Biography

Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress, television personality, and entertainer whose career has lasted for more than six decades. Known for her distinctive contralto voice, striking visual style, and ability to move between pop, rock, disco, dance music, film, and television, she became one of the most recognizable figures in popular culture. Her career is defined by repeated reinvention, with major successes arriving in several different eras.

Cher began performing professionally in the early 1960s after meeting Sonny Bono, a musician and producer who became her creative partner. As Sonny & Cher, the pair achieved international success with "I Got You Babe" in 1965. The song's relaxed vocal exchange and folk-pop sound made them closely associated with the counterculture era. Their television variety program, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, expanded their popularity during the 1970s and established Cher as a performer with a strong comic presence as well as a powerful singing voice.

At the same time, Cher developed a solo career. Early hits included "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed," and "Dark Lady." These songs often combined dramatic storytelling with theatrical arrangements, helping her stand out in an increasingly image-conscious pop market. Her solo recordings also demonstrated a willingness to address social subjects and characters who were unusual for mainstream popular music.

After the decline of her first television partnership, Cher continued working in entertainment and gradually established herself as a serious actress. She received strong notices for her Broadway appearance in Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and for the film version of Silkwood, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for supporting actress. Her most important film period arrived in 1987, when she appeared in Suspect, The Witches of Eastwick, and Moonstruck. Her performance as Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck won the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe, confirming her status as a major film performer.

Cher returned to the center of the music business in the late 1980s with albums including Cher, Heart of Stone, and Love Hurts. Singles such as "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" introduced her to a new generation. Her greatest musical transformation came with the 1998 album Believe. The title track became a worldwide number-one hit and helped popularize the conspicuous use of Auto-Tune as a creative vocal effect in mainstream dance-pop. Its success made Cher, then in her fifties, an unusual example of an established artist achieving a defining hit with a contemporary production style.

She later appeared in films including Mermaids, Tea with Mussolini, Burlesque, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, while also maintaining a successful touring career and Las Vegas residencies. Her concert productions became known for elaborate costumes, choreography, and large-scale spectacle. Cher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024, recognizing her influence across popular music. More than a traditional pop star, she has become a model of artistic longevity, using performance, fashion, humor, and musical experimentation to remain culturally relevant across changing generations.