Georgia Holt
Georgia Holt (born Jackie Jean Crouch; June 9, 1926) is a retired American singer-songwriter, actress, and model. She is the mother of singer and actress Cher. Early life. Holt was born Jackie Jean Crouch in Kensett, Arkansas, in 1926 to Lynda Inez Gulley, aged 13, and Roy Malloy Crouch, a 21-year-old baker. Her mother died in 2009, at 96. Holt says she is of English, German, Irish, French, Dutch and Cherokee descent. She frequently moved back and forth between her separated parents. Holt has estimated that she attended 17 junior high schools. Her father taught  her how to sing and play guitar. Career. Holt sang on an Oklahoma City radio station when she was six years old, and by age 10 sang with bandleader Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. She won several talent and beauty competitions, and had a number minor television and film roles in the 1950s. After performing in a singers' workshop (Phil Moore's "Get Your Act Together") in July 1978 at Studio One in Los Angeles, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore booked Holt to appear on their television talk shows. Holt also appeared as an audience polling member  as part of a group of ten mothers of famous celebrities on the U.S. game show "Card Sharks" from July 4–8, 1988. Holt was the subject of the 2013 Lifetime documentary "Dear Mom, Love Cher", which was executive produced by her daughter, Cher. Holt also released her album "Honky Tonk Woman", which was recorded in 1982, in 2013. The album includes a duet with Cher titled "I'm Just Your Yesterday". In 2013, Holt and Cher appeared together on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to promote the documentary "Dear Mom, Love Cher" and Holt 's album "Honky Tonk Woman". In 2014, Holt and her grandson Chaz Bono appeared in episode 9 of the sixth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" for a talk show themed challenge. Personal life. Holt has been married and divorced six times. She and her first husband, Armenian-American John Sarkisian (whom she remarried 19 years later as her fifth husband and divorced again), had daughter Cher. She later married actor John Southall, by whom she had her other child, actress Georganne LaPiere (born Georganne Elizabeth Southall). In 1961, Holt married Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere, a bank manager, who legally adopted  Cher and Georganne, changing their surnames to LaPiere. Through Cher, Holt has two grandsons, Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman. Since 1976, Holt has been in a relationship with partner Craig Spencer.