Here is the biography of Cher:
Cher was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, to John Sarkisian, a truck driver, and Georgia Holt, a former model and actress. She has a half-sister, Georganne LaPiere, and is of Armenian heritage on her father's side and English, German, Irish, Dutch, and French on her mother's side.
Cher's parents divorced when she was an infant, and her mother went on to marry six more times. Cher's mother, who aspired to be an actress and model, paid for Cher's acting classes. Cher had undiagnosed dyslexia, which affected her studies, and she quit high school at 16 to pursue her dream.
At 16, Cher met Sonny Bono, who was 11 years older, and the couple began a romantic relationship. Sonny was working for record producer Phil Spector, and he managed to persuade Spector to hire Cher as a session singer. Cher recorded backup vocals on several Spector classics, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Be My Baby".
Cher and Sonny married in 1964 and began performing together as a duo, eventually changing their names to Sonny & Cher. They released their first album, "Look at Us", in 1965, which contained the hit single "I Got You Babe". The song catapulted to #1, and they re-released their earlier single "Baby Don't Go", which also raced up the charts to #8.
The couple became huge hits, charting six "Top 10" hits between 1965 and 1972. They were icons of the mid-'60s "flower power" scene, wearing garish garb and outlandish hairdos and makeup. They found a successful formula with their repartee, which became a central factor in their live concert shows.
In the late 1960s, Sonny & Cher's career began to decline, and they witnessed the American pop culture experience a drastic evolutionary change. However, Sonny continued to polish their stage act, and they made a number of guest TV appearances in specials and on variety and talk shows.
In 1971, the couple launched their own TV variety show, "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour", which was an instant sensation and earned numerous Emmy Award nominations during its run. The show received critical acclaim, and Cher's TV success generated renewed interest in her as a solo recording artist.
Cher yearned to be free of husband Sonny's Svengali-like control over her life and career, and the marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1974. Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band in 1975, but the marriage imploded quickly amid reports of out-of-control drug use on his part.
In the 1980s, Cher focused on acting, making her Broadway debut in 1982 in "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean". She earned critical raves for her performance, which earned her the right to transfer her stage triumph to film. She went on to star in several films, including "Silkwood", "Mask", and "Moonstruck", for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
In the 1990s, Cher continued to veer back and forth among films, TV specials, and expensively mounted concerts. In 1998, tragedy struck when Cher's ex-husband Sonny Bono was killed in a freak skiing accident. That same year, the duo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to television.
In 2002, Cher launched her "Farewell Tour", which eventually closed in 2005. However, she returned to live performances in 2008, playing the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She has since returned to the stage numerous times, including a stint in the 2010 film "Burlesque" and a cameo in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" in 2018.
In her personal life, Cher has been involved with many humanitarian groups and charity efforts over the years, particularly her work as National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson of the Children's Craniofacial Association. She has also been involved in several high-profile romances, including a relationship with Alexander "A.E." Edwards, father of rapper Amber Rose's second son.
