Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an Oscar - and Grammy- winning American singer and actress. A major figure for over five decades in the world of popular culture, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop for having first brought the sense of female autonomy and self-actualization into the entertainment industry.
She is known for her distinctive contralto and for having worked extensively across media, as well as for continuously reinventing both her music and image, the latter of which has been known to induce controversy.
Cher first caught the eye and ear of the public in 1965 as one-half of the pop rock duo Sonny & Cher, which popularized a peculiar smooth sound that competed successfully with the predominant British Invasion and Motown Sound of the era.
After a period in which the duo became obsolete thanks to the rise of the drug culture, she re-emerged in the 1970s as a television personality with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and Cher, which attained immense popularity.
At the same time, she established herself as a solo artist with million-selling hits such as “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”, “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves”, “Half-Breed”, and “Dark Lady”, which dealt with unusual subjects in mainstream popular music. Throughout, she cemented her status as a fashion trendsetter with her daring outfits, and was noted as being the first woman to expose her navel on television.
Cher’s impact at that time, as described by Phill Marder from Goldmine magazine, “led the way to advance feminine rebellion in the rock world,” as she was “the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance and … attitude
