Trivia

She and Barbra Streisand are the only two female performers in the United States to have had a #1 hit and won a competitive Oscar.

Her legal name has changed numerous times throughout her life. She was born as Cherilyn Sarkisian, and in 1961 her legal name was changed to Cheryl LaPiere after her stepfather formally adopted her. After her two marriages she had up to four last names, Sarkisian LaPiere Bono Allman, though accounts differ whether she was still using her birth father's last name and if her legal first name was Cherilyn or Cheryl. In 1979 she legally shortened her name to Cher, with no surname.

Good friends with Meryl Streep.

Wanted to play Morticia Addams in The Addams Family (1991), but the role went to Anjelica Huston.

She lives by her mother Georgia Holt's rule-of-thumb life lesson: "If it doesn't matter in 5 years, it doesn't matter".

When she first heard Diane Warren's demo for "If I Could Turn Back Time", she detested the song and firmly rejected it. It was only after much encouragement and badgering from the songwriter that she agreed to record it. The fact that Warren agreed to fund the recording session also helped clinch the deal, and Cher nailed the recording after just two takes.

Is the only certified female performer in music history to have had a US #1 single in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Her Oscar-winning part in Moonstruck (1987) was originally offered to Sally Field, who turned it down.

Mostly lived in London, England in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She now lives in Malibu, California.

Her parents married and divorced three times.

Beat out Céline Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" for the best-selling single of 1998 with "Believe".

Holds the record for oldest female artist with a #1 hit ("Believe").

Was called to be offered the role in The Witches of Eastwick (1987) on the morning of her 40th birthday.

Cher's father was of Armenian ancestry. Cher's mother had English and German, with more distant Dutch, French and Irish ancestry. Cher's mother reportedly had Cherokee ancestry as well, but it is not clear if this ancestry has ever been verified or documented.

From 2002-2005, she has had an immense success with her "Living Proof Farewell Tour", spanning the globe, making her the world's top diva. She also holds the record for longest-running tour and most money grossed than any female artist in history.

Is one of only six actors/actresses to have both a number one single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Frank Sinatra (1954), Barbra Streisand (1968), Judy Garland (Honorary Oscar) (1940), Jamie Foxx (2005) and Bing Crosby (1945).

Was rejected as being too old to play Robert Redford's love interest in Legal Eagles (1986) even though she's ten years younger than Redford.

In early 1999, she and Jennifer Aniston were set to play mother/daughter con artists in Heartbreakers (2001), but scheduling conflicts arose during its prolonged development period. Aniston's commitment to Friends (1994) and Cher's commitment to the Believe Tour meant both had to bow out of the movie. Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt replaced them.

Spoke the eulogy at ex-husband Sonny Bono's funeral.

She was the subject of an episode of The X-Files (1993) called "The Post-Modern Prometheus" (5X06; first aired November 3, 1997). This episode concerned a deformed man who adored Cher because of her role in Mask (1985), in which her character cared for her deformed son. Several Cher songs appeared on the soundtrack of this episode, including "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". At the end of the episode, Mulder and Scully take the Cher fan to a Cher concert, where they hear her sing her cover of "Walkin' in Memphis". Cher, a huge fan of "The X-Files", was asked to play herself in this scene but declined the producers' offer. However, she revealed on The X-Files Movie Special (1998) that once the episode aired, she regretted not having appeared in it.

At one time, was living with rock musician Gene Simmons of KISS.

The singer's video "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989) (by Diane Warren) was filmed aboard the (now decommissioned) USS Missouri (BB-63) ("Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo") in Long Beach (California) and featured (in cameos) Cher's son Elijah Allman and (his father/her ex) Gregg Allman as backing guitarists. Directed by Marty Callner.

Wore braces as an adult.

When she appeared on Graham Norton's show in October 2013, shortly after the death of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Norton pointed out the hashtag - #nowthatchersdead - that referred to Thatcher, but had been misconstrued as Cher's death.

Considers her performance as Rusty Dennis in Mask (1985) to be her finest work onscreen.

Has appeared solo on the cover of People magazine a near record 13 times.

In a recent poll, A&E's Biography Magazine ranked her as people's Number 3 favorite actress of all time behind her two Hollywood idols, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn.

Prior to giving birth to her son Chaz Bono, she suffered four miscarriages.

A 2002 Rolling Stone article estimated her wealth at over $600 million. Since then she has embarked on a hugely successful farewell tour that is still going and released a greatest hits CD that has spent weeks in the the Billboard Top 10.

Has 2 sons: Chaz Bono (b. March 4, 1969) with 1st ex-husband, Sonny Bono & Elijah Allman (b. July 10, 1976) with 2nd ex-husband, Gregg Allman.

Her half-sister, Georganne LaPiere, was the first wife of Michael Madsen.

She has had rhinoplasty and other cosmetic surgeries and occasionally refers to herself as the "Poster girl for plastic surgery".

She and Sonny Bono were among many of the celebrities who made regular weekend visits to Ralph Helfer's Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California to pitch in with the chores and to play with the animals.

She won a Grammy Award in 2000 for the song "Believe" and an Emmy Award in 2003 for a special on her farewell concert tour.

Was offered the role of Thelma Dickinson in Thelma & Louise (1991), which went to Geena Davis.

Son, Elijah Allman, fronts the band Deadsy.

Although her music video "If I Could Turn Back Time" is often cited as the first video to be banned by MTV, this is not true. The Rolling Stones ("Neighbors"), Ramones ("Psychotherapy") and Laura Branigan all had videos banned several years beforehand.

Sonny Bono and Cher did a promotional still for the film Good Times (1967) dressed in prehistoric caveman and cavewoman attire sitting atop Ralph Helfer's Indian elephant Misty.

Cher has had 4 Barbie dolls made in her likeness: Timeless Treasures Cher released in 2001, Blonde Ringmaster Cher, 70's Native American Cher, and 80's Cher, the latter three all being released in 2007. All four dolls were designed by Bob Mackie.

Was in consideration for the role of Lilly Dillon in The Grifters (1990) but Anjelica Huston, who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.

Ranked #43 on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll".

Is a huge fan of Katharine Hepburn.

In her 1974 divorce from Sonny Bono, he was ordered to pay her $25,000 per month for 6 months, $1,500 per month child support and ordered to pay $41,000 for her attorney's fees. Their liquid assets were otherwise split 50/50. She received their Bel Air mansion, Bono received an Aspen condo, Palm Springs house and another Los Angeles dwelling.

Her 1999 hit single "Believe" was ranked #60 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs.

Mother Georgia Holt was a huge fan of Lana Turner and named her daughter Cherilyn in honor of Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane.

She and Sonny Bono made a film for Columbia Pictures, Good Times (1967), but it was such a flop that Columbia immediately sold rights to their intended follow-up film, Speedway (1968) to MGM as a vehicle for Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra.

Holds the record for the the longest gap between #1 hits ("Dark Lady" 1974, "Believe" 1999).

Her first live performance of "Believe" was on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) on November 18, 1998. It was so memorable CBS re-aired the episode in late 2007.

Pulled out of Flint (2017), citing a family issue.

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.