Cherilyn Sarkisian was born into a poor family in El Centro, California, in 1946.

In 1963, having left high-school, she met Sonny Bono in a coffee shop and fell in love right there and then. At the time Sonny was working at Phil Spector's Gold Star Studios. Sometimes Cher would go along to the studios and do backing vocals for acts like the Ronettes and The Righteous Brothers. Spector decided to give her a break. During her first recording session boyfriend Sonny decided to join in for fun.

After a few flops, they released I got you babe in 1965, written by Sonny. The song became an instant hit. Soon after, the record company re-released their previous flops, Baby don't go and Just you which  also turned into superhits. The success, however, was short-lived. They had one more smash hit in 1967 with The beat goes on. In the same year Cher also had a solo hit with You better sit down kids.

When record sales started to fall back, Sonny tried to launch Cher in films using their own money. Their movies Good times and Chastity turned out to be flops. They married In 1969 and in the same year daughter Chastity was born to them. Having lost the bulk of their wealth in movie projects, they had no option left but to join the lounge circuit, singing safe middle-of-the-road covers. Over time the act improved, and they landed some gigs in Las Vegas.

In 1971 CBS asked them to do The Sonny and Cher comedy hour, based on their club act.  The weekly TV show became an instant hit.

The newly found fame would bring Cher back to the pop charts. Gypsies, tramps, and thieves became the first of three No. 1s during a run of early 70s singles. 

In spite of the new success Cher wasn't happy. She wanted out of the marriage. Their 1974 split also meant the end of Sonny and Cher's hit show. The breakup wasn't an  amicable one. For years the couple would fight bitterly and publicly.

In 1975 CBS tried to launch Cher in her own variety series. But after a couple of shows Cher, unsatisfied with the output, asked Sonny to join her again. He agreed and the new Sonny and Cher show premiered.

However, working with Sonny again was awkward because Cher was now pregnant with the child of her second husband, Gregg Allman. Their son Elijah Blue was born in 1976.

In 1977 CBS decided to put a stop to the show. Cher went on to record an album with her husband Allman and Woman: Two the hard way. The album didn't sell.

Cher divorced Allman in 1979 and fled into romances with rockers Les Dudek and Gene Simmons (member of rock group Kiss). Gradually She began turning her attention to films.

In 1982 she got a part in the New York play Come back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Movie director Mike Nichols spotted her and decided to cast her in Silkwood opposite Meryl Streep. Critics were stunned when the movie premiered, calling Cher a genuine actress. An Oscar nomination followed, as did her triumphant role in Mask.

By 1987 she found herself in three films at once: The Witches of Eastwick, Suspect, and Moonstruck. At the same time she was trying to re-launch her music career. Eventually her new rock sound caught on. She produced eight hit singles between 1987-1992, including "I found someone" "If I could turn back time" and "Heart of stone." Suddenly Cher was all over the place; in movies, in concert halls and in the news with her outspoken candor. In 1988 she received best actress Oscar for Moonstruck.

The intense productivity would however take its toll. By the time her movie Mermaids was released in 1990, she was exhausted and still faced months of tour commitments. She was near to collapse when she left the road in 1991.

She began work that was less taxing, producing her own fitness videos, doing infomercials and starting up her own home furnishings business. However, by doing all this she was squandering the elite status she had worked so hard for.

She went back to work full time in 1996 recording a new album It's a man's world.

In January 1998 Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident.  Cher paid tribute to him in a CBS special.

In the fall of 1998 she started promoting her new album Believe, which would quickly become the best-selling album of her career. 

In May 1999 Cher starred in the Franco Zeffirelli movie Tea with Mussolini acting alongside Dames Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Joan Plowright.

 

CDs