The Lindsay Lohans, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez’s, and yes, even Madonna’s of the world have one woman to thank for their being able to combine singing and acting careers – Cher. Yes, long before most of them were even born, Cher was doing it her own way, no matter what anyone said. Oh sure, Liz Taylor had grace and charm on the screen, but you never heard about Liz in the recording studio, did you? Most of today’s kids probably think it was Madonna that broke that door down, but I would have to disagree – I think Madonna took many of her career cues from Cher.
Cher started out in the 60s as a singer under the reportedly at times heavy thumb of much older Sonny Bono. The married pair started out as Caesar and Cleo, but didn’t receive much attention under those names. It was only after they decided to become “Sonny & Cher” that they would find success. Of course, most people remember them for their “I’ve Got You Babe” hit, but they also hit the charts with “Baby Don’t Go,” “But You’re Mine,” “What Now My Love,” “Little Man,” and “The Beat Goes On.” All in all, they had eleven Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1972.
By the early 70s, Sonny & Cher had discovered television and eventually were rewarded their own show, “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.” The show was a hit and received 15 Emmy nominations during its run. In 1971, Cher had her first solo hit with “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves.” She was 25 years old. She would follow that up with the hits “Half-Breed” and “Dark Lady.”
While a lot of Sonny & Cher’s songs were about love, the love had run out by 1975 and the two divorced. Only three days after her divorce from Sonny was final, she married musician Gregg Allman, a marriage that produced her son, Elijah. Yet, two years later, they divorced. Having been married since she was a teenager, Cher spent much of the late 70s discovering who she was. She began upping her sexy image, wearing revealing gowns by Bob Mackie. She put out a disco album, which produced a few hits, but by the end of the 70s, her recording career had stalled.
When I originally started writing this blog, I thought it would only be one installment. However, I forgot what a great and lengthy career Cher has had. Join me tomorrow on why Cher is the original diva!