher has appeared solo on the cover of People magazine a near record 13 times.
In a recent poll, A&E’s Biography Magazine ranked Cher as people’s Number 3 favorite actress of all time behind Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn.
A 2002 Rolling Stone article estimated Cher’s wealth at over $600 million. Since then she has embarked on a hugely successful farewell tour and released a greatest hits CD.
Prior to giving birth to her son Chaz Bono, Cher suffered four miscarriages.
Cher has had rhinoplasty and other cosmetic surgeries and occasionally refers to herself as the Poster girl for plastic surgery.
Cher’s video If I Could Turn Back Time 1989 was filmed aboard the USS Missouri and featured her son Elijah Allman and ex-husband Gregg Allman as backing guitarists.
Cher won a Grammy Award in 2000 for the song Believe and an Emmy Award in 2003 for a special on her farewell concert tour.
Cher and Sonny Bono were among many celebrities who made regular weekend visits to Ralph Helfer’s Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California.
Cher was offered the role of Thelma Dickinson in Thelma & Louise 1991, which went to Geena Davis.
Cher has 2 sons: Chaz Bono b. March 4, 1969 with 1st ex-husband Sonny Bono & Elijah Allman b. July 10, 1976 with 2nd ex-husband Gregg Allman.
Although Cher’s music video If I Could Turn Back Time is often cited as the first video to be banned by MTV, this is not true. Videos by The Rolling Stones, Ramones, and Laura Branigan were banned earlier.
Cher has had 4 Barbie dolls made in her likeness: Timeless Treasures Cher released in 2001, Blonde Ringmaster Cher, 70’s Native American Cher, and 80’s Cher, all designed by Bob Mackie.
Cher’s half-sister Georganne LaPiere was the first wife of Michael Madsen.
In her 1974 divorce from Sonny Bono, he was ordered to pay her $25,000 per month for 6 months, $1,500 per month child support, and $41,000 for her attorney’s fees. Their liquid assets were split 50/50.
Cher ranked #43 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.
Cher’s son Elijah Allman fronts the band Deadsy.
Cher’s first live performance of Believe was on Late Show with David Letterman on November 18, 1998.
Cher is a huge fan of Katharine Hepburn.
Cher holds the record for the longest gap between #1 hits Dark Lady 1974, Believe 1999.
Cher and Sonny Bono made a film for Columbia Pictures, Good Times 1967, but it flopped, and their intended follow-up Speedway 1968 was sold to MGM for Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra.
Cher’s 1999 hit single Believe was ranked #60 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Dance Songs.
Cher has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cher’s mother Georgia Holt was a huge fan of Lana Turner and named her daughter Cherilyn in honor of Turner’s daughter Cheryl Crane.
Cher was in consideration for the role of Lilly Dillon in The Grifters 1990 but Anjelica Huston was cast instead.
In addition to her Oscar and Emmy wins, Cher won a 2000 Grammy for Believe as Best Dance Recording.
All of Cher’s Emmy nominations have been for variety series or music programs with her name in the title.
Cher and Sonny Bono were among the celebrities who made regular weekend visits to Ralph Helfer’s Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California to pitch in with chores and play with animals.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Cher.
Celebrities similar to Cher — same craft, ranked by reach.
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