Cher

Background

Cherilyn Sarkisian, famously known as Cher, is celebrated for conquering a male-dominated industry while owning her female sovereignty. She was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro in California to her father, John Sarkisian, and her mother, Georgia Holt. Her father was a truck driver and her mother was a former model and retired actress. They divorced when Cher was 10 months old and after her mother remarried, her half-sister, Georganne, was born. They lived in Los Angeles and Cher’s mother worked as a waitress while still acting. She would secure roles for her daughters as extras on shows such as “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”

In fifth grade, Cher choreographed, directed, and produced a musical, “Oklahoma!.” It was difficult for her to convince boys to take part, so she took on their roles and songs. She developed the desire to become famous at a young age. She was always disappointed because she never saw people who looked like her, especially people who had dark hair, in Hollywood.

Cher and her sister were both enrolled at Montclair College Preparatory School in Encino after Gilbert LaPierre adopted them. She gained popularity and recognition in 1965. She was half of the husband and wife duo, Sonny & Cher, and they ranked at number one on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. She enacted her solo career during the same period with top 10 singles. Her television career began in the 1970s with both her CBS shows, “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and “Cher”.

She debuted on Broadway with the play, “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” and was featured in its film adaptation. While hosting on television, she became the first female artist to have the most number-one singles in U.S. history during that time. She featured in “Moonstruck” in 1987 and her role won her the Academy Award for ‘Best Actress.’ In 1998, she released her album, “Believe,” and its title track became the biggest-selling single in the U.K. ever by a female artist.

Her tour from 2002 through to 2005, ‘Living Proof: The Farewell’ became one of the highest-grossing tours to date by a woman, earning $250 million, and in 2008, she signed a $60 million deal with the Colosseum to headline at Caesars Palace for three years in Las Vegas. She has won a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and an Emmy Award, amongst others. She is also the only artist to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart for six consecutive decades.