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Cher biography

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Equally famous for her unusual outfits as for her musical talent, Cher is a singer and actress who got her start as half of Sonny and Cher in the 1960s.


Synopsis

Born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, Cher rose to stardom as part of a singing act with her husband Sonny Bono in the 1960s and later on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Cher pursued acting in the 1980s, earning an Oscar for her work in Moonstruck. Cher debuted a show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2008 and will end in 2011.

Contents

Singer. Actress. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. Cher rose to stardom as part of a singing act with her husband Salvatore "Sonny" Bono. Known as Sonny and Cher, the duo scored a hit in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." They also had their own television series, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, from 1971 to 1974.

The couple divorced in 1975 and Cher went out on her own. She continued to sing, recording several solo albums. Cher reached the top of the charts with such songs as "Half Breed" and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves." Over the years,she would become equally famous for her daring costumes and unusual outfits as she was for her musical talent.

In the 1980s, Cher pursued an acting career. She appeared on Broadway in Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982. She reprised the role of Sissy in the film adaptation of the play. She continued to earn the respect of movie critics and fans alike by turning in a number of strong performances in such films as Silkwood (1983), Mask (1985), and Moonstruck (1987). Cher received her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Silkwood and won her first Oscar for Moonstuck in the Best Actress category.

Cher released her last studio album in 2002 entitled Living Proof, which featured "Song for the Lonely." This track did well on the dance charts and was written in honor to those affected by the September 11th terrorist attacks. She then said so long to performing live with a 325-date farewell tour that concluded in 2005.

NBC aired one of her live performances as Cher: The Farewell Tour in 2003. The program was nominated for six 2003 Emmy Awards and won three of them. The show earned the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special; Outstanding Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special; and Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program.

In 2006, she auctioned off furniture, paintings, and decorative objects from her home in Malibu, California, as well as many personal items of memorabilia, jewelry, and stage costumes. The auction brought in $3.5 million with a portion of proceeds going to the Cher Charitable Foundation.

Cher debuted a show entitled Cher at the Colosseum, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on May 6, 2008. She is scheduled to perform 200 shows there over three years.

Married twice, Cher has two children. Her daughter Chastity is from her first

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      Cher met Sonny Bono when she was 16 and he was 27. The two began dating, and Sonny got his girlfriend gigs as a backup singer on songs like the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and Darlene Love's "A Fine, Fine Boy." The two formed their own musical duo, and in 1965 they released their biggest hit, "I Got You Babe." The couple had their only child, Chaz Bono, in 1969. In 1971 Sonny and Cher launched their own TV show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. The variety show was a success, but the couple's marriage fell apart, ending in a bitter 1975 divorce. When Bono died in a ski accident in 1998, Cher delivered a tearful eulogy.

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      In the past, witches—or those alleged to be witches—were burned at the stake. They are a Halloween staple, portrayed as cackling, cauldron-stirring evil-doers. Far from such eerie depictions are the portrayals of witches in film and on television. Played by glamorous actresses, these witches have no warts on their faces, but rather ordinary lives and good intentions—with some supernatural powers to contend with. Here are some of the witches who have brought witchcraft into today's pop culture, on the big and small screens.

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