How much is Cher worth?
| Net Worth: | $300 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Singer |
| Date of Birth: | May 20, 1946 (age 76) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.74 m) |
About Cher
Cher is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro California to an Armenian-American truck driver and an American mother who was a bit-part actress and an occasional model. Cher is commonly referred to as the Goddess of Pop and has been described as embodying the female autonomy in a male-dominated industry.
At the height of her career, it is estimated that Cher earned income equal to a salary of $70 million dollars per year.
She’s known for her very distinctive “contralto” singing voice, as well as, for working in different areas of entertainment and adopting hundreds of different styles in her six-decade-long career.
When she was 16 years old, Cher left her mother’s house, dropped out of school, and moved to Los Angeles with a friend. There, Cher took acting classes and worked various jobs to support herself. She also introduced herself to agents, managers, and performers.
In November 1962, she met her future husband Sonny Bono, a performer who was working for the record producer Phil Spector at the time. After Cher’s friend moved out, she took the job to be Bono’s housekeeper. It was during that time that Cher was introduced to Spector who used her as a backup singer of many songs. Soon, under the pseudonym “Bonnie Jo Mason”, Cher released her very first song called “Ringo, I Love You”.
Cher and Sonny eventually became lovers and got married in October 1964. Sonny wanted Cher to be a solo artist, however, she insisted on having him on stage with her because she suffered badly from stage fright.
At the end of 1964, Sonny became Cher’s producer after the singer signed with Liberty Records Imperial. The two changed their name from “Caesar and Cleo” to Sonny and Cher in early 1965. The release of their single “I Got You Babe” boosted the duo’s popularity and immediately became a worldwide hit. Later that year, they released their debut studio album titled Look at Us.
Cher became famous in 1965 as part of the duo Sonny & Cher, in which she teamed up with her husband Sonny Bono. Shortly after, she worked on television and established herself as a solo artist. Many of her hits quickly climbed international charts such as Billboard Hot 100 and she became recognized all over the world.
In the peak of her career, Cher released songs such as “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” which eventually became the singer’s very first million-seller song. In the 1970s, she became a television personality and a fashion trendsetter as she began wearing elaborate outfits on all of her television shows.
Besides releasing 26 different studio albums all of which in different genres (some rock-inflected, other dance-pop), Cher appeared in many Broadway plays, performed in various films, and sold 100 million records to date.
Her Farewell Tour eventually became one of the highest-grossing tours ever and she is the only artist to ever have a number 1 single on the Billboard chart in six consecutive decades.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Cher continued to release albums and experiment in different styles – (Brazilian) jazz, soul, rock, but mainly folk and pop. In August 1971, she became a television personality and appeared on the variety show The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The show had an immediate success and was watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run.
After some marital problems in 1972, Cher and Sonny officially got divorced in June 1975. During that time, Cher won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and was able to secure a $2.5 million deal with Warner Bros. Records.
Cher became rich because she wasn’t just a television personality, singer, or songwriter. This unique artist was doing many things simultaneously. In the 1970s, after her divorce with Sonny Bono, she got her own television show titled Cher.
She also married the co-founder of The Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman. The success of her renewed show with ex-husband Sonny Bono also led to the release of dolls and toys by Mego Toys. After giving birth to her two children, Cher released the album Take Me Home which became an instant success among the disco craze. She worked with another popular label, Casablanca Records, before forming her own band Black Rose with her then-lover Les Dudek.
In the final years of the 20th century, besides releasing new albums, Cher also starred in a lot of films such as Moonstruck, Suspect, The Witches of Eastwick, and Mermaids. During that time she also signed with Geffen Records and won multiple high-class awards such as Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She soon after signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records for $2.5 million.
The unstoppable Cher focused on many projects in her life. In 1988, she became one of the most successful actresses of the decade, being able to command an estimated $1 million per film. She even released her first-ever fragrance named Uninhibited, that earned approximately $15 million in just one year. Shortly after her ex-husband’s death, in 1998, both Sonny and Cher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for television).
Cher continued to succeed in her late 50s. In 2002, her wealth was estimated at $600 million. In June 2002, Cher embarked on her final tour titled Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, although she confirmed that she will continue to record music and play in films. The worldwide tour was initially scheduled for 49 shows, however, it was extended several times.
By late 2003, Cher’s tour became the most successful tour ever conducted by a woman, as it grossed over $200 million, or around $700,000 per show, with 283 performances. For the past 17 years, the icon continues to perform on stage and pursue her acting and music career. Besides appearing on TV series, realities, late-night shows, and films, Cher released two albums after her farewell tour – Closer to the Truth in 2013 and Dancing Queen in 2018.
Summing-Up
She has sold millions of records and has a long list of achievements. Grammy, Emmy, Academy, Golden Globe, and even a Cannes Film Festival are just some of the many achievements of the Goddess of Pop. There is no doubt that Cher is a living legend. This multi-talented woman has done it all and the fact that well into her 70s, she still continues to perform and amaze people is truly incredible.
