Profile of the Day: Cher

Happy birthday to Cher! Today the music icon turns 75.

Image: Cher / Wikimedia Commons

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946 in El Centro, California to John Sarkisian and Jackie Jean Crouch. With dreams of becoming famous, Cher dropped out of school at 16 to pursue an acting career. She rose to stardom as part of a singing act with her husband, Sonny Bono, whom she met in 1962. The duo was best known for the hit song “I Got You Babe” and their immensely popular variety show The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The couple divorced in 1975.

After the divorce, Cher found success as a solo artist, releasing several chart-topping hits. She also continued to pursue roles on the big screen, including films Silkwood, Mask, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Today Cher is one of the best-selling musical artists in history.

What’s your favorite song or performance?

Explore Cher’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the music legend!

View Cher’s Geni Profile