Cher Biography
Cher is ranked among the top music icons in entertainment, who even in retirement still enjoys a great demand from fans who have followed her careers throughout the years as well as younger fans. Cher’s response to fan’s demands for her music put her in the lead with artists like Celine Dion who continue to share their music today at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Coming from an English, French and American heritage Cher was named Cherilyn Sarkisian after her birth to John Paul Sarkisian and Georgia Holt on May 20 1946 in El Centro, California, USA.
Her childhood was difficult as she had to grow up in a low income home that depended on the small earnings from her father’s casual jobs, things got worse when John Paul Sarkisian left after a disagreement with his wife. Georgia Holt was a stay at home parent and she had no skills to secure any employment, with a sickly Cher to look after and the demands of education on the rise the young girl was at times left in the hands of well-wishers who could provide her with at least some of the basic necessities.
Despite the troubles Cher was able to get educated at the Fresno High School but she did not graduate, undeterred she decided to focus on her love for acting by auditioning for roles in local productions. At the time she was 16 and the 1960’s film industry just like today was in favour of trained and qualified acts, she was therefore forced to seek acting classes which she paid for in part by working odd jobs while her mother paid the rest.
Cher’s break into the entertainment industry came in 1963 not as an actress but as a singer when she was signed to Gold Star Studios as a background vocalist for an established singer named Sonny Bono a few stints on the backgrounds were followed by a pop rock band that was named Sonny and Cher. The band became a hit in the early 60’s with songs like ‘The Crystals’, ‘You’ve Lost That Love Feeling’, ‘A Fine, Fine Boy’ and ‘Be My Baby’, the media loved the pair and soon enough television producers had approached them with a project to host a show called The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Cher’s career was on a steady rise and she begun to think about going as a solo musician.
‘Ringo I Love You’ and ‘Dream Baby’ were debut singles by Cher in 1964 and she established herself as a capable singer on her own, the singles were from her 1965 debut album that was titled All I Really Want To Do. She followed with more studio albums including Chir, With Love, Chir, Backstage, Black Rose, Heart of Stone, I Paralyze It’s a Man's World and Love Hurts.
Throughout her career Cher has had numerous number one singles on the Billboards and she has been honoured with three Golden Globe awards, and an award in the Academy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival Awards and the Grammy Awards.
She is a vocal supporter of Gay and Lesbian rights as well as a campaigner for the eradication of HIV/AIDS.
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