Cher - Biography - IMDb Biography Showing all 105 items Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (69) | Personal Quotes (22) | Salary (6) Overview (3) 5' 8½" (1.74 m) Mini Bio (1) The beat goes on ... and on ... and as strong as ever for this superstar entertainer who has well surpassed the four-decade mark while improbably transforming herself from an artificial, glossy "flashionplate" singer into a serious, Oscar-worthy, dramatic actress ... and back again! With more ups and downs than the 2008 Dow Jones Industrial Average, Cher managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes each time she was down and counted out, somehow re-inventing herself with every changing decade and finding herself on top all over again. As a singer Cher is the only performer to have earned "top 10" hit singles in four consecutive decades; as an actress, she and Barbra Streisand are the only two Best Actress Oscar winners to have a #1 hit song on the Billboard charts.

At age 62, Cher has yet to decide to get completely off her fabulous roller coaster ride, although she has threatened to on occasion. The daughter of a truck driver, John Sarkisian, and an Arkansas-born mother, Georgia Holt (the former Jackie Jean Crouch), Cher was born in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946. She has a sister, Georganne LaPiere . Cher is of Armenian heritage on her father's side, and of English and German, with more distant Irish, Dutch, and French, heritage on her mother's side. The father deserted the family when Cher was young, and she was raised by their mother who later married Gilbert LaPiere, a banker. Cher's mother, who had aspirations of being an actress and model herself, paid for Cher's acting classes despite her daughter having undiagnosed dyslexia, which acutely affected her studies. Frustrated, Cher quit Fresno High School at the age of 16 in search of her dream. At that time, she had a brief relationship with actor Warren Beatty .

Meeting the quite older (by 11 years) Sonny Bono in 1962 changed the 16-year-old's life forever. Bono was working for record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood at the time and managed to persuade Spector to hire Cher as a session singer. As such, she went on to record backup on such Spector classics as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Be My Baby". The couple's relationship eventually shifted from soul mates to lovers and she and Sonny married on October 27, 1964. At first Cher sang solo with Sonny behind the scenes writing, arranging and producing her songs. The records went nowhere. Sonny then decided they needed to perform as a team so they put out two songs in 1964 under the recording names of Caesar and Cleo ("The Letter" and "Baby Don't Go"). Again, no success. The changing of their names, however, seemed to make a difference and in 1965, they officially took on the music world as Sonny & Cher and earned instant rewards.

The now 19-year-old Cher and 30-year-old Sonny became huge hits following the release of their first album, "Look at Us" (summer, 1965), which contained the hit single "I Got You Babe". With the song catapulting to #1, they decided to re-release their earlier single "Baby Don't Go", and it also raced up the charts to #8. An assembly line of mild hits dotted the airwaves over the next year or two, culminating in the huge smash hit "The Beat Goes On" (#6, 1967). Between 1965 and 1972 Sonny & Cher charted a total of six "Top 10" hits. The kooky couple became icons of the late '60s "flower power" scene, wearing garish garb and outlandish hairdos and makeup. However, they found a way to make it trendy and were embraced around the world. TV musical variety and teen pop showcases relished their contrasting styles -- the short, excitable, mustachioed, nasal-toned simpleton and the taller, exotic, unflappable fashion maven.

They found a successful formula with their repartee, which became a central factor in their live concert shows, even more than their singing. With all this going on, Sonny still endeavored to promote Cher as a solo success. Other than such hits with "All I Really Want to Do" (#16) and "Bang, Bang" (#2), she struggled to find a separate identity. Sonny even arranged film projects for her but Good Times (1967), an offbeat fantasy starring the couple and directed by future powerhouse William Friedkin , and Cher's serious solo effort Chastity (1969) both flickered out and died a quick death. By the end of the 1960s, Sonny & Cher's career had stumbled as they witnessed the American pop culture experience a drastic evolutionary change. The couple maintained their stage act and all the while Sonny continued to polish it up in a shrewd gamble for TV acceptance. While Sonny on stage played the ineffectual object of Cher's stinging barbs on stage, he was actually the highly motivated mastermind off stage and, amazingly enough, his foresight and chutzpah really paid off.

Although the couple had lost favor with the new 70s generation, Sonny encouraged TV talent scouts to catch their live act. The network powers-that-be saw potential in the duo as they made a number of guest TV appearances in specials and on variety and talk shows and in what was essentially "auditioning" for their own TV vehicle. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971) was given the green light as a summer replacement series and was an instant sensation when it earned its own time spot that fall season. The show received numerous Emmy Award nominations during its run and the couple became stars all over again. Their lively, off-the-wall comedy sketch routines, her outré Bob Mackie fashions and their harmless, edgy banter were the highlights of the hour-long program. Audiences took strongly to the couple who appeared to have a deep-down sturdy relationship. Their daughter Chaz Bono occasionally added to the couple's loving glow on the show. Cher's TV success also generated renewed interest in her as a solo recording artist and she came up with three #1 hits during this time ("Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady").

Behind the scenes, though, it was a different story. A now-confident Cher yearned to be free of husband Sonny's Svengali-like control over her life and career. The marriage split at the seams in 1974 and they publicly announced their separation. The show, which had earned Cher a Golden Globe Award, took a fast tumble as the separation and divorce grew more acrimonious. Eventually they both tried to launch their own solo variety shows, but both failed to even come close to their success as a duo. Audiences weren't interested in Cher without Sonny, and vice versa. In late June of 1975, only three days after the couple's divorce, Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band . That marriage imploded rather quickly amid reports of out-of-control drug use on his part. They were divorced by 1977 with only one bright outcome -- son Elijah Allman . In 1976 Sonny and Cher attempted to "make up" again, this time to the tune of a second The Sonny and Cher Show (1976). Audiences, however, did not accept the "friendly" divorced couple after so much tabloid nastiness.

After the initial curiosity factor wore off, the show was canceled amid poor ratings. Moreover, the musical variety show format was on its way out as well. Once again, another decade was looking to end badly for Cher. Cher found a mild success with the "top 10" disco hit "Take Me Home" in 1979, but not much else. Not one to be counted out, however, the ever resourceful singer decided to lay back and focus on acting instead. At age 36, Cher made her Broadway debut in 1982 in what was essentially her first live acting role with "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean". Centering around a reunion of girlfriends from an old James Dean fan club, her performance was critically lauded. This earned her the right to transfer her stage triumph to film alongside Karen Black and Sandy Dennis . Cher earned critical raves for Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), her first film role since 1969.

With film #2 came a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for her portrayal of a lesbian toiling in a nuclear parts factory in Silkwood (1983), starring Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell . This in turn was followed by her star turn in Mask (1985) as the blunt, footloose mother of a son afflicted with a rare disease (played beautifully by Eric Stoltz ). Once again Cher received high praise and copped a win from the Cannes Film Festival for her poignant performance. Fully accepted by this time as an actress of high-caliber, she integrated well into the Hollywood community. Proving that she could hold up a film outright, she was handed three hit vehicles to star in: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Suspect (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Along with all this newfound Hollywood celebrity came interest in her as a singer and recording artist again. "If I Could Turn Back Time (#3) and the Peter Cetera duet "After All" (#6) placed her back on the Billboard charts.

During the 1990s Cher continued to veer back and forth among films, TV specials and expensively mounted concerts. In January of 1998, tragedy struck when Cher's ex-husband Sonny Bono , who had forsaken an entertainment career for California politics and became a popular Republican congressman in the process, was killed in a freak skiing accident. That same year the duo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to television. In the meantime an astounding career adrenalin rush came in the form of a monstrous, disco-flavored hit single ("Believe"). The song became a #1 hit and the same-titled album the biggest hit of her career. "Believe" reached #1 in 23 different countries. Having little to prove anymore to anyone, Cher decided to embark on a "Farewell Tour" in the early part of the millennium and, after much stretching, her show finally closed in 2005 in Los Angeles. It didn't take long, however, for Cher to return from this self-imposed exile. In 2008, she finalized a deal with Las Vegas' Caesars Palace for the next three years to play the Colosseum.

Never say never. Cher returned to films, co-starring opposite Christina Aguilera in Burlesque (2010). In other facets of her life, Cher has been involved with many humanitarian groups and charity efforts over the years, particularly her work as National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson of the Children's Craniofacial Association, which was inspired by her work in Mask (1985). - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net Spouse (2) Diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 30. Had started dating producer David Geffen after she and estranged husband Sonny Bono split up. At one time, was living with rock musician Gene Simmons of KISS . Her half-sister, Georganne LaPiere , was the first wife of Michael Madsen . Was offered the role of Thelma Dickinson in Thelma & Louise (1991), which went to Geena Davis . Ex-half-sister-in-law of Michael Madsen and Virginia Madsen . 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, but it is not clear if this ancestry has ever been verified or documented. Legally changed her name from "Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre Bono" to simply "Cher". Beat out Céline Dion 's "My Heart Will Go On" for the bestselling single of 1998 with "Believe". Wanted to play Morticia Addams in The Addams Family (1991), but the role went to Anjelica Huston . Her favourite makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin , died in 2002 of a brain tumor. Mostly lived in London, England in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She now lives in Malibu, California. Holds the record for the the longest gap between #1 hits ("Dark Lady" 1974, "Believe" 1999). Holds the record for oldest female artist with a #1 hit ("Believe"). Son, Elijah Allman , fronts the band Deadsy. Is tying with Mako as the Oscar-nominated actor throughout history with the shortest name.

Technically wins, as her name is only one syllable and is her actual legal name. Suffers from fear of flying. Cher's very first recording was the novelty record "Ringo, I Love You", under the name of Bonnie Jo Mason in 1963. Her parents married and divorced three times. She won a Grammy Award in 2000 for the song "Believe" and an Emmy Award in 2003 for a special on her farewell concert tour. Spoke the eulogy at ex-husband Sonny Bono 's funeral. Ranked #43 on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll". Wore braces as an adult. Her 1999 hit single "Believe" was ranked #60 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs. A 2002 Rolling Stone article estimated her wealth at over $600 million. Since then she has embarked on a hugely successful farewell tour that is still going and released a greatest hits CD that has spent weeks in the the Billboard Top 10. Is a huge fan of Katharine Hepburn .

Although her music video "If I Could Turn Back Time" is often cited as the first video to be banned by MTV, this is not true. The Rolling Stones ("Neighbors"), Ramones ("Psychotherapy") and Laura Branigan all had videos banned several years beforehand. Mother Georgia Holt was a huge fan of Lana Turner and named her daughter Cherilyn in honor of Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane . Is the only certified female performer in music history to have had a US #1 single in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. She and Barbra Streisand are the only two female performers in the United States to have had a #1 hit and won an Oscar. Has appeared solo on the cover of People magazine a near record 13 times. In addition to her Oscar and Emmy wins, Cher won a 2000 Grammy for the song "Believe" as Best Dance Recording. American-born Cher is the most famous Hollywood personality of Armenian ethnicity. Acclaimed Russian-born filmmaker Sergei Parajanov is the most famous non-Hollywood Armenian cinema personality.

In a recent poll, A&E's Biography Magazine ranked her as people's Number 3 favorite actress of all time behind her two Hollywood idols, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn . She was the subject of an episode of The X-Files (1993) called "The Post-Modern Prometheus" (5X06; first aired November 3, 1997). This episode concerned a deformed man who adored Cher because of her role in Mask (1985), in which her character cared for her deformed son. Several Cher songs appeared on the soundtrack of this episode, including "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". At the end of the episode, Mulder and Scully take the Cher fan to a Cher concert, where they hear her sing her cover of "Walkin' in Memphis". Cher, a huge fan of "The X-Files", was asked to play herself in this scene but declined the producers' offer. However, she revealed on The X-Files Movie Special (1998) that once the episode aired, she regretted not having appeared in it.

Was called to be offered the role in The Witches of Eastwick (1987) on the morning of her 40th birthday. Her Oscar-winning part in Moonstruck (1987) was originally offered to Sally Field , who turned it down. She has had rhinoplasty and other cosmetic surgeries. From 2002-2005, she has had an 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. Is one of only six actors/actresses to have both a number one single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Frank Sinatra (1954), Barbra Streisand (1968), Judy Garland (Honorary Oscar) (1940), Jamie Foxx (2005) and Bing Crosby (1945). All of her Emmy nominations have been for variety series or music programs with her name in the title. Ranked #26 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists. Good friends with Meryl Streep .

Auditioned for the role of Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), which went to Faye Dunaway . She and Sonny Bono made a film for Columbia Pictures, Good Times (1967), but it was such a flop that Columbia immediately sold rights to their intended follow-up film, Speedway (1968) to MGM as a vehicle for Elvis Presley . Was in consideration for the role of Lilly Dillon in The Grifters (1990) but Anjelica Huston , who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead. Born at 7:25 AM (PST). 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 ordered to pay $41,000 for her attorney's fees. Their liquid assets were otherwise split 50/50. She received their Bel Air mansion, Bono received an Aspen condo, Palm Springs house and another Los Angeles dwelling. Her birthday card is the Queen of Clubs.

Daughter born Chastity Bono underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a man in 2009. He changed his name legally to Chaz Salvatore Bono in April 2010 and is billed as Chaz Bono . The singer's video "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989) (by Diane Warren ) was filmed aboard the (now decommissioned) USS Missouri (BB-63) ("Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo") in Long Beach (California) and featured (in cameos) Cher's son Elijah Allman and (his father/her ex) Gregg Allman as backing guitarists. Directed by Marty Callner . Prior to giving birth to her daughter Chaz Bono , she suffered four miscarriages. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 7020 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on May 15, 1998. According to an interview on Good Morning Britain (1983), 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 (born Cheryl Sarkisian) is an American citizen of Armenian descent. Engaged to television producer Joshua Donen (1984-85). Considers her performance as Rusty Dennis in Mask (1985) to be her finest work onscreen. In the public eye, Cher's most serious relationship outside her two marriages has been with Rob Camilletti , an 18-years-younger bagel baker she lived with from 1986-89 and sporadically rekindled their romance off and on until at least 2001. She has also dated (in alphabetical order): Warren Beatty , Eric Clapton , Tom Cruise , Les Dudek , Ron Duguay , Alan Gorrie , John Heard , Mark Hudson , Val Kilmer , Ray Liotta , John Loeffler , Tim Medvetz , David Paich , Richie Sambora , Michael Seitz , Eric Stoltz and Ron Zimmerman . Some reports once linked her to Michael Bolton , but she categorically denied this on Late Show with David Letterman (1993). Rumours also circulated that Cher was romantically involved with a member of her band during the Farewell Tour.

She and Sonny were one of many other celebrities who made regular weekend visits to Ralph Helfer Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California to pitch in with the chores and to play with the animals. When Cher won her Best Actress Oscar for Moonstruck (1987), she was seated next to Chaz Bono (then daughter Chastity) and then partner Rob Camilletti (Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles / 11 April 1988). Songwriter Bobby Russell had initially offered the song "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" to Cher for her to record. However, when he brought a demo recording to her she was out shopping and asked her husband Sonny Bono to listen to it. After listening to it, Sonny told Russell that he not only would he allow Cher to do the song, but he also thought it would cause her to lose fans in the south. Russell wound up giving the song to his then wife Vicki Lawrence who not only had a hit with it, but it wound up topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and sold over a million copies.

Sonny Bono and Cher did a promotional still for the film Good Times (1967) dressed in prehistoric caveman and cavewoman attire sitting atop Ralph Helfer 's Indian elephant Misty. Was the 96th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Moonstruck (1987) at The 60th Annual Academy Awards (1988) on April 11, 1988. Is one of 15 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of California. The others are Fay Bainter , Gloria Grahame , Jo Van Fleet , Liza Minnelli , Tatum O'Neal , Diane Keaton , Sally Field , Anjelica Huston , Jodie Foster , Helen Hunt , Gwyneth Paltrow , Angelina Jolie , Marcia Gay Harden and Brie Larson . Cher lives by her mom's rule-of-thumb life lesson: "If it doesn't matter in 5 years, it doesn't matter". When she first heard Diane Warren 's demo for "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989) she detested it and firmly rejected it.

Not until after much encouragement and badgering by the songwriter did she agree to record it. The fact that Warren agreed to fund the recording session also helped clinch the deal and Cher nailed the recording after just two takes. Personal Quotes (22) 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. [People magazine, 9/1/85] I was a shy ugly kid who led a big fantasy life. I thought I was an angel sent from heaven, to cure polio. When Dr. Salk [ Jonas Salk ] did that I was really pissed off. 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. [on friendship] I can trust my friends... these people force me to examine myself, encourage me to grow. [on truth] Honesty makes me feel powerful in a difficult world.

[on spirit] Women, unlike most men, are able to accept mystery, accept whatever comes to them -- even if it's not logical. [on Meryl Streep ] She's an acting machine in the same sense that a shark is a killing machine. That's what she was born to be. 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. [on Madonna ] I never hated her, I just thought she was a bitch. Actually, I quite respect her. Actually, I think Madge might be one of the most amazing artists I've known. I don't like everything she does, for sure, but she is always riding the crest of the wave. She always saw trends WAY before anyone else, and had great videos. 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? [on why she dates younger men] Older men rarely liked me. If it wasn't for younger men, I would never have a date. [on Warren Beatty ] Warren has probably been with everybody I know, and unfortunately I am one of them. But since I was only 16 maybe I can get out of it with that. I don't know if I was a bimbo then, but I had pretty low self-esteem. 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. [about her debut single, "Ringo I Love You"] I sounded too much like a boy. Everyone thought it was a faggot song. [on Donald Trump 's victory in the 2016 presidential election] I feel...it's like there's a death in my family. Salary (6) As Cher, 66, prepares to marry a Hell's Angel 24 years her junior, is there anyone she hasn't bedded?

| Daily Mail Online comments Cher, the woman who once said: ‘The trouble with some women is they get all excited about nothing — and then marry him,’ is set to marry a former Hell’s Angel. The 66-year-old singer is planning to tie the knot with Tim Medvetz, 42, in Las Vegas later this year, making him her third husband and the latest in a very long line of toyboys. CLAUDIA CONNELL looks back at all the other men in her eventful love life ... Woman in demand: Cher has dated some of the world's most famous men THE CASANOVA WHO: Warren Beatty, actor, director and notorious womaniser who counts Joan Collins and Madonna among his former conquests. WHEN: 1962. The pair had a one-night stand. AGE GAP: He’s nine years older than Cher. THE DETAILS: Sixteen years old and having just left home, Cher met a 25-year-old Warren Beatty, already an established movie star, in a nightclub. Although he was dating Natalie Wood at the time, he took the teenager back to his LA home.

Cher later told Playboy: ‘I did it because my girlfriends were crazy about him and so was my mother. What a disappointment!’ Despite Warren failing to live up to his reputation in bed, the pair remained good friends. THE CROOKED FIRST HUSBAND WHO: Sonny Bono, record producer and singer turned politician. Died in 1998. WHEN: 1963 to 1973. AGE GAP: He was 11 years older. THE DETAILS: Cher met Sonny, then working as a ‘gofer’ for producer Phil Spector, in a coffee shop. They moved in together immediately and married the same year, forming a hugely successful singing duet. Their daughter Chastity, who underwent a sex change and is now known as ‘Chaz’, was born in 1969. It was only after her divorce that Cher realised all the money she earned had been pocketed by Sonny, and she was penniless. She called him ‘a terrible husband’ and said he treated her ‘more like a golden goose than a wife’. But she forgave him enough to give the eulogy at his funeral when he was killed after hitting a tree while skiing.

Lust and love: Cher had a one-night stand with Warren Beatty in 1962 (left), she was married to record producer and singer turned politician Sonny Bono from 1963 to 1973. He died in 1998 THE MUSIC MAGNATE WHO: David Geffen, billionaire music company boss who worked with everyone from John Lennon to Bob Dylan. Came out as gay in 1992. WHEN: 1973 to 1975. AGE GAP: He’s three years older. THE DETAILS: The pair met at the Grammy Awards when Cher was still married to Sonny Bono. He paid for lawyers to end Sonny’s control over her finances. She once commented: ‘I was the first person to share his bed and to share his life. People don’t believe that, or they don’t want to believe it, or they don’t understand how it could be.’ The pair are still close friends and Cher says: ‘David helped me so much.

I had no money and nowhere to live, if it wasn’t for him I’d have ended up on the street.’ THE JUNKIE SECOND HUSBAND WHO: Gregg Allman, musician and songwriter. WHEN: 1975 to 1978. AGE GAP: He’s two years younger. Former loves: Cher dated music boss David Geffen from 1973 to 1975 (left) and was married to musician Gregg Allman from 1975 to 1978. She and Gregg are parents to son Elijah Blue THE DETAILS: They met after one of his gigs, Allman famously said that Cher ‘smelled like I imagined a mermaid would smell’. When Allman fell asleep at their first meeting, Cher declared it ‘the worst first date ever’. But they married within months — although Cher filed for divorce from four days later only to reconcile with him — and their son Elijah Blue was born in 1976. The marriage unravelled due to Allman’s heroin addiction. Now drug-free, he is about to marry his seventh wife.

Love on the road: Cher dated Les Dudek after hiring him as a guitarist for her band Black Rose THE STRUGGLING MUSICIAN WHO: Les Dudek, guitarist and session musician. WHEN: 1980 to 1982. AGE GAP: He’s six years younger. THE DETAILS: The pair met when the pop-oriented Cher decided that she wanted to reinvent herself as a rock star, forming a band called Black Rose. He auditioned as guitarist and got the job — and the girl. The relationship was very on-off, and when their album flopped, Cher dumped the band — and Les. Dudek certainly didn’t struggle for long — he has worked with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks as well as other big names. THE HOCKEY HUNK WHO: Ron Duguay, hunky Canadian ice hockey player known for his long, curly mullet hairdo. WHEN: 1982 for a month. AGE GAP: He’s 11 years younger. THE DETAILS: They met when Duguay played for the New York Rangers and the couple went out a handful of times.

Duguay was notoriously vain to the extent that he refused to wear a helmet when playing in case it ruined his hair. The relationship was never serious and soon fizzled out. THE ROCK MONSTER WHO: Gene Simmons, front man with hard rock band Kiss. WHEN: 1979 to 1980. AGE GAP: He’s four years younger. DETAILS: They started dating after Cher asked for his autograph for her daughter at a party. They agreed to an open relationship, both seeing other people. Cher said: ‘He might spend the night with other women, I also have a very masculine attitude to dating, but Gene is the one I’m crazy about.’ They split amicably after he fell for Diana Ross. THE BATMAN STAR WHO: Val Kilmer, the notoriously fractious actor and star of The Doors, Heat and Batman Forever. WHEN: 1984 for nine months. AGE GAP: He’s 14 years younger. Toyboy: Cher dated Batman Forever star Val Kilmer, who is 14 years her junior, in 1984 THE DETAILS: At the time he was an unknown actor who’d just landed a part in the Tom Cruise blockbuster Top Gun.

Meryl Streep introduced them and Cher took him as her date to the 1984 Academy Awards, where she was nominated for her role in Silkwood. Cher said: ‘When we kissed I thought my head would shoot right off my body. I had to catch my breath.’ THE YOUNG TOM WHO: Tom Cruise, the highest- paid actor in Hollywood. WHEN: Probably 1985, for less than six months. AGE GAP: He’s 16 years younger. DETAILS: It was only in 2008 that Cher revealed she’d had a secret relationship with the then relatively unknown Tom Cruise, who was 23 at the time. They are thought to have met at a White House fundraiser and dated until their filming schedules forced them apart. Cher said: ‘He was shy and sweet and just the most adorable man you can imagine. I was crazy about him.’ Unlikely couple: Cher also enjoyed a romance with Hollywood star Tom Cruise in the mid-eighties THE MOVIE MOGUL WHO: Josh Donen, producer of such movies as The Quick And The Dead. WHEN: 1985 to 1987.

AGE GAP: He’s 11 years younger. THE DETAILS: They met at a dinner party when Donen was the agent of Cher’s ex-boyfriend, Val Kilmer, but they didn’t hit it off immediately. She thought him ‘rude’ and he saw her as ‘an antisocial bitch’. But they got chatting later on and ended up going home together. Later in the relationship, she described him as having ‘the best strengths of all the men I’ve been with’. It was Donen who advised her to take the lead role in a low budget movie called Mask which won her a Golden Globe nomination. Crazy for Cher: The star with former flames Josh Donen (left) and Rob Camilletti THE BAGEL BOY WHO: Rob Camilletti, a bagel shop worker turned bartender and now a successful pilot. WHEN: 1986 to 1989. AGE GAP: He’s 18 years younger. THE DETAILS: They met on Cher’s 40th birthday party when she was out celebrating with friends. He thought that once he told her he was a baker, she would no longer be interested but she gave him her phone number anyway.

Rob lived with Cher in LA, but carried on with his day job before retraining as a bartender. He now flies private jets for celebrities — including his ex-lover. Their split was amicable — Cher reportedly claimed the media had torn them apart by referring to him as ‘the bagel boy’ and said he was ‘the one true love’ of her life. He still spends every Christmas with Cher and her family. THE HEAVY METAL GOD WHO: Richie Sambora, rock guitarist with Bon Jovi. WHEN: 1989 for six months. AGE GAP: He’s 13 years younger. THE DETAILS: They first met when he produced her self-titled album Cher, but didn’t get together until three years later. At the time Bon Jovi were famous for their hard partying, womanising and drinking and Cher was unable to tame Sambora. They split after she caught him with a groupie in a Madrid hotel room. Rock star magnet: With Bon Jovi star Richie Sambora (left) and Kiss frontman Gene Simmons THE GUITAR HERO WHO: Eric Clapton, English guitarist and rock star.

WHEN: Probably 1995 — a one- night stand when Clapton was single. Fling: Cher also bedded musician Eric Clapton AGE GAP: He’s one year older. THE DETAILS: Their fling had remained a secret until 2010 when Cher, appearing on the David Letterman chat show in the U.S., admitted — among other surprising revelations — that they ‘hooked up once’. It’s unclear when but is most likely to have been when they worked together in 1995 on the charity single Love Can Build A Bridge, which became the official song of that year’s Comic Relief. THE HELL’S ANGEL WHO: Tim Medvetz, a biker turned TV presenter. WHEN: 2008 for two years and again in 2012. AGE GAP: He’s 24 years younger. THE DETAILS: They were introduced by friends and clicked due to their mutual love of Harley-Davidsons, but they went their separate ways when her touring schedule forced them apart. Earlier this year, Cher’s children, Chaz and Elijah, urged her to get back in contact with Medvetz.

Rumour is the pair will marry in Vegas any day. After scaling Mount Everest for a second time, Medvetz reportedly told a friend: ‘I thought that climbing Everest was the ultimate call of the wild, but I think marrying Cher will top that!’ Husband-to-be: Cher dated biker Tim Medvetz for two years before they split in 2010. The pair have now reunited and are due to tie the knot later this year THE COMIC BOOK WRITER WHO: Ron Zimmerman, writer for Marvel comic’s Ultimate Adventure series. WHEN: 2010 for four months. AGE GAP: He’s 12 years younger. THE DETAILS: When Cher introduced herself to Zimmerman — the friend of a friend — on Facebook, he mistook her for an impersonator. She told American celebrity magazine Parade: ‘He thought that I was a Cher impersonator or a hooker — it never occurred to him that it was actually me. We played verbal volleyball for about a month until he called my friend and asked who I really was.

She went: “It’s Cher.”’ She managed to convince Zimmerman to go on a date and, although it was never serious — as Cher was still hung up on Medvetz — the pair enjoyed several trips to the cinema and theatre together before calling it quits at the end of 2010. Zimmerman said: ‘We talk every day, wherever we are. We still hang out, we still have a blast.’ Having a blast: Cher dated comic book writer Ron Zimmerman in 2010 after meeting him on Facebook Cher | New Music And Songs | Cher About Cher Cher has had three careers that place her indelibly in the public consciousness, and two have been in association with her then-husband, composer/producer/singer Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (b. February 16, 1935, d. January 8, 1998). She charted major hit records in the 1960s and 1970s, working in idioms ranging from early-'60s girl group-style ballads to Jackie Deshannon folk-influenced pop, to adult contemporary pop in the manner of later Dusty Springfield.

She also embarked on an acting career, initially in the late '60s in association with her work as part of Sonny & Cher but later on her own, which led to a series of increasingly polished and compelling performances in Silkwood, Mask, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Cherilyn Sarkisian was born in California in 1946; she was 17 when she first met Salvatore "Sonny" Bono, a songwriter and protégé of producer Phil Spector. Sonny brought her to Spector, who used her as a backup singer and produced one single by her, a novelty Beatles tribute record called "Ringo I Love You" issued under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. It disappeared without a trace, but the couple were undaunted -- they emerged as a duo, initially called Caesar & Cleo, later that year, and cut "The Letter," "Do You Wanna Dance," and "Love Is Strange." Caesar & Cleo didn't trouble the chart compilers with any degree of success, but late in 1964, Cher (then known as Cherilyn) was signed to Liberty Records' Imperial imprint, and Sonny came along as producer.

A Spector-ish version of "Dream Baby" managed to get airplay in Los Angeles, becoming a local hit, and they suspected they were onto something. That same month, Sonny & Cher, as they were now known, signed to Reprise Records and released their first single, "Baby Don't Go." The song became a major local hit in Los Angeles, after which the duo jumped from Reprise to the Atco label, a division of Atlantic Records. In April 1965 their first single, "Just You" was released and rose to number 20 on the charts. The duo was on its way, and Cher also had Imperial Records after her for a second single. The couple had seen the Byrds pioneer commercial folk-rock with Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," and had witnessed them performing another Dylan number, "All I Really Want to Do" at a club in Los Angeles. The group intended to issue their own recording of "All I Really Want to Do," but Cher, with Sonny producing, beat them to the punch with her own recording of the song.

She pursued a dual career for the next two years, cutting solo recordings under Sonny's guidance that regularly charted, and duets with her husband for Atco. A month after "All I Really Want to Do," they released "I Got You Babe," which was one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s, and the couple's signature tune across two eras of success. Cher's solo career ended up slightly overshadowed by her work with Sonny & Cher, but at the time she was fully competitive on her own terms -- her first LP reached the Billboard Top 20 and was on the albums charts for six months.

"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" was another hit, a million-seller that made number three in America and England, and she made the Top Ten once more with her 1967 single "You Better Sit Down Kids." The latter song, written by Sonny (and which was also a hit for Glen Campbell), dealt with divorce, an unusual subject for a 1960s pop record, and was one of a series of releases on which Cher's music broached difficult areas -- others were "I Feel Something's in the Air," which dealt with unwanted pregnancy, and "Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)." Cher's solo career at Imperial, which had created some political problems for the couple at Atlantic, ended with the lapsing of her contract in 1967, and she moved to Atlantic. Ironically, it was this move that contributed to the unhappy reversal of the couple's fortunes at the end of the decade. By the end of the 1960s, Sonny & Cher were no longer selling records.

A series of commercial missteps, coupled with a change in public taste, had sharply curtailed their sales, and a pair of movies (Good Times, Chastity) had lost millions. Additionally, they were no longer recording for Atlantic -- though they were still under contract to them -- owing to the label's decision to take Cher's solo recordings out of Sonny's hands and assign a new producer to her. Coupled with the presentation of a bill from the Internal Revenue Service for $200,000 in back taxes, these events left the couple in dire financial straits at the end of the 1960s. They were forced to play club dates, opening for artists like Pat Boone, and it was there that their second career, and a second career for Cher, took shape. A new contract with Decca Records in 1971, coupled with a chance at a summer replacement gig on the CBS television network, brought them a second chance at success. The tryout on television was a success, as the couple proved to be as funny as they were musically diverse.

It took a little longer to find a new formula for Cher's music -- her initial single on Decca's Kapp label, "Classified 1A," was a failure; a serious song dealing with a girl's feelings for a boyfriend killed in Vietnam; it was topical in all the wrong ways to become a pop chart success. Producer Snuff Garrett was recruited to work with her, and he found a series of songs that were perfect for Cher's maturing talent. "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," a conscious attempt to emulate Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" (which also recalled Cher's own "Bang Bang") was released late in 1971 and became a number one hit and a million-seller.

To some listeners, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" was the epitome of schlocky pop/rock, but the song's subject matter, unusual tempo changes, and an incredibly memorable chorus-hook became a vehicle for a transcendent performance by the singer, marking Cher's maturation as an artist (the B-side, "I Hate to Sleep Alone," written by Peggy Clinger of the Clinger Sisters, curiously enough, managed to recall Sonny's Spector-influenced productions from the Imperial years). A follow-up album, featuring her covers of contemporary hits such as "Fire and Rain," sold well also, and her next single, "The Way of Love," a revival of a mid-'60s Kathy Kirby hit, solidified the image of a new, more confident and powerful Cher. And the debut of the couple's regular network variety series on CBS in January 1972 brought them back to the center of American and international popular culture in a more mature, wittier guise, and one that concentrated much more on Cher as a personality.

Her 1960s music ran the gamut from Spector-style miniature teen pop symphonies to covers of contemporary adult pop ("It's Not Unusual") and folk-rock. Her voice wasn't very rich or powerful, but it was expressive and surrounded by Sonny's radiant Spector creations, and she could put over an almost inappropriately cheerful sounding version of "The Bells of Rhymney" or "Blowin' in the Wind." By contrast, her early-'70s material, solo or with Sonny, had a more adult point of view and personality. "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and the later number one solo hits "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady" were dramatic, highly intense performances, almost as much "acted" as sung, and very different from her 1960s output. In 1974, it was revealed that the couple's marriage was coming to an end. Ironically, Cher came out of this split more secure than her husband, despite his having guided her career for a decade and having all of the real training in the entertainment business.

She embarked on an acting career, even as she continued to make headlines for her romantic exploits, including an affair with (and two marriages to) Gregg Allman. She became a far better actress than she was a singer, first revealed in Mike Nichols' Silkwood (1983) and then in Peter Bogdanovich's Mask (1985) and George Miller's The Witches of Eastwick (1987). Her acting peers caught on to the worth of her work in time for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Norman Jewison's 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck. Since the mid-'70s, Cher has been known more for her acting than for her music, although she has continued to record for numerous labels, including Columbia, and in 1998 scored an international chart-topping smash with the club-friendly single "Believe." The year 2001 brought Living Proof, the equally dance-oriented follow-up to the transformative Believe, and by 2005 she had completed the three-year, high-grossing Farewell Tour ahead of a lucrative Las Vegas residency of equal length.

In 2010 she starred in the musical Burlesque, and "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from the movie's soundtrack went on to win a Golden Globe Award. In September 2013 Cher released a new studio set, Closer to the Truth, the results of further sessions with assistance from Mark Taylor, the British songwriter/producer who had been a regular collaborator since Believe. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi Cher: Divorce From Sonny Bono Took A Long Time To Overcome | The Huffington Post Cher: Divorce From Sonny Bono Took A Long Time To Overcome 09/18/2013 07:48 pm ET AP It's no secret that Cher isn't a fan of her late ex-husband Sonny Bono. The mega star has told interviewers in the past that he was "a terrible husband" who "hurt [her] in so many ways." But now, she's opening up about how the actual divorce affected her. Cher spoke to USA Today about her new album, her prolific career, and the struggles she has faced throughout the years, which stemmed from her 1975 divorce .

She told the newspaper that the strain the split put on her finances and career was something she was afraid she would never overcome. "I thought I'd never climb out of that hole," she said. "I had no money, and I had to pay him $2 million. It took a long time. I worked my way into a spot in Las Vegas playing two shows a night. My managers were making more money than I was. I pride myself on still being here. A lot of people were gigantic, and then they were gone." Sonny Bono died in 1998 in a skiing accident. But before his death, Bono went on the record to refute Cher's claims that he was a bad husband. In 1991, he published the book And the Beat Goes On about their life together, and told People magazine that Cher "wasn't a victim." Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter .

Also on HuffPost: Cher - Film Actress, Singer - Biography.com “Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.” “I think that the longer I look good, the better gay men feel.” “Don't take your toys inside just because it's raining.” “I’m just the worst little Buddhist in town. I wish that I did the things that I really believe in, because when I do, my life goes much smoother. I can get pretty wrapped up in the dramatic hysteria.” “[My sons] are both very talented, both very artistic, and they are good children. They’re grown-ups. They’re so different. Chaz had a dad for a long time. Sonny was a great parent for a young child—even like 12, 13. But the moment you had ideas that were contrary, he was not quite as interested. Elijah didn’t really have Gregory. Gregory moved off someplace else. He was the nicest person, even when he was doing drugs. But when you’re doing drugs, the people you’re hanging with aren’t exactly....

You’re not going to church to find these people.” “[Sonny] hurt me in so many ways, but there was something. He was so much more than a husband—a terrible husband, but a great mentor, a great teacher. There was a bond between us that could not be broken. If he had agreed to just disband Cher Enterprises and start all over again, I would have never ever left. Just split it down the middle, 50–50.” “I’ve been screaming at the top of my lungs at my family, ‘Work out! Work out! Old age is coming!’ At some point you will need the strength. Who would have ever thought you would get this old?” “Camp is in the eye of the beholder.” “When I left Sonny, I wanted to break Sonny & Cher. I wasn't them, and I wanted to be me.” “I can't spell, my grammar is terrible, but I'm on [Twitter] all the time because I enjoy it. But sometimes even I go, you know what, shut the f*** up and go do something.” “I was pushing an envelope that I wanted to push.

I felt that looking the way I wanted to look and doing what I wanted to do made me more empowered.” Cher Cher - The Road to Stardom (TV-14; 2:56) Learn how Cher became the international superstar she is today. Synopsis Born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, Cher rose to stardom as part of a singing act with husband Sonny Bono in the 1960s, hitting No. 1 with the single "I Got You Babe." The couple later starred on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, though the show ended as the couple's marriage dissolved. Cher had established a solo career of her own as well, having chart-toppers like "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady." She then pursued acting in the 1980s, starring in films like Silkwood and Mask and earning an Academy Award for her performance in Moonstruck. Cher also found more music success with rock-oriented tracks in the '80s and a global dance hit, "Believe," in the late '90s.

From 2008 to 2011, she performed a concert series entitled Cher at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She released Closer to the Truth, her first studio album in 12 years, in 2013, which offered fans more dance hits. A portrait of Cher, 1974. (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images) Background and Early Life The international star known as Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. She was raised by her mother Georgia, a model and actress, and grew up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County with younger half-sister Georganne. The family struggled financially, with Cher having been placed in an orphanage at one point while her mother looked for work. Nonetheless, she knew from a young age that the world of arts and entertainment spoke to her and took up acting as part of her extracurricular activities. Sonny & Cher Cher left high school at 16 and moved to Hollywood.

She reputedly met Salvatore “Sonny” Bono, who was a protégé of iconic producer Phil Spector , at a coffee shop. (Cher in fact sang backup on such famed Spector songs like the Ronettes ’ “Be My Baby.”) Though Sonny wasn’t initially interested in Cher romantically, the two developed a romantic relationship and eventually wed on October 27, 1964. The couple worked on their act for a time and became known as Sonny and Cher. Under the Atco label, the duo scored a monumental chart-topper in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." Sonny and Cher had a countercultural persona with distinctive bohemian stylings and continued to release popular singles, as seen with “Baby Don’t Go,” the socially-aware “The Beat Goes On,” “Little Man” and “What Now My Love.” Cher had also signed to Imperial as a solo artist.

After releases such as Bob Dylan ’s “All I Really Want to Do” and “Where Do You Go,” she had her first top 5 solo single with “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” TV Variety Show Yet by the end of the decade the hits had stopped coming for Sonny and Cher, and the duo faced major financial difficulties due to IRS debt. They thus developed a cabaret act, having already taken on what would be perceived as more adult sensibilities in terms of their image. Their show, which included loads of comedic banter, led to the couple helming a summer replacement telecast for CBS. This in turn led to the launch of their own variety program in 1971, the Emmy-nominated The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, which ran until 1974. The show also revitalized Sonny and Cher’s music career, and more top 10 hits came in the form of “All I Ever Need Is You” and “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done.” But behind-the-scene tensions were high, and Cher would later describe Sonny as being a rigid, controlling entity when it came to business.

The couple divorced the following year, and Cher had her own Emmy-nominated self-titled TV show which ran from 1975-76. Solo Hits Cher had started to establish herself as a solo artist during the 1960s. Early on she was known for songs that were provocative in their sensibilities and spoke to her perceived status as an outsider, a mode she would come to embrace over time. She enjoyed a top 10 hit with “You Better Sit Down Kids,” in which she sang from the perspective of a father explaining the realities of a marital split to his children. For the 1971 album Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves (originally called Cher), she had the first No. 1 solo hit of her career with the title track, which spoke of a “travelin’ show” family and teen pregnancy. Another top 10 hit, "The Way of Love," found Cher singing to a lover who’s left her for a man. And she reached the top of the charts yet again with the title track from the 1974 album Half-Breed, which presented the ongoing persecution of a partially Native-American narrator stuck between two worlds.

Immediately after her divorce from Sonny, Cher was unable to work as a performer due to contractual entanglements from their business relationships and took on gigs as a model. She later credited executive David Geffen for helping her navigate financial matters and take control of her career. Cher was again able to reach the pop top 10 by the end of the decade with the string-laden disco number “Take Me Home,” from the 1979 album of the same name on the Casablanca label. Big-Screen Acclaim and Oscar Having appeared in a handful of screen projects previously, Cher seriously pursued an acting career in the 1980s. She appeared on Broadway in the play Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982, and reprised the role of Sissy in its film adaptation. She continued to earn the respect of critics and fans alike by turning in a number of strong big-screen performances, taking on the role of Meryl Streep ’s lesbian roommate Dolly Pelliker in the 1983 drama Silkwood. Cher earned a supporting actress Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe for the role.

Then in 1985 she starred in the Peter Bogdanovich film Mask as the defiant, emotionally struggling mother of a son with craniodiaphyseal dyaplasia, which radically alters the shape of his face. 1987 was a banner year for Cher which saw her starring in three films: the thriller Suspect (with Dennis Quaid ), the mischievous supernatural romp The Witches of Eastwick (with Susan Sarandon , Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson ) and the textured romantic comedy Moonstruck, which also starred Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia. Cher portrayed Loretta Castorini, an Italian New Yorker who reclaims her sensuality and goes against convention when pursued by the passionate brother ( Nicolas Cage ) of her fiancé (Danny Aiello). For a widely acclaimed performance in what has become a movie classic, Cher won her first Oscar for best actress. Barely-There Outfit on MTV Even with the acting accolades, Cher returned to the music business.

During the same year of the release of Moonstruck, she released a self-titled album, which featured the pop/rock top 10 comeback “I Found Someone,” an emotional testimonial to new love. More power rock followed with the 1989 album Heart of Stone, which offered two more top 10 hits—“If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Just Like Jesse James.” The music video for “If I Could Turn Back Time” particularly caused a stir, with the singer appearing in a leather jacket and sheer body stocking, serenading a crowd of ecstatic sailors on a military carrier. The outfit was deemed so controversial that MTV would only air the video during nighttime hours. Over the years, Cher has not only pushed sensibilities with her music but also with her extravagant, unusual costumes and barely-there accoutrements. She has routinely worked over the decades with designer Bob Mackie, who has created a series of outfits for the star that are theatrical and unabashedly fun.

Cher has also sometimes aimed to make a point with her attire, purposely wearing to the 1986 Academy Awards ceremony a famed black chain-link halter and matching feather headdress, meant as a form of protest over not receiving a nomination for her work in Mask. Fast forward to the 1989 Oscars and she once again went with Mackie in a more understated approach, sporting a streamlined mini-dress with frills. Global Dance Diva By the end of the ‘80s, Cher had begun to struggle with symptoms related to chronic fatigue syndrome. She continued to do screen work off and on, as seen with the drama/comedy Mermaids (1990), co-starring Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci , the HBO film If These Walls Could Talk (1996) and the historical comedy/drama Tea With Mussolini, co-starring Judi Dench , Maggie Smith and Lily Tomlin . She later starred with popster Christina Aguilera in 2010’s Burlesque, though the movie didn’t fare well commercially, with Cher also critiquing the final product.

While the ‘80s and early ‘90s saw Cher showing off her rock chops, she scored another top 40 hit with her mainstream pop cover of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)," off the soundtrack for Mermaids. And the singer once again made her presence known in the clubs as seen with her single “One by One,” off the 1996 album It’s a Man’s World. The 1998 album Believe placed the singer firmly in dance/electronica territory, with the up-tempo title track becoming a huge global hit and selling millions of copies. “Believe” also inspired an enduring trend of music producers relying on vocoders and earned a Grammy for best dance recording, with the empowerment anthem “Strong Enough” reigning on the dance charts as well. Cher released her next studio album, Living Proof, in the United States in 2002, with the set having been released in Europe the previous year. The album featured the single "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely," which did well on the dance charts and was written to honor those affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Other tracks on the album included "Alive Again" and "A Different Kind of Love Song." Following Living Proof's release, Cher said "so long" to performing live with a 325-date farewell tour, which ran from 2002 to 2005. Emmy Wins and More Club Charters In 2003, NBC aired one of Cher's live performances as Cher: The Farewell Tour. The program was nominated for six 2003 Emmy Awards and won three, for outstanding variety, music or comedy special; outstanding camerawork, video for a miniseries, movie or a special; and outstanding costumes for a variety or music program. In 2006, Cher auctioned off furniture, paintings and decorative objects from her home in Malibu, California, as well as a number of personal items, including memorabilia, jewelry and stage costumes. The auction brought in $3.5 million, with a portion of proceeds going to the Cher Charitable Foundation. Two years later, Cher returned to the stage, despite previously announcing plans to retire from live performances.

She debuted a show entitled Cher at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on May 6, 2008, and had performed 192 shows by the end of the series, in February 2011. Cher released her first album in 12 years in September 2013. As she explained to Reuters, Closer to the Truth is "my best effort ever, so I'm happy with that." She enjoyed more dance chart success with album singles “Woman’s World,” “Take It Like a Man” and “I Walk Alone.” Cher returned to touring in March 2014 to promote Closer, but had to cancel dates due to a kidney infection. Personal Life Cher is well-known for speaking forthrightly about her beliefs and experiences, with Streep pointedly stating that the fellow singer/actress refreshingly lacks traditional showbiz veneer. Cher dated actor/director Warren Beatty during her teen years and had later been romantically linked to Geffen, actors Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer , musician Richie Sambora and actor/pilot Robert Camilletti.

Married twice, Cher has two children: Her son, Chaz Bono , who was originally named Chastity and underwent female-to-male gender transition in 2008, is from her first marriage to the late Bono, who died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. Son Elijah Blue Allman, born in 1976, is from her relationship with musician Gregg Allman , to whom she was briefly married. In 1998 the singer/actress published her memoir The First Time, as told through a series of short essays. Cher, her mother and her sister were also featured in the 2013 Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, which goes into their family history. Related Videos Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information Cher | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com Biography Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian, 20.5.1946) Cher is an American pop singer and actress. She rose to fame in the 1960s' husband and wife duo, Sonny and Cher.

Net Worth: In 2013, Celebrity Net Worth claimed that Cher had a net worth of 305 million USD. Childhood: Cher was born and raised in California, to John Sarkisian (an Armenian truck driver) and Georgia Holt (an actress and model of German, British and Cherokee heritage). Cher was raised mainly by her mother, as her parents divorced when she was a young child. Her mother remarried, to banker Gilbert La Piere, Cher's adoptive father. Cher left Fresno High School aged 16. During her high school years, she is known to have had a relationship with Warren Beatty. Career: Through meeting her future husband Sonny, who worked for Phil Spector, Cher began work as a session singer, working for artists such as The Righteous Brothers, The Crystals and The Ronettes. Cher's debut solo record was released under the name Bonni Jo Mason. 'Ringo I Love You' failed to make an impression, as did 'Dream Baby', released under the name 'Cherilyn'. Sonny and Cher's first single as a duo was released as Caesar and Cleo(patra).

However, success eluded the pair until they released Look at Us in 1965, which contained the hit single 'I Got You Babe'. Cher was 19 at the time and Sonny was 30. Cher's first solo album, All I Really Want To Do, was also released in 1965. The title track; a cover of a Bob Dylan track, reached 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by a string of successful solo albums, including The Sonny Side of Cher and Backstage, with varying success. Her biggest hit of the era was 'Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)', written by Sony Bono. The song was covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Cliff Richard. Though the publicity waned, the pair soon found success on TV variety shows such as Sonny and Cher Nitty Gritty Hour. Capitalising on the success, Cher had her first number one solo hit with 'Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves' in 1971. Cher's career took a critical downturn in the 1970s but returned to her prime for the TV show Cher.Special.

The disco album, Take Me Home was certified gold and her album Prisoner, sparked arguments among women's rights groups for the cover image of the singer nearly naked and wrapped in chains. The 1987 comeback album, Cher, featured contributions from the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton and Richie Sambora. They returned to appear on its 1989 follow-up, Heart of Stone, which featured the international hit, 'If I Could Turn Back Time.' She completed her contractual obligations to Geffen in 1991 with Love Hurts, which spawned the hits ''The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)' and 'Love And Understanding'. In 1998, Cher released the Grammy Award-winning album, Believe. An album of contemporary, upbeat dance tracks, it hit number one in nearly every country in which it was released and has sold over 20 million copies across the globe. The title track became Cher's biggest single hit to date. The follow-up album, Believe: Living Proof failed to make the same impact on the charts. In June 2002, she announced her final tour, Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.

She did, however, maintain that she would continue to record and release tracks. She went on to secure 200 shows over three years at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, at which she debuted in May 2008. Her guest performers will include Bette Midler and Elton John. In 2012, it was announced that a Broadway musical about her life was in development. In 2014, she confirmed that the project was ongoing and she had recently read a redraft of the script. Cher has starred in a number of successful movies, including Silkwood, alongside Kurt Russell and Meryl Streep, which won her an Oscar Nomination and a Golden Globe Award. She also appeared in Mask, The Witches of Eastwick and Mermaids, with Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder and Bob Hoskins. Personal Life: Following Cher's rocky relationship with Sonny Bono, Cher admitted having a brief fling with Elvis Presley, before marrying Gregg Allman. She has also been romantically linked with David Geffen and Gene Simmons, as well as Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Richie Sambora. Biography by Contactmusic.com

Question: Who was Cher's first husband?
Answer: Sonny Bono