Turner Classic Movies host Jacqueline Stewart conducted a Q&A with Music icon Cher at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, CA last night for Live Talks L.A. discussing her book The Memoir, Part One. Cher is a newly inducted Rock N Roll of Fame member and her career which goes back to the 60’s and in 1965 released her first album as half of Sonny & Cher and made her first film appearance. Between a solo career and Sonny & Cher, Cher has had over 30 album releases with the most recent being last year's Christmas. Cher is the only artist in history to have had a number one single in seven decades consecutively and that record began at five decades with “Believe” in 1998. .
Before the Q&A began a video montage of Cher’s incredible career showed highlighting many of the different iconic outfits and hair colors through many performances. This memoir released November 19th covers Cher’s life from birth through her divorce with Sonny Bono. However, Cher did talk a bit about her career the last 48 years since as well. Cher talked about her early beginnings with music as a child having family members that sang or played guitar and artists like Tito Puente and Hank Williams being heard growing up. At won’t point Cher’s father left and never came back and her mother actress Georgia Holt who passed away two years ago December 10th at the age of 96 had to put her in an orphanage while taking up a job at a late-night diner and needed help from a council member to take custody back from the Catholic Church.
As a child Cher loved Dumbo and Cinderella. Cher, just three when Cinderella came out had been singing one of the songs from the movie and her mom realized she had potential as a singer.Years Later at the age of 11 Cher had gone to see Elvis and saw him in a gold suit and knew that she wanted to be like Elvis while the other girls were screaming wanting Elvis. When it came to talk about Sonny Bono it started with Cher being evicted from an apartment and moving in with Sonny as a friend and while living together she had been introduced to producer Phil Spector and The Blossoms’ Darlene Love. The two would have an unofficial wedding in 1964 then would formally be married in 1969 and would divorce six years later. They would have just one child together, Chaz Bono. Sonny and Cher had a comedy TV show from 1971-1974 and would have another show following their divorce 1976-1977.
Cher had realized Sonny and his attorney had been making all the money for her success as part of the duo and went to court which resulted in her owing Bono $2 million over contractual obligations so the two would have to tour together to make up for it. The two did remain friends over the years. Bono would later be the mayor of Palm Springs, CA (1988-1992) and a congressman in 1995 until his tragic passing from a ski accident in 1998. A major achievement of Bono’s was the “Copyright Term Extension Act” renamed the “Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.”
Although it was not discussed, Cher married the Allman Brothers Gregg Alman not long after her divorce from Bono and would divorce after just four years in 1979 and also had a child together Elijah Blue. Cher did talk about performing at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV post divorce from Bono and Allman and being unhappy as a performer which led to her moving to NY to pursue an acting career. Cher’s mother had called Robert Altman which led to an audition for Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). Cher auditioned for the part Altman wanted her to play and said she couldn’t do it but did audition for that part but instead ended up getting the role she initially wanted. Cher would also mention David Geffen having a major role in her career.
Cher had been on her first tour in five years up until the Covid-19 Pandemic and her last show was March of 2020 and has done a few one off’s since such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show this year.
Starting today with a virtual ticket (book included) the Q&A can be viewed here. https://livetalksla.org/events/cher/
