From chart-topping hits and unforgettable fashion moments to Oscar-winning performances and career reinventions, superstar Cher, who turned 80 on May 20, has spent decades creating some of the most iconic moments in entertainment history.
Over the years, the superstar has built a long-lasting career. As Cher celebrates her 80th year, here’s a look back at the unforgettable moments that transformed her from a pop singer into a true cultural icon.
Cher’s Early Career Highlights
Cher started her music career as a backup singer, working for Phil Spector. However, her unmistakable voice helped launch her into stardom alongside then-husband Sonny Bono.
They subsequently scored their first big single in 1965 with “I’ve Got You, Babe.” The duo went on to have a successful string of hits such as “The Beat Goes On,” “All I Ever Need is You,” “Baby Please Don’t Go,” and “All I Ever Need is You.”
By the early 1970s, the couple had separated personally and professionally. Thereafter, Cher went on to find huge success as a solo recording artist, with songs such as “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” “Half-Breed,” and “Dark Lady.”
An on-screen reunion with Bono led to a 1976 reboot of their early ’70s variety television show, “Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.” But the series puttered out after two seasons, ending in 1977.
An Oscar-Winning Actress
According to History, Cher reinvented herself as an actress in the late 1970s. She studied at the famed Lee Strasberg Actors Studio in New York City. Thereafter, she began booking roles, starring in the 1982 film “Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.”
She followed that role with a Golden Globe nomination for the film “Silkwood,” co-starring alongside Meryl Streep in 1983. By 1985, she starred in “Mask” with Eric Stoltz, proving herself to be an accomplished dramatic actress.
Cher picked up steam as an actress in 1987 with three starring roles in “The Witches of Eastwick,” “Suspect,” and “Moonstruck.” She won a 1988 Best Actress Oscar for her role as headstrong “Moonstruck” character, Loretta Castorini.
Cher Returns to the Charts
With the success of “Moonstruck,” Cher found herself back in the public eye. At the same time, she re-entered the music charts in 1987 with “I Found Someone.” The song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Top 100, setting off a string of top-charting tunes.
Two years later was peak Cher-mania, when she released a racy video for 1989’s “If I Could Turn Back Time.” She famously wore a body stocking and a thong, showing off her backside, filming her performance aboard the active-duty battleship, the USS Missouri. MTV would go on to ban the video from airing throughout the day, moving it to an airtime position after 9 p.m.
By 1998, after dealing with health struggles and the passing of her first husband, Sonny Bono, Cher stepped back into the spotlight with “Believe,” reported PEOPLE Magazine. The LP would reach quadruple platinum status (over 4M sold) and win her a Grammy Award.
In the past several years, Cher starred in the feature films “Burlesque” and ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.’ She received a Kennedy Center Honor, and her life was immortalized in a Broadway musical, “The Cher Show.”
The multi-hyphenate was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 for her contributions to the music industry.
Happy 80th birthday Cher!
