Cher bono biography singer

Her life and cher bono biography singer inspired the jukebox musical The Cher Show. Her father, John Sarkisian, an Armenian-American truck driver with drug and gambling problems, was rarely present during her early life. Cher later described Southall as her "real father", calling him a "good-natured man who turned belligerent when he drank too much".

Holt remarried and divorced several times, frequently moving the family across states, including New York, Texas and California. By fifth grade, Cher organized a class performance of the musical Oklahoma! Even at age nine, her voice was unusually low. I just thought, 'I'll be famous'. That was my goal. Coming from a modest background, Cher faced challenges in the upper-class environment, where, as biographer Connie Berman wrote, her "striking appearance" and "outgoing personality" set her apart.

She was so special She said she was going to be a movie star and we knew she would. Her unconventional behavior also stood out: she performed songs for students during lunch and surprised peers when she wore a midriff -baring top. I was always thinking about when I was grown up and famous. At 16, Cher left school and moved out of her mother's house to live with a friend.

She took acting classes and supported herself by dancing in nightclubs along Hollywood's Sunset Stripwhere she introduced herself to performers, managers and agents. Cher and Sonny became close friends, eventual lovers and performed their own unofficial wedding ceremony in a hotel room in TijuanaMexico, on October 27, Cher disguised her nervousness by looking at Sonny; she later commented that she sang to the people through him.

Cher signed with Liberty Records ' Imperial imprint in the end of and Sonny became her producer. When competition on the singles charts started between Cher and the Byrds, the group's record label began to promote the B-side of the Byrds' single. We didn't want to hassle. So we just turned our record over. Sonny and Cher's first album, Look at Usreleased for the Atco Records division of Atlantic Records[ 19 ] spent eight weeks at number two on the Billboardbehind the Beatles' Help!

Cher's subsequent releases kept her solo career competitive with her work with Sonny. By the late s, Sonny and Cher's music stopped charting. Berman observed that the "heavy, loud sound" of bands such as Jefferson Airplane and Cream made their folk-rock feel "too bland. Cher's album Backstagein which she explores diverse musical genres including Brazilian jazz and anti-war protest settings, was not a commercial success.

However, Atco offered her a solo album deal. AllMusic's Mark Deming proclaimed it "arguably the finest album of her career" and still "a revelation" decades later. Meanwhile, Sonny dated others and by the end of the s their relationship had begun to unravel. According to People magazine, "[Sonny] tried desperately to win her back, telling her he wanted to marry and start a family.

Written and produced by Sonny, it tells the story of a young woman, played by Cher, searching for the meaning of life. However, some critics noted that Cher showed acting potential; [ 36 ] Cue magazine wrote, "Cher has a marvelous quality that often makes you forget the lines you are hearing. At the lowest point of their career, the duo put together a nightclub routine that relied on a more adult approach to sound and style.

Then Cher started heckling back. Because it was a ratings success, the couple returned that December with a full-time show. According to Berman, they "exuded an aura of warmth, playfulness and caring that only enhanced their appeal. Viewers were further enchanted when a young [Chaz] appeared on the show. They seemed like a perfect family. Written by Sonny, who felt that her cher bono biography singer solo single on the label had to be poignant and topical, the song was rejected by radio station programmers as uncommercial.

Since Sonny's first attempts at reviving their recording career as a duo had also been unsuccessful, Kapp Records recruited Snuff Garrett to work with them. Garrett knew more about Cher's voice and her persona as a singer than Sonny did", writes Bego. InCher released the all-ballad set Foxy Ladydemonstrating the evolution of her vocal abilities, according to Bego.

Although Garrett did not have Cher as a client at the time, he was convinced that "it's a smash for Cher and for nobody else", so he held the song for months until he got Cher back. InCher released the song " Dark Lady " as the lead single from the namesake album. Cher and Sonny had had marital problems since latebut appearances were maintained until During the divorce proceedings, Cher had a two-year romantic relationship with record executive David Geffenwho helped free her from a restrictive business arrangement with Sonny.

She was considered an employee of the company, with no control over her career and finances. It was canceled after 13 weeks. Records and began work on her first album with the label. Image, not music, is Cher Bono's main ingredient for both records and TV. Cher without Sonny, on the other hand, could be the best thing that's happened to weekly television this season.

Although the show was a ratings success on its premiere, [ 95 ] Cher and Sonny's insulting onscreen banter about their divorce, [ 90 ] her reportedly extravagant lifestyle and her troubled relationship with Allman caused a public backlash [ 96 ] that contributed to the show's cancellation in August The Cher doll became the year's best-selling doll, surpassing Barbie.

Special —featuring a segment in which she performs all of the roles in her version of West Side Story — [ ] and Cher InCher legally adopted her mononym. Temporarily setting aside her desire to be a rock singer, she signed with Casablanca Records and launched a comeback with the single " Take Me Home " and the album of the same nameboth of which capitalized on the disco craze.

It's great music to dance to. I think that danceable music is what everybody wants. To blend in and avoid overshadowing the group with her celebrity status, she adopted a punk-inspired lookcutting her signature long hair. Although she was the lead singer, she chose not to take top billing to present the band as equal. Despite television appearances, the band struggled to book concerts.

Guarisco as "one of the more inspired rock duets of the s". With declining record sales and radio airplay, Cher shifted her focus to acting. That year, Altman cast her again in the film adaptation of the same title. She recalls attending a film preview during which the audience laughed when they saw her name in the credits. Cher's next film, Maskreached number two at the box office [ ] and was Cher's first critical and commercial success as a leading actress.

Cher's May guest appearance on talk show Late Night with David Lettermanduring which she called Letterman "an asshole", attracted much media coverage; Letterman later recalled, "It did hurt my feelings. Cher was one of the few people I've really wanted to have on the show I felt like a total fool, especially since I say all kinds of things to people.

According to Rolling Stone 's Andy Greene, "they weren't exactly the cher bono biography singer of friends at this point, but both of them knew it would make for unforgettable television. Had YouTube existed back then, this would have gone insanely viral the next morning. Cher starred in three films in In George Miller 's comedy horror The Witches of Eastwickshe was one of three small-town divorcees, alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandonwho become involved with a mysterious and wealthy visitor Jack Nicholson.

The New York Times ' Janet Maslin wrote Moonstruck "offers further proof that Cher has evolved into the kind of larger-than-life movie star who's worth watching whatever she does. InCher signed with Geffen Records and revived her musical career with what music critics Johnny Danza and Dean Ferguson describe as "her most impressive string of hits to date", establishing her as a "serious rock and roller By the late s, Cher had gained a reputation for her exhibitionist fashion sense, plastic surgeries and affairs with younger men.

In Mermaidsher first film in three years, Cher drew inspiration from her mother to portray a woman who moves her daughters Winona RyderChristina Ricci from town to town after failed relationships. According to Berman, the unexpected acclaim for Moonstruck made Cher "overly cautious" about future roles, mindful of the high expectations.

Cher later remarked, "Suddenly I became the Infomercial Queen This project marked Cher's directorial debut, as she was both the director and star of the film's final segment, playing a doctor targeted by an anti-abortion group. While the film received negative reviews, Cher was praised for her role, [ ] with The New York Times ' Janet Maslin noting she "does her game best to find comic potential in a victim's role.

Following Sonny Bono's death in a skiing accident inCher delivered a tearful eulogy at his funeral, calling him "the most unforgettable character" she had met. She told Rolling Stone"I couldn't ignore it, could I? I might have if I cared more about what people think than what I know is right for me. Cher's 22nd studio album, Believemarked a departure from her previous rock sound to s disco-inspired dance-pop.

Believe ' s title track reached number one in 23 countries and sold over 10 million copies globally. Tour — sold out in every American city it visited, [ ] drawing a global audience of over 1. Billboard named Cher the top dance artist of InCher released Not Commercialan album she wrote after attending a songwriting conference in ; it marked her first attempt at writing most of the tracks for an album.

Cher bono biography singer: Cher is an American

Rejected by her label for being uncommercial, she sold it exclusively on her website. The song "Sisters of Mercy", which criticizes as "cruel, heartless and wicked" the nuns who had prevented her mother from retrieving her from a Catholic orphanage, drew condemnation from the Catholic Church. In JuneCher launched the Living Proof: The Farewell Tour[ ] promoted as her final concert tourthough she planned to keep recording and acting.

Records in September Her song " You Haven't Seen the Last of Me ", from the film's soundtrack[ ] topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in Januarymaking Cher the only artist with Billboard number-one singles in six consecutive decades s—s. InCher lent her voice to Janet the Lioness in the comedy Zookeeper. Gwen Stefani presented Cher with the Billboard Icon Awardcalling her the "definition of the word Icon" and a role model of strength and authenticity.

Cher returned to film after nearly a decade in Mamma Mia! The cher bono biography singer serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the film Mamma Mia! It's her song now. While promoting Mamma Mia! The recording, made in support of the Children in Need charity, [ ] became a UK top-ten single. In the early s, Cher collaborated with major fashion brands.

Their age gap sparked criticism online, which she addressed by tweeting, "Love doesn't know math. In DecemberCher criticized the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for excluding her since becoming eligible insaying, "I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars," and suggesting the institution "can just you-know-what themselves. Cher has explored diverse musical styles, including rock folkpunkarena and pop subgenressouljazzdisconew wavepower balladship hop and electronic dance music[ ] [ ] aiming to "remain relevant and do work that strikes a chord".

Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times writes, "There were a lot of great records by female singers in the early days of rock None, however, reflected the authority and command that we associate with rock 'n' roll today as much as [Cher's] key early hits". Her ability to carry both male and female ranges allowed her to sing solo in androgynous and gender-neutral songs.

Cher's contralto voice has been widely praised for its distinctiveness. Writing about Cher's musical output during the s, Hilburn stated that "no one matched the pure, seductive wallop of Cher". Cher's song "Believe" was the first commercial recording to use Auto-Tune —an audio processor for correcting off-key vocals—as a stylistic effect, creating a robotic, futuristic sound.

Maclean's magazine's Barbara Wickens wrote, "Cher has emerged as probably the most fascinating movie star of her generation She wears her vulnerability on her sleeve. Author Yvonne Tasker notes that Cher's film roles often mirror her public image as a rebellious, sexually autonomous and self-made woman. Cher's public image is also reflected in her music videos and live performances, where she explores themes of self-construction, perfection and female sexuality, according to Tasker.

Time magazine's Cady Lang described Cher as a "cultural phenomenon [who] has forever changed the way we see celebrity fashion. We are still seeing versions of that look on The Met red carpet 40 years later. She's a high-fashion star who appeals to people of all ages. In Mayafter the Council of Fashion Designers of America recognized Cher with an award for her influence on fashion, Robin Givhan of the Los Angeles Times called her a "fashion visionary" for "striking just the right note of contemporary wretched excess".

They're trying to share the spotlight, to have Cher's success. Cher has attracted media attention for her physical appearance—particularly her youthful looks and her tattoos. Paddy Calistro of the Los Angeles Times wrote that during Cher's "cher bono biography singer" as a movie star in the s, her "highly articulated bone structure captured audience attention", which led to an increased number of medical requests for "surgically inserted 'cheekbones'".

Her normalised image Cher has six tattoos. The Baltimore Sun called her the "Ms. Original Rose Tattoo". That was exactly the effect Cher wanted to create. She liked to do things for the shock they created. She commented, "When I got tattooed, only bad girls did it: me and Janis Joplin and biker chicks. Now it doesn't mean anything. No one's surprised.

Cher was the inspiration for Mother Gothela fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures ' animated feature film Tangled Director Byron Howard stated that Gothel's exotic appearance was based on Cher's "exotic and Gothic looking" appearance, continuing that the singer "definitely was one of the people we looked at visually, as far as what gives you a striking character".

Cher's social media presence has been noted for its unconventional and candid style. Time named Cher "Twitter's most outspoken and beloved commentator", [ ] while The New York Times ' J Wortham highlighted her authenticity, contrasting it with the heavily curated online personas typical of celebrity accounts. Wortham described Cher as "an outlier, perhaps the last unreconstructed high-profile Twitter user", whose posts combine "nakedness and honesty" that is "rarely celebrated" in mainstream culture.

Cher is revered by the LGBTQ communitya status attributed to her career accomplishments, distinctive sense of style and enduring longevity. As the mother of a trans manCher has advocated for visibility and support for trans families. Cher's philanthropic work is channeled through the Cher Charitable Foundation, which focuses on combating povertyadvancing medical researchimproving health care and supporting the rights of vulnerable groups such as veteranschildrenLGBTQ individualselders and animals.

Cher bono biography singer: As a singer Cher

Cher has been a vocal advocate for American soldiers, returning veterans and communities affected by war. Inshe joined a humanitarian mission to Armenia, delivering food and medical supplies to the war-torn region. Beginning inCher served as a donor and as the National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson for the Children's Craniofacial Associationwhose mission is to "empower and give hope to facially disfigured children and their families".

She supports the Get A-Head Charitable Trust, which aims to improve the quality of life for people with head and neck diseases. Cher is a donor, fundraiser and international spokesperson for Keep a Child Alivewhich seeks to combat AIDSincluding providing antiretroviral medicine to children and their families. Cher has served as the Honorary National Chair of Habitat for Humanity 's "Raise the Roof" fundraising initiative, aimed at supporting the construction and repair of affordable homes for families in need.

Inafter the discovery of lead contamination in the drinking water of Flint, MichiganCher donated more thanbottles of water to the city. Cher told Billboard"There are rural areas where people of color and Latinos and Native Americans were getting no services. Cher's older child, Chaz Bonofirst came out as a lesbian at age 17, which reportedly caused Cher to feel "guilt, fear and pain".

Cher has said that she is not a registered Democrat, but has attended many Democratic events. Bush "almost killed [her]". During the United States presidential electionABC News wrote that she was determined to do "whatever possible to keep him [Bush] out of office". You won't have one fucking right left. I don't trust him. I don't like his record.

He's stupid. He's lazy. On October 27,Cher anonymously called a C-SPAN phone-in program to recount a visit she made to maimed soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and criticized the lack of media coverage and government attention given to injured servicemen. Although she identified herself as an unnamed entertainer, she was recognized by the C-SPAN host, who subsequently questioned her about her support for independent presidential candidate Ross Perot.

She said:. When I heard him talk right in the beginning, I thought that he would bring some sort of common-sense business approach and also less partisanship, but then I was completely disappointed like everyone else when he just kind of cut and run and no one knew exactly why Maybe he couldn't have withstood all the investigation that goes on now.

In a Stars and Stripes interview, Cher elaborated on her "against the war in Iraq but for the troops " position: "I don't have to be for this war to support the troops because these men and women do what They do the best they can. They don't ask for anything. Cher supported Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign. In SeptemberCher declined an invitation to perform at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Russia due to the country's controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation that overshadowed preparations for the event.

Cher has advocated for awareness of the Armenian Genocide. At the premiere of The Promisea war film depicting the genocide, she criticized Turkey's refusal to recognize the events as genocide and highlighted the general public's lack of awareness. She referenced the Obersalzberg Speech and the line, " Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?

Infollowing the Russian invasion of UkraineCher expressed her support for Ukraine and called for aid to Ukrainians through her Twitter account. Cher is commonly referred to by the media as the " Goddess of Pop ". Billboard 's Keith Caulfield wrote that "there's divas and then there's Cher. Her star power is such that she has spored an entire industry of imitators, both figurative and literal.

Cher has repeatedly reinvented herself by adopting a series of personas, [ ] for which Professor Richard Aquila from Ball State University called her "the ultimate pop chameleon". Cher's "ability to forge an immensely successful and lengthy career as a woman in a male-dominated entertainment world" [ ] has drawn attention from feminist critics.

Brush wrote that Cher represents cher bono biographies singer in "revenge fantasies", unapologetically telling off those who underestimate her, and concluded, "You need to be more than beautiful to get away with this. You need to have been Cher for 40 years. Bustle magazine's Erica Kam commented, "[Cher's quote] puts a spin on typical gender norms It would make sense, then, that Swift would want to follow Cher's example.

Alec Mapa of The Advocate elaborates: "While the rest of us were sleeping, Cher's been out there for the last four decades living out every single one of our childhood fantasies Cher embodies an unapologetic freedom and fearlessness that some of us can only aspire to. Because her motto is, 'I don't give a shit what you think, I'm going to wear this multicolored wig.

Cher does it for us. She has been a teenage pop star, a television hostess, a fashion magazine model, a rock star, a pop singer, a Broadway actress, an Academy Award-winning movie star, a disco sensation and the subject of a mountain of press coverage.

Cher bono biography singer: Cher is an American entertainer who

After only nine days, she filed for divorce over Allman's substance abuse issues but soon reconciled. Their relationship became strained once again, however, when she told her new husband she was pregnant. According to her memoir, Allman didn't believe her at the time and was jealous that she had reunited with Sonny professionally for their variety show.

Despite this, their marriage continued, and their son, Elijah Blue, was born in July The following year, the couple released the collaborative album Two the Hard Wayaccompanied by a 21 show tour, which ended abruptly when Cher and Allman split up over his drug use.

Cher bono biography singer: Cher is an American singer, actress

Their divorce was finalized in January Allman died decades later in May Cher is a mother to two children. She shares her oldest son, Chaz, with her late ex-husband Sonny Bono, and her youngest, Elijah, with her second ex-husband, Gregg Allman, who is also deceased. InChaz came out as a transgender man and subsequently made a documentary about his transition, Becoming Chazwhich was released two years later.

Cher, who has long been considered a gay icon, was very accepting of her son's gender identity. Elijah, who is a musician, revealed in February that he struggles with substance abuse issues and has been using drugs since he was a young boarding school student. In OctoberCher spoke candidly about her son's addiction for the first time. This came shortly after court documents from resurfaced, in which her son's estranged wife, Marieangela King, accused the singer of kidnapping Elijah, who was in a rehab facility at the time.

Cher denied the allegations, but confirmed that her son was struggling with drug abuse. In JanuaryCher was temporarily denied a conservatorship due to insufficient evidence, but the case remained active. Eight months later, she voluntarily dropped the bid to be Elijah's conservator. In addition to her music and acting work, she launched two fragrances, Cher Eau de Couture and Uninhibited, and starred in a variety of infomercials and fashion campaigns.

The Biography. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site.

Catherine Caruso joined the Biography. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. Charli XCX. Jamie Foxx. Carrie Underwood. However, they found a way to make it trendy and were embraced around the world. TV musical variety and teen pop showcases relished their contrasting styles -- the short, excitable, mustachioed, nasal-toned simpleton and the taller, exotic, unflappable fashion maven.

They found a successful formula with their repartee, which became a central factor in their live concert shows, even more than their singing. With all this going on, Sonny still endeavored to promote Cher as a solo success. Sonny even arranged film projects for her but Good Timesan offbeat fantasy starring the couple and directed by future powerhouse William Friedkinand Cher's serious solo effort Chastity both flickered out and died a quick death.

The couple maintained their stage act and all the while Sonny continued to polish it up in a shrewd gamble for TV acceptance. While Sonny on stage played the ineffectual object of Cher's stinging barbs on stage, he was actually the highly motivated mastermind off stage and, amazingly enough, his foresight and chutzpah really paid off.

Although the couple had lost favor with the new 70s generation, Sonny encouraged TV talent scouts to catch their live act. The network powers-that-be saw potential in the duo as they made a "cher bono biography singer" of guest TV appearances in specials and on variety and talk shows and in what was essentially "auditioning" for their own TV vehicle.

The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was given the green light as a summer replacement series and was an instant sensation when it earned its own time spot that fall season. The show received numerous Emmy Award nominations during its run and the couple became stars all over again. Audiences took strongly to the couple who appeared to have a deep-down sturdy relationship.

Their daughter Chaz Bono occasionally added to the couple's loving glow on the show. Behind the scenes, though, it was a different story. A now-confident Cher yearned to be free of husband Sonny's Svengali-like control over her life and career. The marriage split at the seams in and they publicly announced their separation. The show, which had earned Cher a Golden Globe Award, took a fast tumble as the separation and divorce grew more acrimonious.

Eventually they both tried to launch their own solo variety shows, but both failed to even come close to their success as a duo. Audiences weren't interested in Cher without Sonny, and vice versa. That marriage imploded rather quickly amid reports of out-of-control drug use on his part. They were divorced by with only one bright outcome -- son Elijah Allman.

Audiences, however, did not accept the "friendly" divorced couple after so much tabloid nastiness. After the initial curiosity factor wore off, the show was canceled amid poor ratings. Moreover, the musical variety show format was on its way out as well. Once again, another decade was looking to end badly for Cher. Cher found a mild success with the "top 10" disco hit "Take Me Home" inbut not much else.

Not one to be counted out, however, the ever resourceful singer decided to lay back and focus on acting instead. Centering around a reunion of girlfriends from an old James Dean fan club, her performance was critically lauded. This earned her the right to transfer her stage triumph to cher bono biography singer alongside Karen Black and Sandy Dennis.

With film 2 came a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for her portrayal of a lesbian toiling in a nuclear parts factory in Silkwoodstarring Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell. After dropping out of high school as a teen, she pursued her showbiz dreams. Through his connections, Cher landed work as a backup singer for producer Phil Spector and released singles under various pseudonyms.

After they flopped, she recorded music with Bono as Caesar and Cleo. They performed around the world, and she became known for her bold personality and extravagant fashion choices. She followed this with several more solo records in the mids. Following the birth of their child, the pair headed to Vegas to fine-tune their skills and regain fans.