Cher

Cherilyn "Cher" Sarkisian, born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, is an Academy and Grammy Award-winning American singer and actress. She rose to fame in the 1960s through the duo Sonny and Cher with Sonny Bono and is known for her unique voice and multifaceted career in music and film.

Cher – childhood & early life

Cher was born to parents Georgia Hol and father John Paul Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. Georgia, an actress, and John Paul, a horse breeder, had a rocky relationship, and as they divorced when the then-future performer was very young, she was temporarily placed in an orphanage as her parents struggled financially. When her mother, Georgia, married bank manager Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere, he adopted both her and her sister Georganne.

Cher struggled in her childhood. She had undiagnosed dyslexia, and when recalling her school days, it wasn’t a happy experience.

When she was only 16 years old, she decided to drop out of school and move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment business. There, she met a singer named Salvatory Bonno, famously known as Sonny.

Is Cher's legal name Cher?

The name came to life as her mother got tired of screaming ”Cherolyn” when she was mad at her daughter. Instead, it became Cher, and in 1979, the singer and actress decided to legally change her name to it.

Sonny & Cher

Sonny Bonno and Cher fell for each other and married in 1964. The couple began singing together, and it didn’t take long before they became world-famous.

Her mother, Georgia Holt, had her brother Mickey hire the duo to open for the Righteous Brothers. The duo had their first big hit with the 1964 song Baby Don’t Go.

In 1965, they released the pop hit I Got You Babe, which sold more than 3 million copies.They continued to release several more hits, and while their popularity faded in the late 1960s, they went straight back to the celebrity top in 1971 with their television show The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, which stayed on the air for four years.

What happened between Sonny Bono and Cher?

Cher and Sonny’s love story ended in 1975. They went through a messy divorce and custody battle over their child.

Did Cher attend Sonny Bono's funeral?

Sonny Bono died in 1998. Cher attended the funeral and even delivered the eulogy.

Marriage to Gregg Allman

The same year Cher and Sonny went through their messy divorce, She met and fell in love with Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers. The couple tied the knot the same year but sadly divorced only four years later.

Cher – family

Cher’s mother is Georgia Holt, and her father is John Sarkisian. When her mother remarried, she was adopted by Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere.

She gave birth to one child, Chaz Bono, during her marriage to Sonny Bono, and one child, Elijah Blue Allman, while married to Gregg Allman.

What happened to Cher's daughter Chastity?

Cher and Sonny Bono welcomed their daughter Chastity in 1969. At the age of 40, Chastity became Chaz, as he decided to transition.

Chaz has worked as an actor and written openly and candidly about his transition, having released four books. He is also known for his activism about LGBTQ+ rights.

Solo music career

Cher went on to have a great solo career in music, releasing a total of 27 studio albums.

She gained huge attention for her 1987 album Cher and 1989 album Heart of Stone. The power ballad I Found Someone reached the top ten in 1988, but it was the song If I Could Turn Back Time that would turn her into a worldwide superstar musician.

While in Sonny & Cher, they earned three Grammy Award nominations. But in 2000, she would receive one for herself. She made her comeback in the late 1990s, and the song Believe earned her a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2000.

Cher’s acting career

When Cher and Sonny ended their work in show business, she decided to pursue a career in acting. In the 1980s, she starred in several films and Broadway shows. She earned an Academy Award nomination for  Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1984 for her work in the film Silkwood, and in 1988, She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in the romantic comedy Moonstruck.

She also starred in films such as the 1985 film Mask, the 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick as well as the 1990 film Mermaids. The performer has since continued starring in films, for example with an appearance in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in 2018.

Cher – net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cher has a net worth of around $360 million