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Goddess of Pop, Oscar-winning actress, music icon
She became a global icon as half of Sonny & Cher with the 1965 hit 'I Got You Babe,' then sustained a solo career spanning seven consecutive decades with number-one singles on the US Billboard charts.
Born May 20, 1946, Cher is an American singer, actress, and cultural icon dubbed the 'Goddess of Pop.' Known for her androgynous contralto voice, bold fashion, and six-decade career spanning music, film, and television, she remains active and influential. Standing 5'7" (170 cm), the Taurus-born superstar rose to fame in 1965 as half of Sonny & Cher, scored solo number-one hits across seven consecutive decades, won an Academy Award for Best Actress, and sold over 100 million records worldwide.
Born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, Cher endured a turbulent childhood marked by poverty, her father's absence, and frequent relocations with her actress mother Georgia Holt. She struggled with dyslexia, dropped out of high school at 16, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. In 1962, at age 16, she met 27-year-old Sonny Bono, who worked for producer Phil Spector; Sonny invited her to live with him, and she began recording backup vocals for artists including The Ronettes, setting the stage for their legendary partnership.
Cher married Sonny Bono in 1964; they had one child, Chaz Bono, before divorcing in 1975. She then married rock musician Gregg Allman in 1975, with whom she had son Elijah Blue Allman, divorcing in 1979. Known for her progressive politics and LGBTQ advocacy, Cher supported her son Chaz through his gender transition and has been a vocal champion of HIV/AIDS awareness and Democratic causes throughout her career.
At 52, she became the oldest female artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100 with 'Believe' in 1999, which popularized the Auto-Tune vocal effect known as the 'Cher effect.'
Her 2002-2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour earned $250 million, making it the highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist at the time.
She is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the US Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, from the 1960s through the 2020s.
True to her Taurus zodiac traits of loyalty and determination, Cher sustained her career through constant reinvention while fiercely protecting her artistic independence.
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for 'Moonstruck' in 1988 and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for 'Mask' in 1985, making her one of the few performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an acting Oscar.
I couldn't think of anything that I could do. I just thought, 'I'll be famous.' That was my goal.
If grass can grow through cement, love can find you at every time in your life.
Women are the real architects of society.
Sonny & Cher's 'I Got You Babe' became a number-one hit in the US, UK, and Canada, selling over 40 million records by 1967.
Released debut solo single 'Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),' launching her parallel solo career.
'Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves' became her first solo number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series , Musical or Comedy, drawing over 30 million weekly viewers.
Received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for 'Silkwood.'
Won the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for 'Mask.'
Won the Academy Award for Best Actress for 'Moonstruck' and a Golden Globe for the same role.
Released the hair metal album 'Heart of Stone,' scoring the international number-one hit 'If I Could Turn Back Time.'
Released 'Believe,' which introduced the 'Cher effect' Auto-Tune vocal distortion and became the UK's best-selling single by a female artist.
'Believe' became the number-one song in the US, making her the oldest female artist (52) to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Won a Grammy Award for 'Believe,' her first Grammy win.
Won a Primetime Emmy Award for her television special 'The Farewell Tour.'
Concluded the Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, which earned $250 million and became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist at the time.
Released 'Closer to the Truth,' which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, her highest-charting album in the US.
Received the Kennedy Center Honors and released 'Dancing Queen,' which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200; starred in 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.'
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.