Cher is an American singer and film actress of Armenian descent. She is the only musician to enter the Billboard Hot 100 for half a century. In addition, Cher is known as a songwriter and music producer.
Childhood and youth
Sherilyn Sargsyan Lapierre Bono Allman, aka Cher, was born at 7:25 am on May 20, 1946 in California. Her family was poor. Father John Pavel Sargsyan worked as a truck driver. Mother was little-known actress Georgia Holt. Her parents divorced when she was only ten months old. Later, her mother remarried and gave birth to her second daughter. This relationship ended when Cher was nine. Her mother remarried several more times and the family moved around the country frequently.
She studied at the private school Montclair Prep where she learned French and English very well. At school, she sang songs during lunchtime for her classmates.
At 16, the girl dropped out of school and, together with her friend, went to Los Angeles to study acting.
Sonny and Cher
In 1962, she met Phil Spector's assistant Sonny (Salvatore) Bono. Sonny invited Sherilyn to live in his house and do the housework. Initially, the future star cooked for him, washed and cleaned. Over time, Bono noticed that the young woman was genuinely interested in music, especially rock. Most importantly, he discovered that Cher had a beautiful and deep voice. The couple's relationship changed: they became business, and later turned into a love affair, and in 1964 they signed in the Mexican town of Tijuana
Her musical career began as a backing vocalist at Phil Spector's studio. By the end of 1964, Cher had signed a recording contract with Liberty Records and Cher's first solo recording, the song “Ringo, I Love You,” was born.
The debut went well. Sonny and Cher began to perform as a duet and soon a bright young couple, a long-haired hippie and an exotic beauty with a sensual, deep voice, became a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
In early 1965, the duo released their first album, Look At US. Sonny insisted that the song “I Got You Babe” be released as a single. In the summer of 1965, Sonny and Cher presented their second album, “All I Really Want to Do.” The song of the same name was included; it was hers. first hit Within two years (1965 - 1967) Sonny & Cher sold over 40 million records worldwide.
One of the hits, 'I Got You Babe', peaked at # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.
In the following years, seven new albums were recorded. Alas, the last works were not very popular and greatly undermined the financial stability of the couple. As it turned out, the couple had significant debts due to album failures and bank loans. They decided to reorient themselves and present their show on the TV channel.
The project was named Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, but after a while it was changed to the more sounding Sonny & Cher show. The program was broadcast for seven years. It was a mixture of humorous sketches and musical performances, the guests of the duo were movie and pop stars.
In February 1974, Sonny filed for divorce, where in the column the reason indicated “irreconcilable differences.” A week later, Cher asked for a divorce, accusing Sonny of “household slavery” and claiming that he had stolen her money.
The couple sued for a long time and the court eventually sided with Cher, awarding Sonny to pay her $ 25,000 a month for 6 months, $ 1, 5000 in child support for their common child Bono, and $ 41,000 in attorney fees. Liquid assets were split equally shares. Their divorce was finalized on June 26, 1975.
Following Sonny Bono's death at a ski resort in 1998, Cher gave an emotional speech at his funeral, calling him "the most vibrant person" she has met along the way.
On June 30, 1975, just four days after her divorce from Sonny, Cher married rock legend Gregg Allman, co-founder of the Allman Brothers.
She filed for divorce just nine days later, due to his heroin and alcohol problems, but they reconciled within a month. But four years later, in 1979, this marriage also broke up.
Music and films
In 1982, Cher moved to New York, where she was offered to play on Broadway. Her acting debut proved to be successful, and Cher began her film career. Mike Nicholls appreciated the woman's talent and offered her a role in his Silkwood. Cher got the role of a cheerful woman who fell in love with the main character; her acting was so convincing and flamboyant that she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Three years later, Cher reappeared on the big screen in a dramatic role. The film tells the story of a teenager with a rare disease that disfigured his face. Cher played the role of the boy's mother.
At the same time, the artist's solo career continued to develop. In 1987 she was signed to Geffen Records and released a new album.
In 1989, the video for the hit "If I Could Turn Back Time" was released, but it was banned due to the singer's too provocative dress. Despite this situation, the artist did not stop wearing such clothes at concerts.
The following year, the hit “The Shoop Shoop Song” was released, which topped many music charts.
In 1995, the new album It's A Man's World conquered the whole world. The album included the hits “Walking In Memphis” and “One by One”.
In 2001 Cher and Italian musician Eros Ramazzotti recorded the song "Più che puoi" in English and Italian simultaneously. Later, fans called this hit one of the most recognizable and popular Ramazzotti tracks.
In 2002 she begins her farewell tour. Initially, 49 concerts were planned, but the tour has been extended several times. When Cher returned back to Las Vegas in 2005, it turned out that the singer had played 326 concerts and made $ 250 million.
In 2014 Cher goes on a world tour. After 49 performances, each of which was sold out, he was interrupted due to illness of the star.
Awards & Achievements
In 1974, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Musical / Comedy Actress for the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. In 1984, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Second Brother for her role in Silkwood. In 1988, she received an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Moonstruck. In 2000, she won a Grammy for Best Dance Track for Believe.
Financial position
Cher has released over 25 studio albums and sold over 100 million records, making her one of the top-selling female performers of all time. Cher's fortune as of 2017 was estimated at more than $ 350 million.
In 2014, Billboard Magazine estimated that Cher had earned $ 352 million from her tours since 1990.
Here are some of her highest grossing tours
Heart of Stone Tour (1990) - $ 40 million
Do You Believe? (1999) - $ 220 million
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (2002 - 2005) - $ 260 million
Cher residency show (2008 - 2011) - $ 180 million
Dressed to Kill Tour (2014) - $ 55 million
Some of her highest paid films between the 80s and 90s include; Silkwood (1983) $ 150,000, Mask (1985) $ 500,000, Moonstruck (1987) $ 1 million, The Witches of Eastwick (1987) $ 1 million, Suspect (1987) $ 1 million, Mermaids (1990) $ 4 million …
Top 5 Cher Songs
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (1966)
"Gypsys (sic), Tramps & Thieves" (1971)
Half-Breed (1973)
"If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989)
"Believe" (1998)
