Cher

Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian,}} May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous contralto voice, bold fashion and visual presentation, and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her public image as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, she has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention.

Cher rose to fame in 1965 as part of the folk rock duo Sonny & Cher, whose hit single "I Got You Babe" became emblematic of 1960s counterculture. She simultaneously launched a solo career with moody pop songs such as "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", whose theatrical storytelling foreshadowed her 1970s US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady". After a period focusing on acting, she reemerged with the hair metal albums ''Cher'' (1987), ''Heart of Stone'' (1989) and ''Love Hurts'' (1991), scoring international number-one hits "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)". At 52, she released the dance-pop album ''Believe'' (1998), which introduced the "Cher effect"—a stylized use of Auto-Tune to distort vocals. Its title track became 1999's number-one song in the US and the UK's best-selling single by a female artist. In the 21st century, she released her highest-charting US ''Billboard'' 200 albums, ''Closer to the Truth'' (2013) and ''Dancing Queen'' (2018), each debuting at number three.

Cher became a TV star in the 1970s with ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' and her solo variety show ''Cher'', both on CBS, which drew more than 30 million weekly viewers. She later gained critical acclaim with her Broadway debut and the film adaptation of ''Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' (1982). Transitioning to film, she earned two Academy Award nominations—for ''Silkwood'' (1983) and ''Moonstruck'' (1987), winning Best Actress for the latter—and received the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award for ''Mask'' (1985). Other starring roles include ''The Witches of Eastwick'' (1987), ''Mermaids'' (1990), ''If These Walls Could Talk'' (1996, her directorial debut), ''Tea with Mussolini'' (1999), ''Burlesque'' (2010) and ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' (2018).

One of the best-selling music artists in history, Cher has sold over 100 million records and is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the US ''Billboard'' charts in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s). She scored three solo Hot 100 number-ones in the 1970s: "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971), "Half-Breed" (1973) and "Dark Lady" (1974), while Sonny & Cher's "All I Ever Need Is You" led Adult Contemporary in 1972. In the 1980s, she topped Adult Contemporary with "After All" and "If I Could Turn Back Time" (both 1989). The 1990s saw "Believe" (1998) lead multiple charts, including the Hot 100, followed by Dance Club Songs number-ones "Strong Enough" and "All or Nothing" (both 1999). In the 2000s and 2010s, she topped Dance Club Songs with "Song for the Lonely" and "A Different Kind of Love Song" (both 2002), "When the Money's Gone" (2003), "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (2011) and "Woman's World" (2013). In the 2020s, "DJ Play a Christmas Song" (2023) led multiple charts, including Adult Contemporary.}} Her accolades include a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globes, the ''Billboard'' Icon Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. She is the only performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her 2002–2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist at the time, earning $250 million—about $ million in . Her life and career inspired the 2018 jukebox musical ''The Cher Show''. Beyond entertainment, Cher is known for her progressive politics and advocacy for causes including LGBTQ rights and HIV/AIDS awareness. Provided by Wikipedia