She then revived her music career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989), and Love Hurts (1991), all of which yielded successful singles such as "I Found Someone", " If I Could Turn Back Time", and " Love and Understanding". She subsequently garnered critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood (1983), Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), the last of which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1982, Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and starred in its film adaptation. After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, she released the disco album Take Me Home (1979) and earned $300,000 a week for her 1979–1982 concert residency in Las Vegas.
While working on television, Cher released the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles " Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", " Half-Breed", and " Dark Lady", becoming the female artist with the most number-one singles in United States history at the time. She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows. She became a television personality in the 1970s with her CBS shows first The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, and then the namesake Cher. Her solo career was established during the same time, with the top-ten singles " Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and " You Better Sit Down Kids". Together they sold 40 million records worldwide. Cher 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 throughout her six-decade-long career.Ĭher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song " I Got You Babe" peaked at number one on the US and UK charts. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. Cher ( / ʃ ɛər/ born Cherilyn Sarkisian May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality.