Cher At 75: A Look At The Life Of An Icon

By JC Villamere. 20 May 2021 6:51 AM

She’s the goddess of pop, and that’s not all: Cher has also conquered film and television, earning an Emmy Award, an Oscar, and three Golden Globes, in addition to her Grammy. As this icon celebrates her 75th birthday, let’s look back at some of her many career highlights.

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A Star Is Born
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She was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. Her transient and impoverished childhood included several moves around the U.S., a handful of stepdads, and a brief stint in an orphanage. She loved Audrey Hepburn and hoped to find fame as a performer. At 16, she quit school and left home to pursue a career in Los Angeles.
We've Got Her, Babe
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Cher hit it big in '65 as half of the folk-rock couple Sonny & Cher, whose single "I Got You Babe" was a #1 hit. Like, a huge big-time massive international #1 hit. In 1966, Cher launched a concurrent solo career with the release of her million-selling solo debut, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)." By 1967, 'Time' magazine had dubbed Sonny and Cher rock's "It" couple. By the end of 1967, they had sold 40 million records.
Screen Time
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They hosted their own variety show, "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour", starting in 1971. It ran until 1979 with a weird hiatus and change of name amid the couple's divorce (more on that later). For now, know that the TV show was a showcase for Cher's formidable personal style. She became known for her trendsetting ensembles.
Dark Lady
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Through the early '70s, "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" was a hit show and Cher enjoyed chart success with solo hits like "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady".
The Break
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Sonny and Cher divorced in 1975 — their show was cancelled in May 1974 — but the divorced pair then reunited professionally to reboot their show in 1976 as "The Sonny & Cher Show." It ran until 1979, when Cher released her hit disco album, 'Take Me Home'.
Broadway Calls
Paramount Pictures
Cher made her Broadway debut in Ed Graczyk's 1976 play 'Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,' about members of a Texas-based James Dean fan club who reunite 20 years after the famous actor's death. In 1982, Cher starred in the play's popular indie drama film adaptation, pictured.
Vegas Legend
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In 1980, Cher began a two-year concert residency in Las Vegas. Here she is that year with Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton. Forty-plus years ago, Cher was already a legend.
Acting Chops
MGM
Cher earned critical praise and popular acclaim for her roles in the movies 'Silkwood' (1983), 'Mask' (1985), and 'Moonstruck' (1987), for which she won the Best Actress Oscar.
Momstruck
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The late Olympia Dukakis won the Golden Globe for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for playing Cher's mom in "Moonstruck". Cher won the Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance in the hit.
Turn Back Time
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In the late '80s, she released a trio of hit rock albums: 'Cher' (1987), 'Heart of Stone' (1989), and 'Love Hurts' (1991).
Believe
Warner
Almost 20 years after her Vegas residency and 30 years into a career of unbelievable achievements, Cher's biggest hit was still ahead of her: "Believe" was the first single to use autotune. In fact, autotune was initially called "The Cher Effect". This single from her 22nd album became one of the bestselling songs of all time, selling over 11 million copies.
What Happens In Vegas Returns to Vegas
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After a mega-successful three-year farewell tour that wrapped in 2005, Cher began a three-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2008.
Back To The Studio
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In 2013, Cher released her first album in 12 years; it would be her most successful album on the charts, ever. 'Closer to the Truth' debuted in the #3 slot.
Here We Go Again
Universal Pictures
In 2018, Cher headed back to the silver screen. She starred in the rom-com musical "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again", the sequel to 'Mamma Mia!', the 2008 Abba jukebox hit.
'Cher & The Loneliest Elephant'
Smithsonian Channel
In the new documentary "Cher & The Loneliest Elephant", you can watch the star's unexpected role in the campaign to move Kaavan, an elephant living alone at the Islamabad Zoo, to a Cambodian sanctuary. "It's truly remarkable to witness what can happen when people come together to pursue a shared mission," James Blue, head of Smithsonian Channel & SVP MTV News and Docs, said in a statement. "The rescue group, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and led by the incomparable Cher, proved that the impossible can happen during the toughest of times." Wait — it's Cher's birthday, but we're the ones getting this uplifting gift? "I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world," Cher said in a statement. "People want a happy ending. People don't want to see animals suffer. And I know people are suffering too, but this is a story that can brighten their lives." Happy birthday, Cher! You're such a dear.

Cher At 75: A Look At The Life Of An Icon

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