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| Birth Name(s) : Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre |
Date of Birth: May 19, 1946 |
| Status:
N/A
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Partner:
N/A |
| Profession:
Actor/Musician |
Official Site
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Full Cher Biography
| Cher made a name for herself in the pop music industry and on television with Sonny, becoming a cultural icon before even hitting the big screen. She struggled to be taken seriously as an actress and surprised critics with "Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (1982). She won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in "Moonstruck" (1987) and continues to delight adoring fans both on-screen and on the pop music charts. Her single "Believe" was voted the best dance song of 1999. |
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Additional Cher Biography
Cher first rose to prominence in 1965 as one half of the pop/rock duo Sonny & Cher. She also established herself as a solo recording artist, releasing 25 albums, numerous compilations and tallying 34 Billboard Top 40 entries over her career, both solo and with Sonny. These include eighteen Top 10 singles and five number one singles (four solo). Cher has had 16 top ten hits in the UK between 1965 and 2003 which includes a single recorded with Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton for Comic Relief entitled "Love Can Build a Bridge", which made number 1, another as a duet with Meat Loaf and three more as part of the duo Sonny & Cher. Four of these 16 reached number one (two solo).
The duo became a sensation, traveling and performing around the world. Following an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in the fall of 1965 in which Mr. Sullivan had infamously pronounced her name 'Chur' during their introduction, the singer began spelling her name with a (misleading) acute accent: Chér. The couple soon appeared on other hit television shows of the era including American Bandstand, Top of the Pops, Hollywood a Go-Go, Podunk, Hollywood Palace, Hullabaloo, Beat Club, Ready Steady Go! and Shindig!.
While initially perceived as the slightly awkward and less important half of the popular singing duo, Cher disguised her stage fright and nervousness with quick-witted barbs directed at her partner. She soon rose to prominence as the more outspoken, daring and provocative half of the team. With her dark, exotic looks, she became a fashion trendsetter, helping to popularize fashions such as bellbottoms, and incorporating "hippie" attire and eccentric gowns and elaborate costumes into their live shows.
Later in 1965, Cher released her debut solo album, titled All I Really Want to Do which reached number 16 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The gold-certified album contained a cover of the Bob Dylan song "All I Really Want to Do" which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
From 1975 to 1978 Cher released a series of unsuccessful albums: Stars, I'd Rather Believe in You and Cherished.
Their overall television success, though brief, was unique because variety programming in general was no longer attracting viewers, other than The Carol Burnett Show.
In 1991, Cher completed her Geffen recording contract by releasing the album Love Hurts. This album had a big impact in Europe and in the rest of the world, particularly in the UK where it debuted at #1 and stayed there for 6 consecutive weeks. Unlike her previous two records, Love Hurts received less attention in the United States where it was certified gold; in European countries, the album was certified multi-platinum. The European cover of the album was different from the American release, featuring Cher lying on a white background wearing a red wig.
At age 50, she released an album, mainly of covers, titled It's a Man's World. The album was released in Europe at the end of 1995, while in North America in the summer of 1996. The album sparked two European hits "Walking in Memphis" and "One by One". It's a Man's World was a moderate success, with more than three million copies worldwide; however, Cher's sales in the United States were limited.Cher in the dance remix music video for "One by One".
Cher was in London, England in January 1998 when a call from her daughter Chastity brought her the shocking news of Sonny Bono's death in a skiing accident. He was 62. Photographed in tears as she dashed through Heathrow Airport back to Los Angeles, California, the media seemingly appointed Cher as his widow, even though they had been apart for 24 years and each had re-married since (Sonny twice). At the time of his death, Sonny Bono, by then a popular California Congressman, was married to his fourth wife, Mary Bono. Nonetheless, Cher accepted an invitation to deliver the eulogy. The funeral, unbeknownst to Cher, was broadcast live on CNN. In front of millions, she tearfully and effusively praised the man who had been a father figure, friend, partner, lover, husband, and antagonist.
The Do You Believe? Tour continued throughout 2000 and became her most successful tour to that time. In May 2000, Cher was presented with the Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award, at the World Music Awards.
She released an independent alternative-rock album entitled Not.com.mercial (pronounced "not-dot-com-mercial"). This album was written mostly by Cher after attending a songwriting retreat in France in 1994. The album was quickly rejected by record labels for being "not commercial". Cher chose instead to sell the recording exclusively through her website. This also marked the first time that Cher had written a majority of the material for one of her albums. In an online review, Rolling Stone magazine called "Fit To Fly", a Cher-penned track from the album, "the best Cher song ever". The tune was Cher's tribute to American veterans of war.Tour program booklet cover.
Cher's status may have been boosted by her support of her openly lesbian daughter Chastity Bono. Although not supporting Chastity immediately after she came out, Cher has since become one of the gay community's most vocal advocates. |
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Cher Quote(s)
| Some years I'm the coolest thing that ever happened, and the next year everyone's so over me. |
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