Cher

1946–1961: Early life

Cheryl Sarkisian^[b] 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.^[4] Her mother, Georgia Holt, was a model and actress of Irish, English, German and Cherokee descent.^[5] Cher's paternal grandparents were survivors of the Armenian genocide.^[6] Cher's parents divorced when she was 10 months old.^[7] 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.^[8] Both found the experience traumatic.^[9]

In 1951, Holt married actor John Southall, with whom she had Cher's half-sister, Georganne.^[10] 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".^[9] Holt remarried and divorced several times, frequently moving the family across states, including New York, Texas and California.^[11] They often struggled financially, and Cher recalled using rubber bands to hold her shoes together.^[9] 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.^[11]

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.^[12] Fascinated by film stars, Cher idolized Audrey Hepburn, particularly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), emulating Hepburn's character's unconventional outfits and demeanor.^[13] She also admired Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn,^[14] but felt discouraged by the lack of dark-haired actresses in Hollywood.^[13] 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.'"^[13] As a child, she dreamed of fame but struggled with feelings of inadequacy, describing herself as "unattractive" and "untalented".^[15] 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."^[15]

In 1961, Holt married bank manager Gilbert LaPiere, who adopted Cher (under the name Cheryl LaPiere)^[1] and Georganne and enrolled them at Montclair College Preparatory School, a private school in Encino. Coming from a modest background, Cher faced challenges in the upper-class environment, where, as biographer Connie Berman wrote, her "striking appearance" and "outgoing personality" set her apart.^[15] A former classmate recalled, "I'll never forget seeing Cher for the first time. She was so special ... like a movie star, right then and there ... She said she was going to be a movie star and we knew she would."^[15] Known for her creativity and wit, Cher excelled in French and English but struggled with other subjects, later discovering she has dyslexia. Her unconventional behavior also stood out: she performed songs for students during lunch and surprised peers when she wore a midriff-baring top.^[13] Reflecting on her lack of focus in school, Cher said, "I was never really [there]. I was always thinking about when I was grown up and famous."^[11]

1962–1965: Solo breakthrough

At 16, Cher left school and moved out of her mother's home to live with a friend. She took acting classes and supported herself by dancing in nightclubs along Hollywood's Sunset Strip, where she introduced herself to performers, managers and agents.^[16] According to Berman, Cher "did not hesitate to approach anyone she thought could help her get a break".^[17] She met Sonny Bono, 11 years her senior, in November 1962 while he was working for record producer Phil Spector.^[17] After her friend moved out, Cher accepted Sonny's offer to work as his housekeeper.^[18]

Sonny introduced Cher to Spector, who used her as a backing vocalist on several recordings, including the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and the Ronettes' "Be My Baby".^[19] Spector also produced her first single, "Ringo, I Love You", released in early 1964 under the name Bonnie Jo Mason.^[20] 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.^[21]

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.^[19][22] 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.^[23]

In early 1964, Cher and Sonny recorded together for the first time, releasing "The Letter" as Caesar & Cleo on Vault Records.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[24] 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.^[20][26]

In late 1964, Cher signed a solo contract with Liberty Records' Imperial imprint, with Sonny as producer. The single "Dream Baby", released under the name Cherilyn, received airplay in Los Angeles. Encouraged by its early momentum, Imperial requested a follow-up. In summer 1965, she released a cover of Bob Dylan's "All I Really Want to Do", now credited as "Chér".^[20] The single peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the UK singles chart.^[27][28] 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."^[29] Cher's debut album, All I Really Want to Do (1965), reached number 16 on the US Billboard 200.^[30] AllMusic's Tim Sendra later called it "one of the stronger folk-pop records of the era".^[31]

1965–1967: Sonny and Cher's breakthrough

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.^[c] After recording "I Got You Babe", they traveled to England in July 1965 on the advice of the Rolling Stones. Cher recalled the Stones saying, "Americans just didn't get us and that if we were going to make it big, we were going to have to go to England.^[32] According to writer Cintra Wilson,

English newspaper photographers showed up when S&C were thrown out of the London Hilton [because of their outfits] the night they arrived—literally overnight, they were stars. London went gaga for the heretofore-unseen S&C look, which was neither mod nor rocker.^[33]

"I Got You Babe" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart^[34] and became, according to AllMusic's Bruce Eder, "one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s".^[20] As the song displaced the Beatles at the top of the UK charts, English teenagers began emulating Sonny & Cher's fashion—bell-bottoms, striped pants and fur vests.^[35] According to Time's Ginia Bellafante, they became "rock's 'it' couple".^[36]

After returning to the US in late 1965, the duo made their film debut with a cameo in Wild on the Beach (1965),^[37] appeared on teen-oriented TV shows such as Hullabaloo and Shindig!^[38] and toured major arenas across the country.^[39] Their concerts drew numerous Cher look-alikes, with girls straightening and dyeing their hair black and adopting her signature vests and bell-bottoms.^[40]

Sonny & Cher's debut album, Look at Us (1965),^[20] spent eight weeks at number two on the Billboard 200, behind the Beatles' Help!.^[41] Cash Box magazine described Sonny & Cher, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as "global stars" whose success in both the US and UK showed that national origin was no longer a barrier to international stardom.^[42] Despite the dominance of the British Invasion and Motown, the duo emerged as major chart competitors.^[43] Author Joseph Murrells called them "leading exponents of the rock-folk-message type of song", blending rock instrumentation, folk themes and protest lyrics,^[44] while The Guardian's Alexis Petridis described their music as "the sound of the growing 60s counterculture".^[45]

Following Sonny & Cher's breakthrough, Reprise reissued "Baby Don't Go", which became their second consecutive US top-ten single.^[46] At one point, five of their songs appeared simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100's top 50—a feat previously achieved only by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.^[47] Their next studio albums were The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér (1966) and In Case You're in Love (1967), the latter featuring the US top-ten single "The Beat Goes On" and the international number-one single "Little Man".^[48][49]

Cher's solo career progressed in parallel.^[20] Her second studio album, The Sonny Side of Chér (1966), includes "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", which reached number one in Italy,^[50] number two in the US and number three in the UK, becoming her first million-selling solo single.^[51] Her third studio album, Chér (1966), features the international number-one single "Sunny"^[52] and the Burt Bacharach and Hal David composition "Alfie"—the first US recording of the song, which was featured in the American release of the 1966 film Alfie.^[51] Her fourth studio album, With Love, Chér (1967), presents songs described by biographer Mark Bego as "little soap-opera stories set to rock music", among them the US top-ten single "You Better Sit Down Kids".^[51]

1967–1970: From counterculture icon to lounge act

Sonny committed the duo to a feature film in 1965 during their commercial peak, and production on the musical Good Times ran through 1966. As the press circulated studio stills throughout that year, their public image moved away from the bohemian look that had defined their early success.^[53] Journalists viewed their new Hollywood-oriented presentation as out of step with the youth culture they had once symbolized. Their monogamous lifestyle during the sexual revolution, along with their anti-drug stance amid widespread drug use, further distanced them from the counterculture.^[54][55] Bego later wrote that "in spite of their revolutionary unisex clothes, Sonny and Cher were quite 'square' when it came to sex and drugs."^[55]

Directed by William Friedkin, Good Times was released in May 1967 and failed commercially at a moment when their record sales were already sliding. By early 1968, the duo's singles had stopped charting.^[53] Berman observed that the "heavy, loud sound" of newer acts such as Jefferson Airplane and Cream made their folk rock seem "too bland".^[53] Cher later said she "loved" the electric guitar-driven style of Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton and wanted to adapt, but Sonny refused.^[56]

Cher's fifth studio album, Backstage (1968), which explores a range of styles including bossa nova and anti-war protest songs, did not chart.^[57] In 1969, Cher was dropped by Imperial Records, and Sonny & Cher were dropped by Atco. Atco then offered Cher a solo deal.^[58] Her sixth studio album, 3614 Jackson Highway (1969), recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio without Sonny's involvement, marked a shift toward R&B and soul. Decades later, AllMusic called it "the finest album of her career" and "still a revelation".^[59] Displeased with the album, Sonny blocked Cher from releasing further recordings for Atco.^[58]

Meanwhile, Sonny dated others, and by the end of the 1960s their relationship had begun to unravel. According to People, Sonny "tried desperately to win her back, telling her he wanted to marry and start a family."^[60] They officially married after Cher learned she was pregnant,^[61] and she gave birth to Chaz Bono on March 4, 1969.^[60] In an effort to regain their young audience, the duo spent $500,000 and mortgaged their home to make the film Chastity (1969). Written and produced by Sonny, it tells the story of a young woman, played by Cher, searching for the meaning of life.^[62] The art film failed commercially, putting the couple $190,000 in debt with back taxes. Some critics noted that Cher showed acting potential;^[39] Cue magazine wrote, "Cher has a marvelous quality that often makes you forget the lines you are hearing."^[53]

At the lowest point in their career, the duo developed a nightclub act with a more adult sound and style.^[63] According to writer Cintra Wilson, "Their lounge act was so depressing, people started heckling them. Then Cher started heckling back. Sonny ... reprimanded her; then she'd heckle Sonny".^[33] The heckling became a highlight of the act and began drawing audiences.^[33] Television executives took notice, and the couple began appearing on prime-time shows with a "new, sophisticated and mature" image.^[64] Cher adopted alluring, low-cut gowns that became her signature look.^[64]

1971–1974: Television stardom and first musical comeback

CBS head of programming Fred Silverman offered Sonny and Cher their own TV program after he noticed them as guest-hosts on The Merv Griffin Show in 1971.^[65][d] 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.^[39]

Watched by more than 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run,^[63] The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour was praised for the comedic timing, as a deadpan Cher mocked Sonny about his looks and short stature. According to Berman, they "exuded an aura of warmth, playfulness and caring that only enhanced their appeal. Viewers were further enchanted when a young [Chaz] appeared on the show. They seemed like a perfect family."^[67] Cher honed her acting skills through comedy sketches,^[68] including her original character Laverne LaShinsky, a brash and over-the-top housewife,^[69] while her Bob Mackie-designed outfits set 1970s fashion trends.^[70]

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.^[71]

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.^[71] "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.^[72] 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).^[73] Its second single, "The Way of Love", reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart^[74] and established Cher's more confident sound as a recording artist.^[20]

In 1972, Cher released the all-ballad album Foxy Lady, demonstrating the evolution of her vocal abilities, according to Bego.^[75] Following its release, Garrett quit as producer after disagreeing with Sonny about the kind of material Cher should record.^[76] At Sonny's insistence, Cher released the standards album Bittersweet White Light (1973), which was commercially unsuccessful.^[77] Later that year, lyricist Mary Dean brought Garrett "Half-Breed", a song about the daughter of a Cherokee mother and a white father, which she had written for Cher. Although no longer working with her, Garrett believed the song was a perfect fit and held onto it until Cher dismissed Sonny as producer and rejoined him.^[76] "Half-Breed" became the title track of her 10th studio album and her third US number-one single.^[78] Both the album and the single were certified gold by the RIAA.^[79]

Cher's next single, "Dark Lady", was released in December 1973^[80] as the lead single from her 11th studio album, Dark Lady (1974).^[78] 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.^[e] 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".^[84]

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"^[85]—Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs (1973) and Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2 (1973).^[86] 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.^[87]

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.^[88] Their relationship had been troubled for years due to Sonny's infidelity and controlling behavior.^[89] 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."^[88]

In January 1974, Cher won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Actress for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.^[90] Sonny filed for separation the next month, citing "irreconcilable differences".^[91] A week later, Cher countered with a divorce suit, accusing him of "involuntary servitude" and withholding her rightful share of their earnings.^[91] Their show was canceled in April 1974.^[92] Later that year, Sonny launched The Sonny Comedy Revue with the same creative team, but it was canceled after 13 weeks.^[93]

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.^[94] Record executive David Geffen, with whom Cher had begun a relationship in 1973, helped her break free from the contract.^[95] Cher won custody of Chaz after a highly publicized legal battle,^[91] and their divorce was finalized on June 26, 1975.^[96] Geffen hoped to marry Cher, but she ended the relationship due to his possessiveness and struggles with his sexuality.^[f]

Cher debuted her solo CBS show, Cher, on February 12, 1975.^[99] The show showcased Cher's music, comedy, monologs and an extensive wardrobe—the largest for a weekly TV series.^[100][101] 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."^[101] 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".^[102]

Despite high ratings, the Cher show ended after two seasons, replaced by a reunion show with Sonny.^[103] The Ringer's 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.^[104] Cher later reflected, "Doing a show alone was more than I could handle."^[103]

In 1975, Cher signed a $2.5 million contract with Warner Bros. Records,^[105] aiming to establish herself as a serious rock artist rather than "just a pop singer".^[106] 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).^[106] 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".^[107] 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."^[108] Though Stars was a commercial failure, it later developed a cult following and has been regarded as one of her best works.^[109]

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,^[110] whom she had been dating since January, shortly after ending her relationship with Geffen.^[111] She filed for divorce nine days later due to his heroin and alcohol problems, but they reconciled within a month.^[112] Their son, Elijah Blue Allman, was born on July 10, 1976.^[113] 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,^[114] their biting onscreen banter about the divorce^[103] along with her troubled relationship with Allman sparked a public backlash^[115] that contributed to the show's cancellation in August 1977.^[114]

In 1976, Mego Toys released a line of Sonny & Cher dolls. The Cher doll outsold Barbie, becoming the year's best-selling doll.^[116] 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.^[117] Orange Coast writer Keith Tuber suggested that her weekly TV shows may have hurt record sales by giving audiences regular access to her music.^[118] 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",^[119] 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."^[120]

In 1977, under the rubric Allman and Woman, Cher and Allman recorded the duet album Two the Hard Way.^[112] The couple toured Europe to support the album,^[121] though audience reception was mixed.^[122] With a combination of Cher fans and Allman Brothers fans in attendance, fights frequently broke out at venues, prompting Cher to cancel the tour.^[123] Their relationship ended soon after the tour's cancellation,^[124] and their divorce was finalized in 1979.^[125]

In 1978, Cher began a two-year live-in relationship with Kiss member Gene Simmons.^[126] 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).^[127][128]

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

In 1979, she legally adopted the mononym Cher, with no surname.^[2] 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.^[129] The album and single became instant successes, remained bestsellers for more than half of 1979 and were certified gold by the RIAA.^[79][129] The album's sales were likely enhanced by the image of a scantily clad Cher in a Viking outfit on its cover.^[129][130]

Encouraged by the popularity of Take Me Home, Cher sought a return to rock with her 16th studio album, Prisoner (1979).^[131] The album cover, showing her naked and draped in chains, symbolized her struggle as a "prisoner of the press" amid intense tabloid scrutiny.^[132] The imagery drew criticism from feminist groups for her perceived portrayal of a sex slave, while critics found the album's mix of rock and disco tracks inconsistent, contributing to its commercial failure.^[132] The single "Hell on Wheels", featured on the soundtrack of the film Roller Boogie (1979), reflected Cher's personal embrace of the late 1970s roller-skating craze, which she had helped popularize.^[109] Cher collaborated with Giorgio Moroder to write "Bad Love", her final Casablanca disco track, for the film Foxes (1980).^[133]

In 1980, Cher formed the rock band Black Rose with guitarist and then-partner Les Dudek. To blend in and avoid overshadowing the group with her celebrity status, she adopted a punk-inspired look, cutting her signature long hair. Although she was the lead singer, she chose not to take top billing to present the band as equal. Despite TV appearances, the band struggled to book concerts.^[134] Their album, Black Rose, received poor reviews; Cher told Rolling Stone that critics "didn't attack the record, they attacked me. It was like, 'How dare Cher sing rock & roll?'"^[63] Black Rose disbanded in 1981.^[135]

During Black Rose's run, Cher was also performing a residency at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, with two shows nightly, seven days a week,^[136] earning $300,000 weekly.^[137] 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.^[g] Described by The Press of Atlantic City as "the biggest cabaret act ever seen on any stage",^[146] the concert series yielded two TV specials: Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert (1981)^[147] and Cher... A Celebration at Caesars (1983),^[148] the latter earning her the CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Variety Program.^[149] In 1981, Cher collaborated with Meat Loaf on the duet "Dead Ringer for Love", which peaked at number five on the UK singles chart and was praised by AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco as "one of the more inspired rock duets of the 1980s".^[150] The following year, Cher released the new wave album I Paralyze, a commercial failure and her only album under Columbia Records.^[151]

1982–1987: Broadway debut, acting breakthrough and musical hiatus

With declining record sales and radio airplay, Cher shifted her focus to acting.^[152] Despite earlier aspirations, her only film credits, Good Times and Chastity, were critical and commercial failures, and Hollywood did not take her seriously as an actress.^[152] Reflecting on this period, Cher said, "I was dropped by my [label] and couldn't get a job ... [so] I went to Las Vegas", which she likened to an "elephant's graveyard" for fading stars.^[145] Despite her success performing there, she felt unfulfilled: "I was making a fortune ... but I was dying inside."^[153]

In 1982, Cher moved to New York to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, but skipped enrollment after auditioning for and being cast in Robert Altman's Broadway production Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.^[33] Co-starring with Karen Black and Sandy Dennis, she played a James Dean fan club member at a 20-year reunion, earning unexpectedly positive reviews.^[154] Frank Rich of The New York Times praised her "cheery, ingratiating nonperformance" as a refreshing contrast in a dull ensemble, suggesting the play needed more of her and less of her co-stars.^[155] Altman later cast her in the film adaptation of the same title.^[154]

Director Mike Nichols, who had seen Cher onstage in Jimmy Dean, offered her the part of Dolly Pelliker, the lesbian roommate of Karen Silkwood (played by Meryl Streep) in the 1983 biographical film Silkwood.^[154] Audiences initially questioned Cher's acting ability; she later recalled attending a film screening where the crowd laughed upon seeing her name in the opening credits.^[156] For Silkwood, Cher was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won a Golden Globe Award in the same category.^[154]

The biopic Mask (1985) marked Cher's first critical and commercial success as a leading actress,^[154] reaching number two at the box office.^[157] During production, Cher clashed with director Peter Bogdanovich, refusing to support his call to boycott the film's promotion in protest of Universal Pictures' edits to the final cut.^[158] While promoting the film, she remarked, "From working with Peter, it's no surprise to me that he would serve his own interests before those of the film."^[159]

For her portrayal of Rusty Dennis, a drug-addicted biker raising a disfigured teenage son, Cher won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress.^[154] Despite critical predictions, she was ultimately left off the Oscar nomination list.^[160] Bego suggested that her public feud with Bogdanovich and unconventional image may have contributed to the Academy's decision.^[161] At the 58th Academy Awards, she wore a dramatic, tarantula-like outfit, which Vanity Fair's Esther Zuckerman later called Cher's "Oscar revenge dress".^[162] Presenting the Best Supporting Actor nominees, Cher quipped, "As you can see, I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress".^[163] The incident garnered her much publicity.^[164]

Cher's May 1986 guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, during which she called David Letterman "an asshole", attracted much media coverage. Letterman later recalled, "It did hurt my feelings. Cher was one of the few people I've really wanted to have on the show ... I felt like a total fool, especially since I say all kinds of things to people."^[165] She returned in November 1987, reuniting with Sonny for the last time before his death for an impromptu performance of "I Got You Babe". Reflecting in 2015, Rolling Stone's Andy Greene wrote, "They weren't exactly the best of friends at this point, but both of them knew it would make for unforgettable television. Had YouTube existed back then, this would have gone insanely viral the next morning."^[166] That same month, Cher released The Ugly Duckling, an audiobook adaptation of the 1843 fairy tale. The Washington Post praised her as "a warm, unaffected storyteller" whose voice was "particularly suited for very young listeners".^[167]

1987–1992: Hollywood stardom and third musical comeback

Cher starred in three films in 1987.^[154] In Peter Yates' legal thriller Suspect, she portrayed a public defender aided and romanced by a juror (Dennis Quaid) in a homicide case. In George Miller's comedy horror The Witches of Eastwick, she played one of three small-town divorcees—alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon—seduced by a mysterious, wealthy visitor (Jack Nicholson). In Norman Jewison's romantic comedy Moonstruck, she starred as an Italian widow who falls for her fiancé's younger brother (Nicolas Cage).^[154] The latter two films ranked among 1987's top 10 highest-grossing movies.^[168]

The New York Times' Janet Maslin wrote Moonstruck "offers further proof that Cher has evolved into the kind of larger-than-life movie star who's worth watching whatever she does".^[169] For that film, Cher won the Academy Award for Best Actress^[170] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.^[90] By 1988, Cher had become one of the most bankable actresses of the decade, commanding $1 million per film.^[154] That year, she released the fragrance Uninhibited, which earned about $15 million in its first year sales.^[171]

By the late 1980s, Cher had developed a reputation for her exhibitionist fashion, plastic surgeries and relationships with younger men.^[172] She dated actors Val Kilmer, Eric Stoltz and Tom Cruise, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, hockey player Ron Duguay, film producer Joshua Donen and Rob Camilletti, a baker 18 years her junior—dubbed the "Bagel Boy" by the media—whom she was with from 1986 to 1989.^[173]

In 1987, Cher signed with Geffen Records and revived her musical career with what music critics Johnny Danza and Dean Ferguson described as "her most impressive string of hits to date", establishing her as a "serious rock and roller ... a crown that she'd worked long and hard to capture".^[109] Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child produced her first Geffen album, Cher.^[109] Despite facing strong retail and radio airplay resistance upon its release,^[174] the album proved to be a commercial success, certified platinum by the RIAA.^[79] Cher features the hair metal power ballad "I Found Someone",^[175] her first US top-ten single in eight years.^[109]

Cher won the Favorite All-Around Female Star Award at the 1989 People's Choice Awards.^[176] Her 19th studio album, Heart of Stone (1989), reached number one in Australia^[177] and entered the top 10 in Canada,^[178] New Zealand,^[179] the UK^[28] and the US,^[30] where it was certified triple platinum.^[79] The album yielded three US top-ten singles: "After All" (with Peter Cetera), "Just Like Jesse James" and "If I Could Turn Back Time".^[30] The latter spent seven weeks at number one in Australia,^[180] became one of her signature songs^[181] and drew controversy for its sexually suggestive music video, filmed aboard the battleship USS Missouri.^[182][183] Cher launched the Heart of Stone Tour in 1989, which continued through 1990. Critics praised the tour for its nostalgic appeal and her showmanship.^[184] The TV special Cher... at the Mirage, filmed during a Las Vegas concert, aired in February 1991.^[185]

In Mermaids (1990), Cher's first film in three years, she drew inspiration from her mother to portray a woman who moves her daughters (Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci) from town to town after failed relationships.^[186] She clashed with the film's first two directors, Lasse Hallström and Frank Oz, who were replaced by Richard Benjamin.^[187] Producers, seeing Cher as the star attraction, granted her creative control.^[188] The film was a box office success and received positive reviews.^[189][190] One of the two songs Cher recorded for the film's soundtrack, a cover of Merry Clayton's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", topped the UK singles chart for five weeks.^[191]

Cher's final Geffen studio album, Love Hurts (1991),^[192] spent six weeks at number one in the UK and was certified gold by the RIAA.^[79] It produced the UK top-ten single "Love and Understanding".^[28] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Jim Farber praised Cher's "sexually autonomous persona" as "one of the surest of any pop female", noting how she turned heartbreak lyrics into expressions of revenge rather than victimhood.^[193] She then launched the Love Hurts Tour (1991–1992)^[194] and released the UK-only^[195] compilation album Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 (1992), which topped the UK chart for seven weeks.^[28] She also capitalized on public interest in her youthful looks with the wellness book Forever Fit (1991)^[196] and the exercise videos CherFitness: A New Attitude (1991) and CherFitness: Body Confidence (1992).^[105]

1992–1998: From A-list actress to "Infomercial Queen"; death of Sonny Bono

In the early 1990s, Cher contracted the Epstein–Barr virus and developed myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, leaving her too exhausted for music or film projects.^[187][197] She declined leading roles in Thelma & Louise and The War of the Roses.^[187] Her next film appearances were cameos in Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and Prêt-à-Porter (1994).^[194] To generate income, she appeared in infomercials for health, beauty and diet products, earning nearly $10 million.^[198][199] Critics saw it as a sellout and speculated her film career was over,^[199][200] with Entertainment Weekly stating she had eroded her "hard-won A-list actress status".^[187] The ads were parodied on Saturday Night Live and referenced in Clueless (1995), where protagonist Cher Horowitz jokes she was named after a "great [singer] of the past who now does infomercials".^[201][202] Cher later reflected, "Suddenly I became the Infomercial Queen ... people stripped me of all my other things."^[198]

In 1993, Cher re-recorded "I Got You Babe" with MTV's animated duo Beavis and Butt-Head, mocking her own image as they introduce her as "a chick that's got tattoos on her butt ... who's older ... done it a lot of times [and] used to be married to some dork" (referring to Sonny Bono).^[203] She topped the UK singles chart in 1995 with the charity single "Love Can Build a Bridge", alongside Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton.^[204] After signing with Warner Music UK's WEA label, Cher released It's a Man's World (1995), an album of songs originally performed by men.^[192] Critics praised its R&B influences and Cher's vocal growth,^[205] with Stephen Holden of The New York Times calling it a "soulful collection of grown-up pop songs".^[206] The album features "Walking in Memphis", certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and the UK top-ten single "One by One".^[28] Man's World reached the top 10 in Austria^[207] and the UK.^[28] A remixed US version, shifting from rock to a more radio-friendly sound, was commercially unsuccessful, peaking at number 64 on the Billboard 200.^[208][209]

In 1996, Cher appeared alongside Demi Moore and Sissy Spacek in If These Walls Could Talk, a three-part anthology TV film about abortion. The project marked Cher's directorial debut, as she both directed and starred in the film's final segment, playing a doctor targeted by an anti-abortion group.^[205] Walls became HBO's highest-rated original movie to date, drawing 6.9 million viewers.^[210][211] Cher's first leading role in a theatrical release in six years came with Paul Mazursky's dark comedy Faithful (1996), in which she played a suicidal woman whose husband hires a hitman (Chazz Palminteri) to kill her.^[212] Although praised for her performance, with The New York Times noting she "does her game best to find comic potential in a victim's role",^[213] Cher refused to promote the film, calling it "horrible".^[187] Faithful was both a critical failure and a box-office bomb, grossing $2 million.^[214]

Following Sonny Bono's death in a skiing accident in 1998, Cher delivered a tearful eulogy at his funeral, calling him "the most unforgettable character" she had met.^[215] She paid tribute to him by hosting the CBS special Sonny & Me: Cher Remembers, which aired on May 20, 1998.^[216] That month, Sonny and Cher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work on television.^[217] Later that year, Cher published The First Time, a collection of autobiographical essays of "first-time" events in her life. Critics praised the book as sincere and relatable.^[218] The manuscript was nearly complete when Sonny died, and Cher was initially reluctant to include his death, concerned it might appear exploitative. She told Rolling Stone, "I might have [ignored it] if I cared more about what people think than what I know is right for me."^[219]

1998–2002: Fourth musical comeback and songwriting debut

Cher's 22nd studio album, Believe (1998), marked a shift from her previous rock sound to 1970s disco-inspired dance-pop.^[109] It sold 11 million copies worldwide,^[220] earning quadruple platinum certification in the US and gold, platinum or multi-platinum status in 39 countries.^[79][221] Entertainment Weekly described the album as "the most dramatic comeback Hollywood has seen", emphasizing its role in introducing her to a new generation of fans who "hadn't yet been born when 'I Got You Babe' ruled the charts in 1965".^[222]

The album's title track reached number one in 23 countries and sold over 10 million copies globally.^{[223][224][225]} It was the best-selling single of 1998 in the UK and of 1999 in the US.^[223][226] "Believe" debuted at number one in the UK, held the position for seven weeks and became the country's best-selling single by a female artist.^[227] In the US, it led the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks,^[228] making Cher, at 52, the oldest woman to top the chart.^[h][231] Pitchfork wrote that "coming from Cher—a confident, charismatic, and massively talented woman who'd been subjected to frequent public ridicule over her personal life—'Believe' took on an extra survivalist edge".^[232]

"Believe" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording and the 1999 Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year.^[233][234] The album's second single, "Strong Enough", reached number one in Hungary^[235] and entered the top five in Austria,^[236] Belgium,^[235] France,^[235] Germany,^[237] Iceland,^[238] Poland,^[239] Scotland,^[28] Spain,^[237] Switzerland^[236] and the UK, where it was certified platinum by the BPI.^[28] In 1999, Cher starred in Franco Zeffirelli's critically acclaimed war film Tea with Mussolini,^[240] playing a flamboyant American socialite unwelcome among Englishwomen (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith) in Italy.^[241] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly described her performance as "always likable, always soft-focus, always strange",^[242] while Film Comment wrote that she proved "how sorely she's been missed from movie screens".^[243]

On January 31, 1999, Cher sang "The Star-Spangled Banner", the US national anthem, at the Super Bowl XXXIII.^[244] She co-headlined the TV special VH1 Divas Live '99, which drew 19.4 million viewers and became the highest-rated program in VH1's history at the time.^[245][246] Her Do You Believe? Tour (1999–2000) sold out in every American city it visited,^[247] drawing a global audience of over 1.5 million.^[248] The tour's TV special, Cher: Live in Concert – From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (1999), became HBO's top-rated original program of 1998–1999.^[249][250] Billboard named Cher the top dance artist of 1999.^[226] Capitalizing on her success, former label Geffen released the US-only compilation If I Could Turn Back Time: Cher's Greatest Hits (1999),^[251] certified gold by the RIAA.^[79] Meanwhile, Cher oversaw The Greatest Hits (1999) for international markets, reaching number one on the European Top 100 Albums chart.^[252]

In 2000, Cher released Not Commercial, largely self-written during a songwriting camp in 1994 and recorded with members of David Letterman's CBS Orchestra. She chose the title after her label's chief dismissed the project as "nice, but not commercial" and rejected it for its explicit language and unsparing themes, including the suicide of Kurt Cobain, homelessness, veteran neglect and personal trauma. She sold it independently on her website, an unusual move for an artist under contract with a major label. The song "Sisters of Mercy", which describes the nuns who prevented her mother from retrieving her from a Catholic orphanage as "daughters of hell", drew condemnation from the Catholic Church.^[253]

Cher's dance-focused follow-up to Believe,^[254] Living Proof (2001), reached number one in Greece^[255] and number nine in the US,^[256] where it was certified gold.^[79] It features the UK top-ten single "The Music's No Good Without You",^[28] the Grammy-nominated "Love One Another"^[257] and "Song for the Lonely", a tribute to "the courageous people of New York" after the September 11 attacks.^[254] Named Billboard's top dance artist of 2002, Cher received the Artist Achievement Award from Steven Tyler at the 2002 Billboard Music Awards for having "helped redefine popular music with massive success on the Billboard charts".^[258][259] That year, her wealth was estimated at $600 million.^[260]

2002–2015: Farewell tours, musical film comeback and return to dance-pop

In June 2002, Cher launched Living Proof: The Farewell Tour,^[261] promoted as her final concert tour, though she planned to keep recording and acting.^[262] Jon Pareles of The New York Times praised it as a celebration of Cher's resilience, highlighting her ability to "triumph over restraint, aging and gravity" and calling her "a hit machine immune to sagging flesh".^[263] Initially set for 49 shows, the tour was repeatedly extended.^[264] By October 2003, it had become the most successful tour by a female artist, grossing $145 million from 200 shows with 2.2 million attendees.^[265] The NBC special Cher: The Farewell Tour drew 17 million viewers,^[266] becoming the highest-rated network concert special of 2003 and earning Cher the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.^[267][268]

After leaving Warner UK in 2002, Cher signed a global deal with Warner Bros. Records in September 2003.^[269] Forbes named her the highest-paid female musician of 2003, earning $33.1 million.^[270] The compilation album The Very Best of Cher (2003) peaked at number four on the Billboard 200^[271] and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.^[79] In the Farrelly brothers' comedy Stuck on You (2003), she played a satirical version of herself in a relationship with a high schooler (Frankie Muniz), referencing media scrutiny of her relationships with younger men.^[272]

Cher's Farewell Tour concluded in April 2005 after 325 shows, drawing over 3.5 million attendees and grossing $250 million, ranking among the top-ten highest-grossing tours of the 2000s.^[273][274] After three years of retirement,^[275] she signed a $60 million deal for a 200-show residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.^[276] Titled Cher (2008–2011), the production featured advanced stage effects and over 20 costume changes.^[277][278]

Cher returned to film in Burlesque (2010)—her first musical since Good Times (1967)—playing an intimidating nightclub owner who mentors an aspiring performer (Christina Aguilera).^[279] Initially met with mixed reviews and modest box office results, the film was later reassessed; Entertainment Weekly called it "a campy, niche classic [that] inspired everything, from drag queen revues to viral internet moments".^[280] Her ballad "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", from the soundtrack, topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in January 2011, making her the only artist with Billboard number-one singles in six consecutive decades (1960s–2010s).

After voicing Janet the Lioness in Zookeeper (2011),^[281] she produced the documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher (2013). It follows her efforts to support her mother Georgia Holt's dream of becoming a singer, culminating in the release of Holt's debut album at age 87.^[282]

Closer to the Truth (2013), Cher's first studio album since 2001's Living Proof, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200—her highest position on that chart to date^[41]—and reached the top 10 in Canada,^[30] Germany,^[30] Scotland^[28] and the UK.^[28] The Boston Globe wrote that "Cher's 'Goddess of Pop' sash remains in little danger of undue snatching; at 67, she sounds more convincing than J-Lo or Madonna reporting from 'the club'".^[283] She premiered the lead single "Woman's World" during the season four finale of The Voice—her first live TV performance in over a decade^[284]—and returned in season five as team adviser to judge Blake Shelton.^[285]

In June 2013, Cher headlined the annual Dance on the Pier benefit, celebrating LGBTQ Pride Day, achieving the event's first full-capacity crowd in five years.^[286] She embarked on the Dressed to Kill Tour in March 2014, over a decade after announcing her "farewell tour",^[287] joking during shows that this would be her last farewell tour while crossing fingers.^[288] The tour's first leg, comprising 49 sold-out shows in North America, grossed $54.9 million.^[287] Later that year, she canceled all remaining dates due to a kidney infection.^[289] Cher collaborated with American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan on their 2015 album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, credited under her 1964 alias, Bonnie Jo Mason.^[290] The album, produced as a single copy and sold via online auction,^[291] became the most expensive album ever sold.^[292]

2015–2022: ABBA-inspired projects and fashion ventures

Classic Cher, a three-year concert residency at the Park Theater in Las Vegas and The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C., began in February 2017.^[293] At the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, Cher performed "Believe" and "If I Could Turn Back Time", her first awards show performance in over 15 years. Gwen Stefani presented Cher with the Billboard Icon Award, calling her the "definition of the word Icon" and a role model of strength and authenticity.^[294] In March 2018, Cher headlined the 40th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, with tickets selling out in three hours after she hinted at her involvement on Twitter.^[295]

Cher returned to film after nearly a decade in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), a jukebox musical romantic comedy based on the songs of ABBA. Serving as both a prequel and a sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, it features Cher as Ruby Sheridan, the grandmother of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and mother of Donna (Meryl Streep).^[296] Director Ol Parker addressed casting Cher as Streep's mother despite their three-year age difference by stating, "Cher exists outside of time."^[297] Critics highlighted her performance as a standout, with Vulture remarking, "Every single movie ... would be infinitely better if it included Cher."^[298] For the soundtrack, she recorded two ABBA songs, "Fernando" and "Super Trouper".^[299] Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA commented, "She makes 'Fernando' her own. It's her song now."^[300]

While promoting Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Cher announced that she was recording an album of ABBA covers.^[301] Her 26th studio album, Dancing Queen (2018), debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, tying with 2013's Closer to the Truth as her highest-charting solo album in the US.^[302] With first-week sales of 153,000 units, it achieved the year's largest sales week for a pop album by a female artist.^[302] Dancing Queen received widespread critical acclaim; Rolling Stone wrote that Cher makes the ABBA songs sound as if they were written for her,^[303] and Entertainment Weekly called it her "most significant release since 1998's Believe".^[304]

Cher's Here We Go Again Tour ran from 2018 until its indefinite postponement in 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.^[305][306] Rolling Stone deemed the tour proof that Cher "can wipe the floor with any pop star from any generation".^[307] The Cher Show, a jukebox musical with three actresses playing Cher at different stages of her life, premiered in Chicago in June 2018 and ran on Broadway from December 2018 to August 2019,^[308][309] later touring the UK, Ireland and the US.^[310][311] On December 2, 2018, Whoopi Goldberg presented Cher with the Kennedy Center Honors for her "extraordinary contributions to culture",^[312] with tribute performances by Adam Lambert, Cyndi Lauper and Little Big Town.^[313] In 2019, she launched Cher Eau de Couture, a "genderless" follow-up to her 1988 fragrance Uninhibited.^[314]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Cher focused on projects that could be completed from home. In May, she released her first Spanish-language song, a cover of ABBA's "Chiquitita", with proceeds donated to UNICEF.^[315] Later that year, she voiced a bobblehead version of herself in Bobbleheads: The Movie^[316] and joined the charity supergroup BBC Radio 2 Allstars for a cover of Oasis' "Stop Crying Your Heart Out". The recording, made in support of the Children in Need charity,^[317] became a UK top-ten single.^[318] Cher was featured in The New York Times Magazine's annual "Best Actors" list for 2020,^[319] becoming the first actor included without appearing in a theatrical release that year;^[320] her performance in Moonstruck (1987) was praised as "radiant" and a source of comfort during quarantine.^[319]

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Cher collaborated with major fashion brands. After attending the 2015 Met Gala as Marc Jacobs' guest, Cher became the face of his Fall/Winter campaign.^[321] She then starred alongside rapper Future in Gap's Fall 2017 campaign,^[322] followed by Dsquared2's Spring/Summer 2020 campaign,^[323] MAC Cosmetics' "Challenge Accepted" campaign in January 2022 and UGG's "Feel" campaign the same month.^[324][325] For Pride Month in June 2022, Cher partnered with Versace to launch the "Chersace" capsule collection, with proceeds benefiting the LGBTQIA+ charity Gender Spectrum.^[326] In September 2022, she walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week, closing Balmain's Spring/Summer 2023 show, and in November, she starred in the brand's "Balmain Blaze" campaign.^[327][328] That month, Cher confirmed she was dating music executive Alexander Edwards, 40 years her junior. Their age gap sparked criticism online, which she addressed by tweeting, "Love doesn't know math."^[329] Cher's mother, Georgia Holt, died in December 2022 at the age of 96.^[330]

2023–present: Christmas album, Cherlato, Rock Hall induction and memoirs

Cher's first holiday album, Christmas (2023), features duets with Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Darlene Love and rapper Tyga.^[331] It reached number one on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart,^[30] as well as the top 10 in Austria,^[332] Germany,^[30] Scotland^[28] and the UK.^[30] The album's lead single, "DJ Play a Christmas Song", topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales charts in December 2023,^[333] extending Cher's record as the only solo artist with Billboard number-one singles in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s).

In July 2023, Cher co-founded the artisanal gelato brand Cherlato with New Zealand gelato maker Giapo Grazioli after collaborating on the project for several years. The brand launched through a fleet of mobile gelato trucks in Los Angeles before expanding to pop-up events.^[334]

In December 2023, Cher criticized the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for excluding her since becoming eligible in 1990, saying, "I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars", and suggesting the institution "can just you-know-what themselves".^[335] She received her first nomination two months later and was inducted on October 19, 2024, becoming the first performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^{[336][337][338]} Cher decided to accept the honor out of admiration for her fellow inductees.^[337] At the ceremony, she performed "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "Believe", the latter as a duet with Dua Lipa.^[337]

In May 2024, Cher won a legal dispute against Mary Bono, the widow of Sonny Bono, over royalties from her recordings with him. Under a 1978 divorce settlement, Cher was entitled to half the publishing revenue, but Mary Bono stopped payments in 2021 after invoking a copyright termination clause. A federal judge ruled that the royalties were a separate contractual obligation and ordered her to pay Cher around $418,000 in withheld earnings.^[339] In September, Cher withdrew a conservatorship petition over her son Elijah, originally filed in December 2023 due to concerns about his ongoing substance abuse. The court had earlier denied her requests for temporary control, citing Elijah's demonstrated ability to manage his affairs. The matter was resolved privately.^[340]

To celebrate 60 years in music, Cher released the compilation album Forever (2024), available as a 21-track standard edition and a 40-track digital edition, Forever Fan, featuring Sonny & Cher songs and lesser-known tracks curated by Cher.^[341] Rolling Stone noted the absence of "Half-Breed", her third Billboard Hot 100 number-one, linking it to a trend of artists reevaluating their catalogs in light of changing cultural sensitivities.^[341] In November 2024, she published Cher: The Memoir, the first of a two-part autobiography covering her childhood and early career.^[342] Written over seven years,^[342] it debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, holding the position for three weeks.^[343]

Voice and musical style

Cher has explored diverse musical styles, including rock (folk, punk, arena and pop subgenres), soul, jazz, disco, new wave, power ballads, hip-hop and electronic dance music,^[338][344] aiming to "remain relevant and do work that strikes a chord".^[345] Music historian Annie Zaleski wrote in Cher's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction essay that she sings "nearly every style of music" effortlessly.^[338] Cher's music often centers on heartbreak, independence and women's empowerment, making her a "brokenhearted symbol of a strong but decidedly single woman", according to Out's Judy Wieder.^[346] Goldmine's Phill Marder credited Cher's musical success to her "nearly flawless" song selection, noting that while Sonny Bono contributed to early hits, most of her solo successes came from independent songwriters she chose.^[347] Her 2000 album Not Commercial, largely self-written, has a "1970s singer-songwriter feel" that highlights her storytelling skills, according to AllMusic's Jose F. Promis.^[348]

Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "There were a lot of great records by female singers in the early days of rock ... None, however, reflected the authority and command that we associate with rock 'n' roll today as much as [Cher's] key early hits".^[349] Some of Cher's early songs discuss subjects rarely addressed in American popular music such as divorce, prostitution, unplanned and underaged pregnancy, and racism.^[347] According to AllMusic's Joe Viglione, the 1972 single "The Way of Love" is "either about a woman expressing her love for another woman or a woman saying au revoir to a gay male she loved".^[350] Her ability to carry both male and female ranges allowed her to sing solo in androgynous and gender-neutral songs.^[350]

Cher's contralto voice has been praised for its distinctiveness.^[351] Ann Powers of The New York Times described it as "a quintessential rock voice: impure, quirky [and] a fine vehicle for projecting personality."^[352] Zaleski called her timbre "recognizable, dusky and sultry, like exquisite black velvet", with a wide range and "warbling" vibrato.^[338] AllMusic's Bruce Eder stated that her voice's "intensity and passion" are amplified by her acting skills, creating "an incredibly powerful experience for the listener".^[353] The Guardian's Laura Snapes called her voice "miraculous", capable of expressing "vulnerability, vengeance and pain" simultaneously.^[354] Zaleski added that her vocal delivery feels like "a direct line to her soul",^[338] while author Paul Simpson observed that "she spits out the words ... with such conviction you'd think she was delivering an eternal truth about the human condition".^[355]

"Believe" (1998)

"Believe" pioneered the use of Auto-Tune to intentionally distort vocals—a technique later known as the "Cher effect".

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"Believe" without Auto-Tune

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Writing about Cher's musical output during the 1960s, Hilburn stated that "no one matched the pure, seductive wallop of Cher".^[349] By contrast, her vocal performances during the 1970s were described by Eder as "dramatic, highly intense ... [and] almost as much 'acted' as sung".^[20] First heard in the 1980 record Black Rose,^[356] Cher employed sharper, more aggressive vocals on her hard rock-oriented albums, establishing her sexually confident image.^[193] For the 1995 album It's a Man's World, she restrained her vocals, singing in higher registers and without vibrato.^[192]

Cher's 1998 song "Believe" was the first commercial recording to use Auto-Tune—an audio processor for correcting off-key vocals—as a stylistic effect, creating a robotic, futuristic sound.^[357][358] Cher, who proposed the effect,^[359] faced resistance from her label but insisted it remain, saying, "You can change [the song] over my dead body".^[359] Dubbed the "Cher effect",^[357] the technique was later described by Pitchfork's Simon Reynolds as having "revolutionized the sound of popular music" and as "the sound of the 21st century".^[360] Cher used Auto-Tune extensively on Living Proof (2001) and later albums.^[304]

Stage and television

Cher's music videos and live performances have frequently reflected her public image, addressing themes such as self-construction, female sexuality and the pursuit of perfection.^[361] Her concerts often include biographical montages and self-referential visuals. University College Dublin professor Diane Negra described them as multimedia retrospectives that merge different phases of her career into a cohesive stage narrative and frame performance as a form of autobiography.^[362] The New York Times observed that Cher's onstage appearances alongside projected images of her younger selves function to reaffirm and reclaim earlier identities,^[263] while the Los Angeles Times described her shows as rooted in "her larger-than-life story [and] mythology of self-reinvention".^[363]

In her 1991 Cher... at the Mirage concert video, she subverts the then-typical staging of female pop performances by replacing female backup dancers with a male dancer impersonating her. Dressed in a replica of her 1986 Academy Awards outfit, the impersonator initially appears to be Cher; Cher then emerges in a different costume, while the impersonator interacts with oversized props symbolizing fame and media attention.^[361] Negra interpreted this segment as Cher casting herself as the narrator of her own life story, using the impersonator to emphasize her status as a "fictionalized production" shaped by media and performance—a dynamic she described as offering audiences a "pleasurable plurality".^[362] Commenting on the scale of her shows, Tony Spilde of The Bismarck Tribune wrote that Cher's "lavish concerts have become bigger than the music they're meant to promote".^[364] James Sullivan of the San Francisco Chronicle credited her with influencing the development of stadium-scale concerts, stating, "She's comfortable enough to see such imitation as flattery, not theft."^[365]

Cher's 1980 video for "Hell on Wheels" employed cinematic techniques,^[366] and film historian Lawrence J. Quirk described it as one of the earliest examples of a modern music video.^[367] The 1989 music video for "If I Could Turn Back Time" was the first to be banned by MTV,^[361] due to controversy over Cher's performance aboard the battleship USS Missouri, where she straddled a cannon in a leather thong that revealed her tattooed buttocks,^[183] accompanied by homoerotic imagery featuring sailors.^[368]

Acting style and screen persona

Maclean's magazine's Barbara Wickens described Cher as "probably the most fascinating movie star of her generation", highlighting her "magnetic" screen presence and her ability to be both "boldly shocking" and "ultimately enigmatic".^[369] Film Comment wrote, "For Cher is a star. That is, she manages the movie star trick of being at once a character and at the same time never allowing you to forget: that's Cher."^[243] New York Post critic David Edelstein attributed Cher's "top-ranking star quality" to her capacity for projecting "honesty, rawness and emotionality", adding that she "wears her vulnerability on her sleeve".^[369] New York magazine's David Denby pointed to her distinctive appearance as a key factor in her appeal, describing her look as "odd, a bit oriental and snaky" and suggesting that it aligns with "the traditional definition of a Hollywood star—that you always want to see more".^[369]

Professor Yvonne Tasker noted that Cher's film roles mirror her public image as a rebellious, sexually autonomous and self-made woman.^[370] She often portrays women who help marginalized male characters navigate mainstream society.^[371] This perception was reinforced in The X-Files episode "The Post-Modern Prometheus" (1997), which follows a scientist's grotesque creature who idolizes Cher because of her role in Mask (1985), where her character cares for her disfigured son.^[372][373] Film critic Kathleen Rowe wrote of Moonstruck (1987) that the depiction of Cher's character as "a 'woman on top' [is] enhanced by the unruly star persona Cher brings to the part".^[374]

Cher was ranked first by Billboard on its list of "The 100 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies" for her role in Moonstruck, with the performance described as "the standard by which you mentally check all others".^[375] The film was named the eighth-greatest romantic comedy of all time by the American Film Institute.^[376] People included Cher among its "100 Greatest Movie Stars of Our Time"^[377] and Biography ranked her the third-favorite leading actress of all time, behind Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn.^[378]

Fashion

Time described Cher as a "cultural phenomenon [who] has forever changed the way we see celebrity fashion".^[379] She emerged as a fashion trendsetter in the 1960s, popularizing "hippie fashion with bell-bottoms, bandanas and Cherokee-inspired tunics".^[380] In 1967, she caught the attention of then-Vogue editor Diana Vreeland at a party for Jacqueline Kennedy and began modeling for photographer Richard Avedon.^[380] She appeared five times as the cover model for US Vogue.^[381]

Avedon photographed Cher in a beaded and feathered nude gown by Bob Mackie for the cover of Time in 1975;^[382] Billboard called it "one of the most recreated and monumental looks of all time".^[383] Cher had first worn the gown to the 1974 Met Gala. According to André Leon Talley of Vogue, "it was really the first time a Hollywood celebrity attended and it changed everything. We are still seeing versions of that look on The Met red carpet 40 years later."^[383] Billboard wrote that Cher has "transformed fashion and [become] one of the most influential style icons in red carpet history".^[383]

The Hamilton Spectator declared Cher "the It girl of the '70s".^[384] She became a sex symbol through her TV shows, wearing inventive and revealing Mackie-designed outfits and successfully fighting network censors to bare her navel.^[172] Because she did so by choice rather than at the direction of male producers, Cher is often credited as the first woman to expose her navel on American television.^[i][386] People dubbed Cher the "pioneer of the belly beautiful".^[387] In 1972, after she was featured on the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List, Mackie stated: "There hasn't been a girl like Cher since [Marlene] Dietrich and [Greta] Garbo. She's a high-fashion star who appeals to people of all ages."^[388]

In 1999, after the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) honored Cher with its Influence on Fashion Award, Robin Givhan of the Los Angeles Times called her a "fashion visionary" for "striking just the right note of contemporary wretched excess".^[389] Givhan noted that designers such as Tom Ford, Anna Sui and Dolce & Gabbana have cited Cher as "source of inspiration and guidance".^[389] She added that "Cher's Native American showgirl sexpot persona now seems to epitomize the fashion industry's rush to celebrate ethnicity, adornment and sex appeal."^[389] Vogue proclaimed Cher their "favorite fashion trendsetter", calling her "eternally relevant [and] the ruler of outré reinvention".^[390] The Independent's Alexander Fury traced her influence on celebrities including Beyoncé, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, stating, "They all graduated from the Cher school of never sharing the stage with anyone."^[391]

Physical appearance

Cher's signature "Cher hair" (left, 1971), a teased look (center, 1978) and a blonde wig (right, 2019)

Cher has attracted media attention for her physical appearance, including her hairstyles, distinctive facial features, perceived agelessness and tattoos. Her signature hairstyle, known as "the Cher hair"—long, straight, jet-black hair parted in the center—was a 1970s fashion trend that saw multiple revivals in later decades.^{[389][392][393]} In the 1970s, she started wearing wigs on her TV shows to play various characters in the same episode.^[394] By the 1990s, wigs became a staple of her public appearances, enabling her to experiment with colors and lengths.^[395] She has stated that wigs help her "stay current" while protecting her natural hair.^[395] Professor Katrin Horn from University of Greifswald wrote that Cher's use of wigs has surpassed typical celebrity fashion, elevating her into "the realms of feminine drag".^[368]

Journalists have often called Cher the "poster girl" of plastic surgery.^[396] Author Caroline Ramazanoglu wrote that Cher's appearance has evolved from "a strong, decidedly 'ethnic' look [to] a more symmetrical, delicate ... and ever-youthful version of female beauty". She argued that Cher's idealized beauty "now acts as a standard against which other women will measure, judge, discipline and 'correct' themselves".^[397] Cher has admitted to plastic surgery but criticized media speculation, denying most rumored procedures. She stated she does not need to justify her choices, saying in 2002, "If I want to put my tits on my back, it's nobody's business but my own."^[398] Paddy Calistro of the Los Angeles Times wrote that during Cher's rise as a movie star in the 1980s, her "highly articulated bone structure captured audience attention", which led to an increased number of medical requests for "surgically inserted 'cheekbones'".^[399] In 1992, Madame Tussauds wax museum honored Cher as one of the five "most beautiful women of history" by creating a life-size statue.^[400]

By the early 1990s, Cher had six tattoos. The Baltimore Sun called her the "Ms. Original Rose Tattoo".^[401] She got her first tattoo in 1972.^[401] According to Sonny Bono, "Calling her butterfly tattoos nothing was like ignoring a sandstorm in the Mojave. That was exactly the effect Cher wanted to create. She liked to do things for the shock they created."^[402] She began having laser treatments to remove her tattoos in the late 1990s.^[403] She commented, "When I got tattooed, only bad girls did it: me and Janis Joplin and biker chicks. Now it doesn't mean anything. No one's surprised."^[404]

Social media

Cher's social media presence has been noted for its unconventional and candid style. Time named Cher "Twitter's most outspoken (and beloved) commentator",^[379] while The New York Times' J Wortham highlighted her authenticity, contrasting it with the heavily curated online personas typical of celebrity accounts. Wortham described Cher as "an outlier, perhaps the last unreconstructed high-profile Twitter user", whose posts combine "nakedness and honesty" that is "rarely celebrated" in mainstream culture.^[405] Similarly, The Guardian's Monica Heisey described Cher's Twitter account as "a jewel in the bizarro crown of the internet", noting, "While many celebrities use Twitter for carefully crafted self-promotion, Cher just lets it all hang out."^[406] Journalists have also remarked on her frequent use of emojis, which Cher has linked to her dyslexia, describing them as intuitive tools for visualizing emotions.^[407]

As a gay icon

Cher is revered by the LGBTQ community, a status attributed to her unguarded defiance, outsider status, flamboyant image and longevity.^[408] Many of her songs are considered gay anthems, including "If I Could Turn Back Time",^[409] "Believe",^[410] "Strong Enough"^[411] and "Song for the Lonely".^[412] She is regarded as a gay icon and is frequently imitated by drag queens.^[413] According to Salon writer Thomas Rogers, drag queens emulate figures like Judy Garland, Dolly Parton and Cher because they "overcame insult and hardship on their path to success"—narratives that resonate with the struggles many gay men face when coming out.^[413]

Maclean's journalist Elio Iannacci stated that Cher was "one of the first to bring drag to the masses", hiring two drag queens to perform with her during her Las Vegas residency in 1979.^[414] The Advocate's Jeff Yarbrough described Cher as "one of the first superstars to 'play gay' with compassion and without a hint of stereotyping", as she portrays a lesbian in the 1983 film Silkwood.^[415] Cher's social activism has further solidified her status as a gay icon.^[416] As the mother of a trans man, Chaz Bono, Cher has advocated for visibility and support for trans families.^[417]

Cher's influence on LGBTQ culture was highlighted in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, where she was the idol of gay character Jack McFarland. She appeared as herself in two episodes, including "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" (2000)—referencing her 1971 song "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"—which became the show's second-highest-rated episode.^[418][419] Cher's impact on the drag community is evident in the reality competition RuPaul's Drag Race, which has honored her through challenges like the musical performance "Cher: The Unauthorized Rusical" in season 10 and the runway theme "Everything Every-Cher All at Once" in season 16.^[420][421]

Religious

Cher was born to an Armenian-American father of the Armenian Apostolic Church tradition and a mother of mixed European ancestry, and she was raised in a household that identified with Christianity, though she has said that her family was not strictly observant and that religion did not play a dominant role in her upbringing.^[461] From the 1990s onward, she expressed interest in Buddhism and has described herself as a practicing Buddhist in an interview.^[481] She has stated that she has "played around with Buddhism for years" and continues to return to Buddhist practices such as meditation and study.^[482] Cher has said that Buddhist teachings provide her with spiritual grounding and that "the soul of the universe, everything that I need, I can find in its practice."^[483]

Political

Cher has said that she is not a registered Democrat, but has attended many Democratic events.^[484] Her progressive political views have attracted media attention and she has been an outspoken critic of the conservative movement.^[461] She has commented that she did not understand why anyone would be a Republican because eight years under the administration of George W. Bush "almost killed [her]".^[485] During the 2000 United States presidential election, ABC News wrote that she was determined to do "whatever possible to keep [Bush] out of office".^[484] She said, "If you're black ... a woman [or] any minority in this country at all, what could possibly possess you to vote Republican? ... You won't have one fucking right left."^[484] She added, "I don't like Bush. I don't trust him ... He's stupid. He's lazy."^[484]

On October 27, 2003, Cher anonymously called a C-SPAN phone-in program to recount a visit she 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. Although she identified herself as an unnamed entertainer, she was recognized by the C-SPAN host, who questioned her about her 1992 support for independent presidential candidate Ross Perot. She said:

When I heard him talk right in the beginning, I thought that he would bring some sort of common-sense business approach and also less partisanship, but then ... I was completely disappointed like everyone else when he just kind of cut and run and no one knew exactly why ... Maybe he couldn't have withstood all the investigation that goes on now.^[486]

In a 2006 Stars and Stripes interview, Cher elaborated on her "against the war in Iraq but for the troops" position: "I don't have to be for this war to support the troops because these men and women do what ... they're told to do ... They do the best they can. They don't ask for anything."^[487]

Cher supported Hillary Clinton in her 2008 presidential campaign.^[461] After Obama won the Democratic nomination, she supported his candidacy.^[488][489] In a 2010 interview with Vanity Fair, she commented that she "still thinks Hillary would have done a better job", although she "accepts the fact that Barack Obama inherited insurmountable problems".^[461] During the 2012 United States presidential election, Cher and comedian Kathy Griffin released a public service announcement titled "Don't Let Mitt Turn Back Time on Women's Rights", criticizing Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for his support of Richard Mourdock, the US Senate candidate who suggested that pregnancies resulting from rape were "part of God's plan".^[490]

In September 2013, Cher declined an invitation to perform at the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Russia due to the country's controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation that overshadowed preparations for the event.^[491] In June 2015, after Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president, she made critical comments on Twitter, stating that "Donald Trump's punishment is being Donald Trump".^[492] She endorsed Clinton in her 2016 presidential campaign.^[493] In 2018, after the victory in Brazil's presidential election of right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, Cher called him a "pig" and "a politician from hell", declaring that Bolsonaro should be "locked in prison for the rest of his life".^[494]

Cher has advocated for recognition of the Armenian genocide. At the 2016 premiere of The Promise, a war film depicting the genocide, she criticized Turkey's denial and highlighted the general public's lack of awareness. She cited the Obersalzberg Speech and the line, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" She also discussed her Armenian heritage and her grandparents' survival of the genocide.^[495] Cher expressed support for Armenia and Artsakh on Twitter during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.^[496] The following year, she congratulated Joe Biden for being the first US President to formally recognize the Armenian genocide.^[497]

In September 2020, Cher raised nearly $2 million for Biden's presidential campaign at a virtual LGBTQ-themed fundraiser.^[498] In October, she campaigned for Biden in Nevada and Arizona^[499] and released a cover of "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe", originally from the 1943 musical Cabin in the Sky, with lyrics updated to be about Biden.^[500] In 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Cher voiced support for Ukraine on Twitter and called for humanitarian aid.^[501] She referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a despot seeking to restore the Soviet Union^[502] and announced plans to provide shelter to Ukrainian refugees in her home.^[503]

In October 2024, Cher endorsed the presidential ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, stating on social media that Harris was "fighting for all of us" and would "protect our rights".^[504]

Solo studio albums

Collaborative studio albums

• Two the Hard Way (with Gregg Allman as Allman and Woman) (1977)
• Black Rose (as lead vocalist of Black Rose) (1980)

Films

Headlining TV shows and specials

Headlining tours

Co-headlining tours

• Two the Hard Way Tour (with Gregg Allman as Allman and Woman) (1977)

Residencies

• Take Me Home Tour (1979–1982)^[g]
• Cher (2008–2011)
• Classic Cher (2017–2020)

Citations