Fifty-five years ago, a young Cher was swept up in the first wave of fame. In 1967, 40 million copies of her records flew off the shelves worldwide. Since then, hits by Cherilyn Sarkisian have consistently topped global charts for six decades. Such records are unparalleled in history. However, this singer, actress, director, and poet has an abundance of dazzling achievements.
Everyone ages, except for her. Cher is like an otherworldly being, reminiscent of the witch from Eastwick, a role that once caused a sensation. Even at 76, nothing in the world can stop her from pulling off another extravagant stunt.
She is invariably accompanied by the epithet “the best.” And let the envious gossip about her supposed numerous plastic surgeries, claiming she’s had more than anyone else on the planet. The queen of screen and stage has every right to pursue and achieve perfection.
Sonny Bono and Cher in Amsterdam, 1966
This is truly magic: the ability to transform and change with an effortless grace that belies the immense hard work behind the scenes. Living in a world of contrasts revealed Cher’s rebellious talent. Her first act of defiance came on her 16th birthday when, unable to endure the monotony of school, Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere dropped out. She dreamed of the stage. Along with her friend Sonny Bono (who would soon become her husband), they formed the duo Sonny and Cher. The resonance of their songs was such that they were compared to The Beatles and Elvis Presley in terms of success. For a while, their popularity seemed to roll on inertia. But then, as the dizzying heights of early success faded and feelings of emotional exhaustion set in, Cher sent Sonny into retirement, clearing the way for her individual experiments in self-expression.
Cher with her second husband Gregg Allman, 1975
Comfortable in any decade, Cher transformed from a hippie in the 1970s to a refined punk. By the 1990s, she donned glamorous looks or stripped down to just thigh-high boots and a few scraps of fabric. Exalted, perpetually in love, and captivated by romantic adventures, she grew more beautiful each year.
During the Heart of Stone tour, 1990
Her voice, unmistakable and powerful, conjures images of a roaring airplane or bubbling lava before an eruption. This is one of the talismans of her multifaceted talent. Cher also possesses a melancholic gaze and the smile of a sorrowful goddess. Naturally, filmmakers couldn’t help but notice her. They also couldn’t overlook her acting talent.
Forty years ago, in 1982, Francis Ford Coppola spotted her on Broadway. The renowned director advised Cher to dedicate herself to film. By that time, she already had several screen credits to her name.
Thirty-five years ago, in 1987, three films were released 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 the latter earned her an Oscar. Ultimately, her body of work includes many notable roles. Thanks to her finely honed talent over the years, she has amassed a plethora of prestigious film awards.
At the premiere of “Burlesque,” London, 2010
Perhaps this eternal engine draws energy 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 shadows of their former selves. Yet, the ageless Cherilyn Sarkisian continues to effortlessly stand against the onslaught of fleeting stage clones. Against their pale backdrop, Cher’s expressiveness is even more striking.
Each of her farewells to the stage seems like a spectacle and raises doubts. After all, where will she channel the concentrated essence of tirelessness, love, and eternal youth that flows through her veins?
The singer during the Dressed to Kill tour, 2014
And here are a few more facts about Cher:
1965 – The song “I Got You Babe,” recorded as a duet with Sonny Bono, became the first hit of 19-year-old Cher, soaring to the top of the Billboard charts.
1967 – The duo sold over 40 million copies of their records. Thanks to the hit “Bang, Bang,” Cher was already known as a solo artist.
1996 – She tried her hand as a director with the film “If These Walls Could Talk.”
2002-2005 – She performed 325 solo concerts during her worldwide farewell tour, The Farewell Tour, which became one of the most successful tours, grossing over $250 million.
2018 – She made a spectacular return to the big screen in a cameo role in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”