/caption
This week's birthday celeb-fatal is beauty, fantasy and music.
Cher (5/20/1946) - 63.
Cherilyn Sarkisian's childhood may have been a little rocky but rock and roll and Sonny Bono were a smooth path to her destiny of fame.
Cher dropped out of high school at 16 and a year later met 28 year old Sonny who was working for, now convicted murder then record producer, Phil Spector. Spector put Cher to work as a backup singer and produced her first single Ringo, I Love You.
But Sonny had bigger plans for Cher and formed the duo Caesar and Cleo, which he renamed Sonny and Cher and produced their signature hit I Got You Babe. The duo married in 1963. At just 19, Cher was a hit with other releases Baby Don't Go, The Beat Goes On, All I Really Want to Do, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and Sunny.
Sonny and Cher hit stardom on the popular Ed Sullivan Show in 1965 but it was short lived as by 1968 their folksy rock music was overpowered by psychedelic rock. Nevertheless, Cher had became an outspoken, quick witted, sexy, trend setting hippie and the two were soon popular performing in Las Vegas. In 1971 Cher starred in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, which received 15 Emmy Award nominations due to Cher's sassy tongue and exposed navel. Her fabulously revealing and outlandish costumes were the highlight of the show.
Despite the success of the Sonny and Cher show, Cher's 13 year marriage to Sonny was ending during its run. Cher proved she was more than just a great body when she starred in Silkwood with Meryl Streep and received an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for her performance. She won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Mask in 1985 and won the Academy Award for Best Actress in Moonstruck. She was perfect in her quirky role with Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick.
In 1988, Sonny was killed in a skiing accident. In the eulogy, Cher tearfully described Sonny as "the most unforgettable character I've ever met" and later said her grief for this loss was something she never planned to get over.
Cher continues to perform and make great music. She had a number one hit Believe, which inspired the Do You Believe? tour. In 2008, she signed with Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to do 200 shows over three years. Her career is still going strong after 40 years and over 100 million records sold.
Cher has made no secret of her many plastic surgery procedures including nose reduction, breast enhancement and eyelid, jowls and turkey neck tightening. Those incredible cheekbones though are all Cher.
Three days after Sonny and Cher divorced, Cher rebounded with a short marriage to rock musician Gregg Allman. Later she was linked to many of Hollywood and rock's finest including KISS band member Gene Simmons, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and Tom Cruise. She lived for three years with baker Rob Camilletti, 18 years her junior. Cher has two children, daughter Chastity Bono and son Elijah Blue Allman.
Best Line: Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.
You Might Also Like to Read
