Cher

Cher ( SHAIR; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous contralto voice, bold fashion and visual presentation, and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her real-life persona as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, she has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention. Cher rose to fame in 1965 as part of the folk rock duo Sonny & Cher, early exponents of the 1960s counterculture, and found simultaneous success as a solo artist. In the 1970s, she topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with the narrative pop songs "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady". After a period focusing on acting, she reemerged with the hair metal albums Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989) and Love Hurts (1991), scoring international number-one singles "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)". At 52, she reached a commercial peak with the dance-pop album Believe (1998), which introduced the "Cher effect"—a stylized use of Auto-Tune to distort vocals. The title track became 1999's number-one song in the US and the UK's best-selling single by a female artist. In the 21st century, she released her highest-charting US Billboard 200 albums, Closer to the Truth (2013) and Dancing Queen (2018), both debuting at number three. Cher became a TV star in the 1970s with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and her solo show Cher, both on CBS, attracting over 30 million weekly viewers. She gained critical acclaim after debuting on Broadway and starring in the film adaptation of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). Transitioning to film, she earned two Academy Award nominations—for Silkwood (1983) and Moonstruck (1987), winning the Oscar for Best Actress for the latter—and received the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award for Mask (1985). Other starring roles include The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Mermaids (1990), If These Walls Could Talk (1996, her directorial debut), Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Her life and career inspired the 2018 jukebox musical The Cher Show. One of the best-selling music artists in history, Cher has sold over 100 million records and is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the US Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s). Her accolades include a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globes, the Billboard Icon Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. She is the only performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Her 2002–2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist at the time, earning $250 million—about $400 million in 2024. Beyond music and acting, Cher is known for her progressive politics and advocacy for causes including LGBTQ rights and HIV/AIDS awareness.

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