Cherilyn Sarkisian, aka Cher, is unique in the world of music and entertainment. Born in El Centro, California in 1946, Cher’s father was an Armenian-American truck driver and her mother was a model and actress of German, Irish, English, and Cherokee ancestry. Cher’s parents divorced when she was only ten months old. Cher’s mom remarried and then divorced when Cher was nine years old. Cher remembers her step-father fondly, even though he was a “good-natured man” who drank too much. Cher’s family grew up in poverty, with her mother marrying several times and moving the family all over the country. They rarely had any money and Cher actually had to use rubber bands to hold her shoes together. Cher was even abandoned at an orphanage once for several weeks, but her mother visited her daily.
Cher got her musical start when she was in the fifth grade. She produced a performance of “Oklahoma!” the musical for her class and her teacher by organizing a group of girls and choreographing and directing their dance routines. The boys refused to participate, so Cher acted the male roles and sang the songs they would have sung. By the time she was nine, Cher had a low voice that was somewhat unusual. When she became enamored of Audrey Hepburn after seeing the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” she began to wear unconventional outfits and mimic the behavior of the character Hepburn played in the movie.
It was when Cher met her future husband, Sonny Bono, that things began to take off for her in her music career. The relationship started when Cher agreed to be Sonny’s housekeeper. They eventually became good friends, and later became lovers and finally married. Sonny wanted Cher to launch as a solo artist, but she suffered from stage fright and convinced him to join her onstage. She later said that the reason that she always looked at Sonny when they were performing is that she “sang through him” to combat her nervousness. After the couple recorded and released “I Got You Babe,” they traveled to England in 1965 when the Rolling Stones told them that they’d do better there. They explained to Sonny and Cher that Americans just “didn’t get” them. As it turns out, the Stones were correct.
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Cher’s solo hit “If I Could Turn Back Time” was written by Diane Warren especially for Cher. Cher actually disliked it at first but changed her opinion later. The song was a major comeback song for Cher in the 1980s and topped the charts in Norway and Australia. In the U.S., it reached the number three spot, and in the U.K, it went to number six. Below, watch the iconic Cyndi Lauper sing “If I Could Turn Back Time” as a tribute to Cher.
