Cher

Cher born Cherilyn Sarkisian May 20 1946 is an American singer and actress Commonly referred to as the Goddess of Pop she is described as embodying female autonomy in a maledominated industry She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her fivedecadelong career Cher gained popularity in 1965 as onehalf of the folk rock husbandwife duo Sonny Cher after their song I Got You Babe reached number one on the American and British charts She began her solo career simultaneously releasing in 1966 her first millionseller song Bang Bang My Baby Shot Me Down She became a television personality in the 1970s with her shows The Sonny Cher Comedy Hour watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its threeyear run and Cher She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows While working on television she established herself as a solo artist with the US Billboard Hot 100 charttopping singles Gypsys Tramps Thieves HalfBreed and Dark Lady After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975 Cher launched a comeback in 1979 with the discooriented album Take Me Home and earned 300000 a week for her 198082 residency show in Las Vegas In 1982 Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean and starred in the film adaptation of the same title She subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood 1983 Mask 1985 and Moonstruck 1987 for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress