Fifty-five years ago, a young Cher rode the first wave of fame. In 1967, her records moved 40 million copies worldwide. Since then, Cherilyn Sarkisian’s hits have topped charts around the globe for six decades. Those achievements are virtually unmatched. This singer, actress, director, and poet has a long list of dazzling accomplishments.
Everyone ages—except for her. Cher feels almost otherworldly, like the witch she famously played in The Witches of Eastwick, a role that caused a sensation. Even at 76, she still pulls off extravagant stunts.
People often call her “the best.” Ignore the jealous gossip about alleged plastic surgery and claims that she’s had more procedures than anyone else. The queen of screen and stage has every right to chase and achieve her version of perfection.
Sonny Bono and Cher in Amsterdam, 1966
This is real magic: the ability to transform with an effortless grace that hides huge amounts of hard work. Growing up in a world of contrasts revealed Cher’s rebellious talent. Her first act of defiance came on her 16th birthday when Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere, unable to endure the monotony of school, dropped out. She dreamed of the stage. Along with her friend Sonny Bono (who would soon become her husband), she formed the duo Sonny and Cher. Their early success prompted comparisons to The Beatles and Elvis Presley. For a while, their popularity seemed unstoppable. When the dizzying heights of early fame faded and exhaustion set in, Cher moved on from the duo, clearing the way for her solo experiments in self-expression.
Cher with her second husband Gregg Allman, 1975
Comfortable in any decade, Cher went from a 1970s hippie to a refined punk. By the 1990s she alternated between full-on glamour and looks that boiled down to thigh-high boots and a few scraps of fabric. Exalted, perpetually in love, and drawn to romantic adventures, she seemed to grow more striking every year.
During the Heart of Stone tour, 1990
Her voice is unmistakable and powerful—like a jet engine or bubbling lava before an eruption. That voice is one of the talismans of her multifaceted talent. Cher also has a melancholic gaze and the smile of a sorrowful goddess. Naturally, filmmakers took notice of her acting ability.
In 1982, Francis Ford Coppola spotted her on Broadway and urged her to focus on film. By then, she already had several screen credits to her name.
In 1987, three films arrived that solidified Cher’s status as a major movie actress: George Miller’s The Witches of Eastwick, Peter Yates’ Suspect, and Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck.
Her role in Moonstruck earned her an Oscar. Over the years, she has collected many prestigious film awards thanks to her finely tuned talent.
At the premiere of “Burlesque,” London, 2010
Maybe this endless drive comes from a genetic cocktail: Cher has Armenian, Anglo-Saxon, French, Native American, Turkish, and Romani roots.
Most of her contemporaries in the arts have long faded into obscurity or become mere echoes of their former selves. Yet the ageless Cherilyn Sarkisian keeps standing out against the flood of fleeting stage clones. Against that pale backdrop, her expressiveness looks even more striking.
Each of her farewells to the stage turns into a spectacle and prompts skepticism. After all, where will she channel the concentrated energy of tirelessness, love, and youthful spirit that seems to run through her?
The singer during the Dressed to Kill tour, 2014
And here are a few more facts about Cher:
1965 – “I Got You Babe,” recorded as a duet with Sonny Bono, became Cher’s first hit at 19, topping the Billboard charts.
1967 – The duo had sold over 40 million records by this point, and Cher’s solo profile grew thanks to the hit “Bang Bang.”
1996 – She tried her hand as a director with the film If These Walls Could Talk.
2002-2005 – She performed 325 solo concerts on The Farewell Tour, which grossed more than $250 million.
2018 – She made a memorable return to the big screen with a cameo in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
