Cher

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. Her early recording partnership with Sonny Bono produced Sonny & Cher, whose “I Got You Babe” reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1965. The pair also became television stars through The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which began in 1971. After their professional and personal split, Cher established a durable solo identity with songs including “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves,” “Half-Breed,” and “Dark Lady,” each of which topped the Hot 100. Her low, instantly recognizable contralto and deliberately theatrical presentation distinguished these records from contemporary pop.

Her success extended beyond music into acting. In Silkwood (1983), directed by Mike Nichols, she played Dolly Pelliker, the roommate and coworker of Karen Silkwood, portrayed by Meryl Streep. The performance earned Cher an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She then won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Moonstruck (1987), playing Loretta Castorini, a Brooklyn widow drawn to her fiancé’s brother, Ronny, played by Nicolas Cage. Her film work also included Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Mermaids (1990), and Clueless (1995), where she played fashion-conscious Cher Horowitz, daughter of lawyer Mel Horowitz. She kept acting.

In 1998, Cher released Believe, an album whose title track transformed her commercial standing. “Believe” became a worldwide hit and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, making her the oldest woman to lead that chart at the time. Its conspicuous Auto-Tune vocal processing became widely associated with the song and was often called the “Cher effect.” The album also produced “Strong Enough” and “All or Nothing.” In 1999, she began the Do You Believe? Tour, followed by Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. Those shows featured costumes, dancers, and aerial entrances, elements that became central to her concerts.

Cher returned to the stage in 2008, beginning a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In 2010, she starred as Tess, owner of a Los Angeles nightclub, in Burlesque, alongside Christina Aguilera. Her 2013 album Closer to the Truth reached number three on Billboard’s 200. In 2018, she issued Dancing Queen, an album of ABBA covers, after appearing in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Dancing Queen also reached number three in the United States. In 2024, Cher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It honored her music, film, television, and longevity.