Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 50 years, you know the name Cher.
Cher rose to popularity in 1965 as part of the husband/wife singing duo Sonny & Cher. Their song “I Got You Babe” hit number one on both American and British charts. After 1965, Cher started making a name for herself as a solo artist, entertainer and fashionista.
She’s known as the Goddess of Pop, but here are some interesting facts you may not know:
1. Cher was a background vocalist
In the early 1960’s, Cher was introduced to record producer Phil Spector. Spector used Cher as a background singer for huge hits like “Be My Baby” bu the Ronettes’ and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers.
2. Before she was Cher, she released music under a stage name
You won’t find Cher’s very first single “Ringo, I Love You” under her name. It was released under a stage name, Bonnie Jo Mason. The single flopped but the next year Sonny & Cher became very popular.
3. Cher’s part of an elite group of people
Cher is one of only six people to have a No. 1 single AND an Academy Award (the other include: Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Jamie Foxx, Bing Crosby, and Judy Garland). Also, she’s the only female artist in history to have had U.S. No. 1 singles in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
4. Cher’s been arrested
Cher was only a teenager when she was arrested for stealing a car. Story has it that Cher was watching a friend’s car while they ran an errand. She kept having to move the car because it got in the way of others. Well, Cher got bored and decided to drive it to the drive-in theater.
5. She only has one name
It’s common for entertainers to change their names. Cher was born with the name Cherilyn Sarkisian. In 1978, she legally dropped her last name and is now just Cher.
Other interesting facts:
- It wasn’t always Sonny & Cher, when they first started performing they used the name “Caesar and Cleo”
- She was the first to use auto-tune
- Oldest woman to have a number one song (at age 52)
- Cher turned down the role of Thelma Dickinson in Thelma & Louise