Cher Fun Facts & Trivia

From the year Cher was born to her days as Sonny and Cher, find out facts about the ageless wonder that is Cher!

Cher Trivia: Personal

• Although she is famously known for her one-name moniker “Cher,” she was born as Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre.
• Cher was named after Cheryl Crane who is Lana Turner’s daughter.
• Everyone wants to know, “What year was Cher born?” The answer is May 20, 1946.
• Cher’s father was John Sarkisian, who was an Armenian refugee.
• Cher’s mother was a struggling actress who raised Cher mostly by herself.
• Cher suffered from severe dyslexia causing her to leave high school at the age of 16.

Cher Trivia: Sonny and Cher

• At the age of 16, Cher met Sonny Bono in a Los Angeles coffee shop in November 1962.
• Cher got her start as a session singer for the likes of Phil Spector, The Righteous Brothers, and the Ronettes among others.
• Sonny and Cher first performed under the name “Caesar and Cleo.”
• In 1963, Cher recorded her first solo song “Ringo, I Love You” under the name Bonnie Jo Mason.
• Cher recorded her second solo song “Dream Baby” under the name Cherilyn in 1964.
• The Sonny and Cher song “I Got You Babe” was made in 1965 when Sonny and Cher first became lovers.
• “The Beat Goes On” was a song made in 1967 before Sonny and Cher got married in 1969.
• Starring in their own comedy variety show, Sonny and Cher were a ratings hit! Even when Sonny and Cher had separated, the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour remained one of the hottest shows on television!
• Sonny and Cher’s first child, Chastity Bono, was born on March 4, 1969.
• Now, Sonny and Cher have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognizing the pair’s contribution to television.

Cher Trivia: Romantic Ties?

• After Cher’s divorce from Sonny Bono was finalized, Cher and Gregg Allman got married in 1975. The two had a son named Elijah Blue Allman, who was born on July 10, 1976. Cher and Gregg Allman divorced in 1978.
• Cher and KISS bassist Gene Simmons lived together for several years, although the two never married or had any children.
• Cher has been tied to the likes of record executive David Geffen, Eric Clapton, and Richie Sambora.

Cher Trivia: Film Career

• At age 36, Cher won critical praise for her role in Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean,
• In 1983, Cher was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Silkwood.
• In 1987, Cher won an Academy Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” for her role in Moonstruck.
• Only Cher and Barbra Streisand have made history as the only two female entertainers to have scored both a No. 1 hit song and win an Oscar!

Cher Trivia: Living Proof Tour

• Cher’s marathon Living Proof Tour – better known as the Farewell Tour – ran from June 2002 through April 2005!
• Cher tickets went on sale for a whopping 325 total tour dates with stops in over 20 countries, from the U.S. to Europe, Mexico, Australia and beyond.
• The worldwide Farewell Tour sent millions of fans flocking to buy Cher tickets, making it Cher’s most successful tour.
• During the nearly three-year concert tour, over three million Cher tickets were sold.
• In the U.S. alone, the Farewell Tour grossed upwards of $192 million in Cher tickets sold! Over $250 million in Cher tickets were sold worldwide.
• Cher’s Farewell Tour ended in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, the site of Cher’s first concert appearance with Sonny Bono in 1966.

Cher Trivia: In Las Vegas

• At age 61, Cher announced that she would perform 200 shows over the course of three years inside the Caesars Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas.
• Cher tickets for Cher’s Las Vegas show, simply titled “Cher at the Colosseum,” featured over a dozen dancers, 4 aerialists, costumes designed by Bob Mackie, and choreography by Doriana Sanchez.
• The first show of Cher’s Las Vegas run debuted on May 6, 2008.
• Cher tickets sold out for Cher’s first 44 Las Vegas shows during, grossing more than $26 million.
• Cher tickets are on sale for 35 new Cher Las Vegas concert dates, which will kick off in February 2009.