Fifty-five years ago, young Cher was swept up by her first wave of fame. In 1967, 40 million copies of her recordings spread across the world. Since then, hits by Cherilyn Sarkisian have regularly topped global charts for six decades.
No other artist in history holds such records. Yet this singer, actress, director, and poet has countless bright victories.
Everyone ages — except her. Cher seems like an otherworldly being, much like the sorceress from *The Witches of 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 called “the greatest.” And though envious gossipers whisper about plastic surgeries, supposedly more than anyone else on the planet, the queen of screen and stage has every right to strive for and achieve perfection.
Sonny Bono and Cher in Amsterdam, 1966
It truly is magic — to transform and change with indescribable ease, thanks to immense unseen effort. Living in a time of contrasts awakened Cher’s rebellious talent. Her first rebellion came on her 16th birthday. Unable to endure school routine, Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pierre quit school. She dreamed of the stage. With her friend Sonny Bono (soon to be her husband), they formed the duo Sonny and Cher. The duo’s songs made such a splash that they were compared in success to The Beatles and Elvis Presley. For a time, the wheel of popularity seemed to roll on inertia. Then, when the dizziness of early success passed and emotional exhaustion set in, Cher sent Sonny packing, clearing space for her individual artistic experiments.
Cher with second husband Gregg Allman, 1975
Feeling comfortable in every decade, Cher transformed from a 1970s hippie into a refined punk. In the 1990s, she embraced glamorous looks or shed excess clothing, leaving only thigh-high boots and a few scraps of fabric. Exalted, permanently in love and captivated by romantic adventures, she became more beautiful every year.
During the Heart of Stone tour, 1990
Her unmistakable voice evokes the roar of a plane or lava bubbling before an eruption. It is one of the talismans of her multifaceted talent. Cher also has a melancholy gaze and a smile like a sorrowful goddess. Naturally, filmmakers noticed her, as did those who appreciated her acting talent.
Forty years ago, in 1982, Francis Ford Coppola saw her on the Broadway stage. The famous director advised Cher to devote herself to cinema, although by then she had already completed several film roles.
Thirty-five years ago, in 1987, three films secured Cher’s reputation as a top-tier actress: *The Witches of Eastwick* by George Miller, *Suspect* by Peter Yates, and *Moonstruck* by Norman Jewison.
Her role in the last film earned her an **Oscar**. Overall, her filmography includes many notable roles. Thanks to her honed talent, she has won a multitude 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 have long passed away or faded into obscurity. But timeless Cherilyn Sarkisian easily withstands the flood of ephemeral stage clones. Against their pale backdrop, Cher’s expressiveness shines even brighter.
Every farewell to the stage from her seems like an act of provocation and raises doubts. After all, where else will she pour out the concentrated essence of tirelessness, love, and eternal youth that courses through her veins?
Singer during the Dressed to Kill tour, 2014
And some more facts about Cher
- 1965 — The duet with Sonny Bono, “I Got You Babe,” became Cher’s first number one hit at age 19, topping the Billboard charts.
- 1967 — The duo sold over 40 million copies of their recordings. Thanks to the hit “Bang Bang,” Cher was already known as a solo artist.
- 1996 — Cher tried her hand as director of the film If These Walls Could Talk.
- 2002–2005 — She performed 325 solo concerts during her world farewell tour The Farewell Tour, which became one of the most successful tours with earnings over $250 million.
- 2018 — Made a spectacular return to the big screen with a cameo role in Mamma Mia! 2.