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Biography:
Born Cherilyn Sarkarsian La Pier on the 20th of May 1946, at El Centro, California, USA. Cher began working as a session singer in an attempt to finance an acting career. While recording with Phil Spector as a backing vocalist, she met and later married Sonny Bono. After releasing two singles under the name Caeser And Cleo, the duo then achieved international acclaim as Sonny And Cher.
Throughout this period Cher also sustained a solo career, initially singing a paean to Ringo Starr ('Ringo I Love You') under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason. Thereafter, she secured several hits, including an opportunistic cover version of the Byrds' 'All I Really Want To Do'. The sultry 'Bang Bang', with its gypsy beat and maudlin violins was a worldwide smash in 1966, leading Cher to tackle more controversial themes in 'I Feel Something In The Air' and 'You Better Sit Down Kids'.
Although her acting aspirations seemed long-forgotten, she did appear in two minor 60s films, Good Times (1967) and Chastity (1969). In 1971, the zestful, chart-topping 'Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves' and its attendant album saw her back in the ascendant. Two further US number 1 hits ('Half Breed' and 'Dark Lady') preceded her divorce from Sonny, though for a time the duo continued to appear together on stage and television. In 1975, she switched to Warner Brothers Records for the Jimmy Webb- produced Stars, while her on-off relationship with Gregg Allman (whom she divorced in 1979) resulted in one album, the punningly titled, Allman And Woman: Two The Hard Way.
By the late 70s, she became a regular fixture in gossip columns and fashion magazines which lauded over her sartorial outrageousness and much publicized musical and personal relationships with Allman, Gene Simmons (of Kiss ) and Les Dudek. Signing to Casablanca, the record company responsible for Donna Summer's success, Cher produced two moderately successful albums, Take Me Home and Prisoner. In 1981, Cher appeared on Meat Loaf 's 'Dead Ringer For Love' but recording interests increasingly took a back seat to her first love: acting. A leading role in Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) was followed by a lucrative part in Silkwood (1983), and an Oscar nomination.
However, in 1982 Cher recorded a Rock album, I Paralyse, sadly it did not receive the success it deserved. Appearances in Mask (1985), The Witches Of Eastwick (1987) and Suspect (1987) emphasized that her thespian aspirations were no mere sideline. For Moonstruck (1987), she won an Oscar for Best Actress and celebrated that honour with another musical comeback courtesy of Cher and its concomitant Top 10 single, 'I Found Someone'. This was followed in 1989 by the hugely successful Heart Of Stone, the single 'If I Could Turn Back Time' was the biggest hit, and also is known for having the first video ever to be banned by MTV. Her 1991 number 1 hit, a cover of the Betty Everett song, 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)' was the theme song to another screen appearance, Mermaids, as was accompanied by another new album, Love Hurts. In 1995 she did a credible cover of Marc Cohn 's 'Walking In Memphis' which preceded It's A Man's World. In addition to the James Brown title track her voice admirably suited a reworking of the Walker Brothers classic, 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'.
Her popularity was confirmed when she reached the top of the UK charts in October 1998 with 'Believe'. The attendant album featured notable contributions from dance gurus Junior Vasquez and Todd Terry. With her professional life as a singer and actress now scrutinized by the mass media, as well as the added intrigue of her love-life and public fascination for her penchant for cosmetic surgery, Cher has become one of the great American icons of the 90s. Her powerful voice is often overlooked amidst the AOR glitz.
Cher's latest album, 'Living Proof' was a follow up to the hugely successful 'Believe' but sadly did not receive the same glory, largely due to publicity errors. Cher has been touring America during 2002 on what she claims will be her last ever tour.
Taken from Yahoo! Music and enhanced by Greg Smith.
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