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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/26111818\/Screen-Shot-2019-11-26-at-13.17.48.jpg\")
\nWhen it comes to the pantheon of all-time-great duos, one of the 20th century\u2019s best offerings lies in Sonny and Cher. The couple turned superstars were two of the biggest names of their day, conquering music and TV as a duo. However, the turmoil of their private lives would eventually tear apart their relationship, as well as their working partnership. Now, 45 years after their breakup, and 21 years after Sonny’s untimely demise, Cher has spoken openly about how it all went so wrong.
\n[post_page_title]Looking for fame[\/post_page_title]
\nCherilyn Sarkisian and Sonny Bono met for the first time in 1962, in a Los Angeles coffee shop. Cher, as she came to be known professionally, had moved to Los Angeles at the age of 16, intent on becoming a star.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132935\/xdIIqIk.jpg\")
\nIt was there that she met Sonny, who was the assistant to the legendary record producer Phil Spector. Cher was determined to find her way into show business, and Bono agreed to introduce her to Spector.
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\n[post_page_title]A working relationship[\/post_page_title]
\nThere was a considerable age gap between Cher and Sonny, he being 27 when they met. However, the two of them hit it off and soon began working as a duo, while also entering a relationship. The two of them released music in several unsuccessful configurations until they scored big with the release of \u2018I Got You Babe\u2019 in 1965.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132938\/I0GPEzZ.jpg\")
\nThe song was a smash hit and launched Sonny and Cher into instant notoriety. This would be the start of everything for the duo.
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\n[post_page_title]The start of trouble[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, for as much as success and fame brought them, it very quickly started to take from them, too. Sonny was starstruck by his newfound fame, and it changed the way he acted considerably. He began a period of extreme infidelity, cheating on Cher numerous times.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132939\/Gxww3YK.jpg\")
\nObviously, this put a massive strain on their personal relationship, as well as their working one. Understandably, Cher did not want to be with someone, privately or publicly, who was constantly cheating on her.
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\n[post_page_title]Making up[\/post_page_title]
\nEventually Sonny promised Cher that he would cease his infidelity. He pledged to be loyal to her, and that they could start a proper family together. Sonny proposed to Cher, to which her response was total joy.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132941\/w1kBQWq.jpg\")
\nCher was pregnant at the time with her first child, Chaz Bono, and the couple were married after Chaz was born on March 4, 1969. It seemed as if Cher and Sonny\u2019s relationship had been rescued from the brink of destruction, and that now they would truly be a family.
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\n[post_page_title]Taking the world by storm[\/post_page_title]
\nFollowing the success of their first album \u2018Look at Us\u2019, they released their second album \u2018The Wondrous World of Sonny and Cher\u2019 in 1966. The album was commercially successful, and Cher and Sonny embarked upon an eagerly anticipated world tour.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132942\/f45mbtf.jpg\")
\nThe duo released their third album \u2018In Case You\u2019re in Love\u2019 in 1967, which spawned several hit singles. Sonny and Cher seemed like a surefire musical hit, taking the world by storm and racking up hit after hit.
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\n[post_page_title]A dry spell[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, times were changing, and the duo were not particularly successful in changing with them. The countercultural revolution of the 1960s had drastically changed the attitudes of young people, and Sonny and Cher\u2019s somewhat conservative, folksy image became increasingly unpopular. Their album sales began to suffer, as the easy listening style they had become so popular for was replaced in the popular consciousness by new genres like psychedelic rock.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132944\/uAM8JTb.jpg\")
\nIn particular, it was Sonny\u2019s unwillingness to change with the times which meant that an evolving culture, daring and experimental, was leaving them in the dust.
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\n[post_page_title]Silver screen slip-up[\/post_page_title]
\nSonny and Cher also tried to bolster their waning career with forays into film, none of which were very successful. A musical comedy, \u2018Good Times\u2019 was released in 1967, featuring Sonny and Cher, and was directed by now-visionary director William Friedkin.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132946\/mmrKE0h.jpg\")
\nIt was, however, a dud at the box office. The 1969 film \u2018Chastity\u2019 was written by Sonny, and starred Cher as a young hitchhiking woman. It was a commercial disappointment, heavily criticized for its writing and story. It was also, however, a sign of things to come, as Cher was praised for her acting.
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\n[post_page_title]Vegas victory[\/post_page_title]
\nIn an attempt to resuscitate their fading star, Sonny and Cher rebranded themselves as a Vegas duo, singing and performing comedy. At first this seemed as doomed as their other projects, but eventually Cher and Sonny were able to hit on a good formula, with their act growing gradually more popular.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132947\/dHPLHUN.jpg\")
\nThings started to change when a TV scout starting booking them for guest appearances on other TV shows, which were much more successful. Eventually, Sonny and Cher were offered their own variety show on primetime TV.
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\n[post_page_title]A small screen success[\/post_page_title]
\nIn the summer of 1971, \u2018The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour\u2019 started airing, initially with a short run of only 6 episodes. However, the show was a huge success, pulling in enough viewers and critical praise to be renewed for a second season.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132949\/VheUQQX.jpg\")
\nThe show featured musical numbers and skits featuring Cher, Sonny, and their numerous celebrity guests. The dynamic between the duo, alongside their new, more adult image, worked incredibly well, and \u2018The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour\u2019 was a ratings hit for each one of the 4 seasons that it was on air.
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\n[post_page_title]Unequal partners[\/post_page_title]
\nDespite the renewed success they had found, things were not all peachy between Cher and Sonny. Due to the age difference between the two, Cher felt increasingly unable to assert herself, and make her needs a priority equal to Sonny\u2019s.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132951\/dWGzOyf.jpg\")
\nSonny maintained complete creative control over \u2018The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour\u2019, offering Cher no chance to make decisions. Cher was starting to feel creatively suffocated, wanting to be able to spread her wings more.
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\n[post_page_title]Recurring trouble[\/post_page_title]
\nSonny was making a lot of mistakes personally as well as professionally. With the return of their success came the return of Sonny\u2019s infidelity, as he once more started cheating on Cher on a regular basis.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132953\/1vWlUIX.jpg\")
\nSonny\u2019s affairs put a massive strain on their marriage, with Cher being devastated that he had betrayed her once more, while growing increasingly furious at his callous behavior. Theirs was no longer the happy and successful partnership it had once been. Rather, it was a facade concealing a steadily crumbling core.
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\n[post_page_title]A need for freedom[\/post_page_title]
\nEventually, Cher came to the realization that she could simply leave Sonny. She was torn between the man she had loved for so long, and the freedom she knew she deserved. Tired of being cheated on, and frustrated with the lack of control she had over her own career, she decided to leave Sonny.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29132955\/aaWGVIW.jpg\")
\nHowever, Sonny did not take kindly to this news, insisting that if she left him, it would be the end of her career, and that people would hate her.
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\n[post_page_title]Taking her leave[\/post_page_title]
\nUltimately, though, Cher decided that she had had enough of being so disregarded, and made the decision. She had come to realize that she was actually the real star power behind the duo. It was Cher\u2019s personality, musical talent, acting ability, and fashion sense that was making their show so popular, as opposed to Sonny\u2019s somewhat conservative and dull sensibilities.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/OfQj5RV.jpg\")
\nShe was certain that she could make it on her own, and reassured of her potential, Cher ended her relationship with Sonny.
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\n[post_page_title]Contractual obligations[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, it would be some time before she could actually separate from Sonny. Due to the fact that Sonny had complete control over her contract, Cher was still forced to work on what he wanted her to, and \u2018The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour\u2019 continued despite their troubles.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/BvgN1Ht.jpg\")
\nAlthough they were no longer a couple, the duo maintained appearances in front of the cameras, which only served to increase the strain on their professional relationship.
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\n[post_page_title]A final separation[\/post_page_title]
\nDespite their attempts to maintain this facade for the public and keep the show going, the couple would eventually split. In 1974, Sonny filed for separation, followed very quickly after by Cher\u2019s filing for divorce.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133001\/12IiGp5.jpg\")
\nThe two were both devastated by the divorce, while also being furious at the other. However, Cher was finally getting what she had wanted for so long. Although it took a little time, she was able to free herself from her contract with Sonny after the divorce, and for the first time she had control over her own career.
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\n[post_page_title]Worries about the future[\/post_page_title]
\nJust as much as Cher, Sonny was heartbroken over the divorce, knowing that he had played a large part in their marriage\u2019s failure. However, he was also extremely worried about their careers, now that they would be ending the arrangement that had proved so successful for them both.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133003\/dHj8omW.jpg\")
\nSonny was worried that, apart, they would not be able to recreate the magic they had together. However, it\u2019s also possible that he was simply concerned about his ability to carry a show without the talent, and more importantly the personality, that Cher possessed.
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\n[post_page_title]Competing shows[\/post_page_title]
\nSonny and Cher\u2019s capacity to survive without each other would soon be tested, as they debuted their respective solo shows. Sonny\u2019s show, \u2018The Sonny Comedy Revue\u2019 began airing in 1974, and was a ratings flop, lasting for only 13 episodes.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133006\/tBLFlcl.png\")
\nOn the other hand, \u2018Cher\u2019, which started airing in 1975, was a huge success, showcasing the full breadth of Cher\u2019s talents, and attracting superstars like Elton John, Bette Middler, David Bowie, and The Jackson 5.
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\n[post_page_title]A different life[\/post_page_title]
\nSonny\u2019s show business career was somewhat sporadic after the cancelation of \u2018The Sonny Comedy Revue\u2019. He moved into acting, making several appearances on TV shows and in films, such as \u2018Charlie\u2019s Angels\u2019, \u2018Hairspray\u2019, and \u2018Golden Girls\u2019.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133009\/7khpeuq.jpg\")
\nHowever, Sonny eventually departed from Hollywood, opening a restaurant with his savings, and settling into a somewhat more normal life. He did, however, eventually move into politics, first becoming the mayor of Palm Springs, California, and then being elected as a member of Congress, representing California\u2019s 44th congressional district.
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\n[post_page_title]Making it on her own[\/post_page_title]
\nCher\u2019s career would remain solid over the next few years, despite some ups and downs. Her show \u2018Cher\u2019 only lasted a year due to her dislike of doing a show solo, but was nevertheless a smash hit that established her as a truly formidable entertainer.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133010\/6ES29up.jpg\")
\nCher also wanted to change musical direction somewhat, and managed to score a hit with disco record \u2018Take Me Home\u2019. Her foray in rock \u2018n\u2019 roll was much less successful, however. Eventually, Cher\u2019s album sales stalled, prompting her to break from music for a while to focus on acting.
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\n[post_page_title]Fashion icon[\/post_page_title]
\nAlongside her career in music and TV, Cher had become a style icon over the years. She was known for her daring, elaborate, and striking outfits, often designed by Bob Mackie, that came to distinguish her as much as her voice did.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133013\/14ZZWBU.jpg\")
\nCher\u2019s legacy is undeniable, credited with having changed the face of fashion forever, especially when it comes to celebrities. She is viewed as a pioneer of bold and highly glamorous outfits, an icon with a style that elevates her image to the realm of the truly extraordinary.
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\n[post_page_title]A silver screen star[\/post_page_title]
\nCher\u2019s move into acting would end up cementing her as, undeniably, one of the greatest stars of all time. Audiences were dubious regarding Cher\u2019s ability to act at first, but were soon won over by her commanding on-screen presence.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133014\/5kkWqT2.jpg\")
\nShe starred in films such as \u2018Silkwood\u2019, \u2018The Witches of Eastwick\u2019, and \u2018Mask\u2019, showcasing her dramatic and comedic talents. In 1987, Cher starred in \u2018Moonstruck\u2019, delivering a performance that won rave reviews from critics. Her role in \u2018Moonstruck\u2019 would win her the Academy Award for best actress, establishing her once and for all as a truly world-class talent.
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\n[post_page_title]Master of reinvention[\/post_page_title]
\nThe success of Cher\u2019s career can, in part, be put down to her incredible skill at reinvention. Over the years, the singer and actress has excelled at putting her talents to use in different ways according to the demands of the era.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133016\/cIAw9xA.jpg\")
\nIt is this ability that allowed her to transition musically from easy listening in the 60s, to pop-rock in the 70s, to rock \u2018n\u2019 roll in the 80s, and to pop in the 90s. She has also proved her talent time and again on screen, cementing her status as one of the greatest stars in history.
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\n[post_page_title]Bad news[\/post_page_title]
\nIt was in 1998, a year before the release of her worldwide hit album \u2018Believe\u2019, that Cher would be rocked by the news of Sonny Bono\u2019s passing. Unfortunately, Sonny had suffered an accident while skiing in Lake Tahoe, California.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133018\/WVJRc4M.jpg\")
\nCher was devastated by Sonny\u2019s passing, paying tribute to him at his memorial service. She spoke about her time with Sonny, claiming that he was the single most influential person in her life, and that she would miss him dearly.
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\n[post_page_title]An iconic duo[\/post_page_title]
\nDespite the troubles that their relationship went through, Sonny and Cher were, for a time, an unstoppable duo. Together they managed to make a huge mark on the worlds of both TV and music.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/29133020\/FEdZftV.jpg\")
\nAlthough their time together brought them both suffering, it was also a period of incredible joy and success, during which they were able to experience fantastic success with the person they loved. Though they might not have lasted together, the name \u2018Sonny and Cher\u2019 will forever be etched into cultural history.
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\n[post_page_title]Waiting for recognition[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, Cher has come forward to say that ‘Sonny and Cher’ don’t get enough recognition for their cultural significance. In an in-depth profile done by Vanity Fair, she claims it’s “kind of rude” that they’re still not a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/OUHXwSL.jpg\")
\nIn her opinion, they should have been inducted into the Hall of Fame by now, because they “lasted for a very long time” and were “a huge part of a certain kind of music.”
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\n[post_page_title]Ahead of their time[\/post_page_title]
\nWith so many wins under her belt, it seems unusual for Cher to be bothered by something like this, but she believes it’s unfair that they never got inducted because they started something no one else was doing at the time.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/p2057ll.jpg\")
\nThe Beatles were still doing the goody goody look with the bowl haircuts and the round-collared suits, and Sonny and Cher were already being the “weird hippies” before there was even a name for it, she argues.
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\n[post_page_title]’What more do you want?'[\/post_page_title]
\nThinking back on that time, Cher remembers the Rolling Stones as the only ones who understood them. “We had to go to Europe to become famous, people hated us here,” she says.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/BFRn9PB.jpg\")
\nTime would prove Sonny and Cher were up to something, though, and she’s not shy to admit they definitely influenced a generation. “It\u2019s like: What more do you want?” as she waits for the good people at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to do their thing.
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\n[post_page_title]Being an outsider[\/post_page_title]
\nThe feeling of being an outsider followed Cher into her other endeavours. She says actors didn’t take her seriously, either, although she showed them, with her Oscar, three Golden Globes, and an Emmy.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/sbOTqq3.jpg\")
\nShe’s always felt like she’s somewhere in between – not totally a singer, not totally an actor. She feels like she’s always a bit of an outsider, but claims that with time, she learned to actually like that status. It certainly made her unique.
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\n[post_page_title]Could she finally be inducted?[\/post_page_title]
\nSo far, there’s no news about whether Sonny and Cher as duo will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but on the last couple of years there has been a buzz about Cher, alone.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/uLmpWFQ.jpg\")
\nHer first solo album debuted in 1965, and with her incredible skill at reinvention, she’s become the only artist to have a number one Billboard single for every decade since the 1960s. With or without Sonny, we can’t see why Cher shouldn’t get the recognition she deserves.
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\n[post_page_title]Best of friends?[\/post_page_title]
\nOf course, we know by now that Cher does eventually go on to get the full recognition she deserves. In fact, we know now that she goes on to become one of the biggest musical stars ever to have lived – but let\u2019s not forget that Cher worked hard to get there.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144641\/hM36DDX.jpg\")
\nAfter the bitter divorce, one of the toughest things that Cher was forced to battle through was having to face Sonny pretty much wherever she went. It was as though she couldn\u2019t seem to shake off his name from her own…
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\n[post_page_title]A famous handshake[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, by 1976, it seemed like the hostility of the divorce was finally brushed under the carpet when the pair decided to rejoin forces for a special edition of \u2018The Sonny and Cher Show\u2019 – things got pretty awkward indeed.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144643\/0Udd1tP.jpg\")
\nAt the start of the show, they had a funny handshake, which was as if to say \u2018Yes, things are all good with us now.’ However, as everyone knows, there\u2019s always some kind of angst or grudge held deep within. Nevertheless, the show continued for another year!
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\n[post_page_title]Still working partners[\/post_page_title]
\nDespite their brand, music, and pretty much everything being originally built from a romantic relationship, for some reason, Cher and Sonny believed it was still a good idea to reunite.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144644\/1P0s6Js.jpg\")
\nBy continuing to work together, it was as though they had re-written the past and started to make their own future – and in a way, they had. However, like many things in life, not everything was all smiles and rainbows. There was one person who was allegedly really struggling with their revived success…
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\n[post_page_title]Trouble in the air[\/post_page_title]
\nJust four days after the divorce was finalized with Sonny, Cher then went on to marry her musician boyfriend at the time, Gregg Allman. However, she immediately got cold feet and filed for divorce due to his substance abuse.
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/VmG2axV.jpg\")
\nYet one month later, she decided to give it another go, simply because she loved him. Was that the right decision? Was she putting her own career at risk for the sacrifice of love? Well, history tells us that perhaps she did\u2026
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\n[post_page_title]A canceled show[\/post_page_title]
\nThe years from 1975 to 1977 were generally a rather hard time for Cher. Her troubled marriage to Allman was the talk of the town, and her show with Sonny never really reached the same heights.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144647\/10cMDbJ.jpg\")
\nThe on-screen banter from a divorced couple wasn\u2019t exactly what people wanted to watch, and by 1977, the show was canceled. So why did the show\u2019s reboot not work? Sonny and Cher\u2019s talents were clearly still as good, so was there another reason?
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\n[post_page_title]Jealous husband?[\/post_page_title]
\nWell, some people have even said that the difficulties of Gregg Allman\u2019s personal life was a major contributing factor for why the revival didn\u2019t work. So, could Allman have been a jealous husband? Was it too hard for him to see his wife up on stage singing along with her megastar ex-husband? Probably so.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144650\/SnS2Z5K.jpg\")
\nIt also didn\u2019t help that Gregg was already a rather troubled soul. His drink-fuelled backstage behavior was reportedly a problem for the crew, and his disputes with Cher were causing a public backlash…
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\n[post_page_title]Commodities[\/post_page_title]
\nCher\u2019s name was beginning to tarnish, but that didn\u2019t completely stop her from working. In fact, despite some criticizing her public divorce and messy relationship with Allman, she was still somehow becoming more and more of a commodity – especially with Sonny still by her side.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144651\/QeOa6zL.jpg\")
\nIn 1976, shortly before their show was canceled for the last time, Mego Toys released a pair of dolls in likeness to Sonny and Cher. These dolls, of course, ended up selling millions; even more than Barbie that year!
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\n[post_page_title]Following the formula[\/post_page_title]
\nAt this point, there was no going back. Cher was a household name, whether she liked it or not. In late 1977, she and husband Gregg released a duet album titled \u2018Two the Hard Way\u2019. Unfortunately, it completely and utterly bombed, becoming both a critical and commercial failure.
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![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/nHXKOoE.jpg\")
\nThis could have been the end of Cher\u2019s career right then and there. It was almost as though she was attempting to follow the formula that worked with Sonny. A husband and wife musical duo always works wonders, right?
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\n[post_page_title]On her own[\/post_page_title]
\nWell, clearly the husband and wife formula wasn\u2019t working for Cher and Gregg, so shortly after the album\u2019s release, Cher filed for divorce, which was finalized in 1979. New beginnings were on the horizon for Cher once again…so what was in store for her this time?
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144655\/8rWI5x2.jpg\")
\nWell, one thing for sure is she realized that if she was going to make it any further in the music industry, then she needed to stand on her own two feet – away from the successes and talents of anyone else, especially her ex-husbands!
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\n[post_page_title]Looking back[\/post_page_title]
\nNow in her early 70s, what does Cher think of all this madness nowadays? Well, she pretty much feels the same things we do; we just wish she had realized her talents earlier on! She didn\u2019t need a man to stand by her side.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144657\/tkLmXDO.jpg\")
\nIn 2017 interview, Cher once said, \u201cSonny made every decision for me. I couldn\u2019t have my say. I knew how to sing a song, and I knew how to be a good mother, but apparently, I didn\u2019t know anything else. I wish I stood forward out of the shadows more.\u201d
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\n[post_page_title]Regrets[\/post_page_title]
\nAlthough she might not necessarily regret anything that happened, Cher does look back and wonder what could have been if her success with Sonny had taken a backseat earlier on her career.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17144659\/ldZgZtk.jpg\")
\nIn the interview, she added, \u201cWhen I packed up and left Sonny, he felt like I was playing the victim. If he had agreed to let me go earlier on, things would have been more amicable.\u201d She then continued saying, \u201cEven though we might not have said nice things, it didn\u2019t matter. I knew him too well.\u201d
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\n[post_page_title]Chaz Bono[\/post_page_title]
\nSonny and Cher gave birth to their first child, Chaz, back on March 4, 1969. While the world may know him as Chaz Bono now, he was actually born as Chastity Sun Bono.
\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/hc2YXiA.jpg\")
\nChaz admitted that when he was growing up, he felt as though there was something \u201cdifferent\u201d about him. When he decided to come out to his mother, there are two sides to the story. Chaz explained that Cher was told by Sonny, but in Cher\u2019s memoir, she says Chaz came out to her face to face.
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\n[post_page_title]Becoming Chaz[\/post_page_title]
\nChaz believed that his mother didn\u2019t take the news too well, and Cher herself admits that it had been a difficult time for her. However, she said that she was only worried because Chaz was the child of famous parents – herself and Sonny – and so she believed that things would be made more trying for Chaz.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143040\/B8uEyJt.jpg\")
\nLuckily, Chaz fully embraced himself in 2008 and decided to transition from Chastity to Chaz, a legal man. After struggling to understand it at first, Cher has since become a staunch advocate for the LGBT community.
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\n[post_page_title]Chaz\u2019s nickname[\/post_page_title]
\nWhile Sonny may never have been able to see his daughter become Chaz, the person they were always meant to be, that doesn\u2019t mean he wouldn\u2019t have been proud. In fact, perhaps Sonny knew something that not even Chaz knew at the time. Chaz once explained in an interview that his father took him to a toy store and asked him to pick out a keychain.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143041\/RRZc0Ff.jpg\")
\nAs there weren\u2019t any with his name on, Sonny told Chaz to pick another name – and Fred was chosen. The nickname stuck for years, with Chaz affectionately being known as Fred.
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\n[post_page_title]The other child[\/post_page_title]
\nWhile many people may know of Cher\u2019s child with Sonny, Chaz, not everyone is aware that the singer has another child. While their relationship may have always been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, that didn\u2019t stop Cher and Gregg Allman having a child together.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143043\/oTvhQfB.jpg\")
\nElijah Blue Allman was born on July 10, 1976. However, things haven\u2019t always been easy for Cher\u2019s son, who has now become a successful musician in his own right.
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\n[post_page_title]Feeling shunned[\/post_page_title]
\nCher was worried about the impact Gregg\u2019s substance abuse may be having on their son, Elijah Blue, and so it was decided he would be sent to boarding school when he was eight years old.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143046\/STgxfxX.jpg\")
\nIn Cher\u2019s mind, she wanted to ensure her son was safe and didn\u2019t grow up in such a toxic atmosphere. However, according to Elijah, he felt \u201cshunned\u201d being kept away from his parents. Unfortunately, this meant that he ended up with his own substance abuse problems later on in life.
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\n[post_page_title]Working with mom[\/post_page_title]
\nWhile Elijah hasn\u2019t always had it easy, it has still managed to carve out a successful career for himself. In fact, when he was just 13 years old, he went on tour with his mom as her guitarist. He is also one of the guitarists in Cher\u2019s music video for If I Could Turn Back Time.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143048\/Nhk1ZYq.jpg\")
\nAlong with working alongside his mom, Elijah has also performed with Thirty Seconds to Mars, Sugar Ray, and his own rock band, \u2018Deadsy.\u2019 It seems as though the apple doesn\u2019t fall too far from the tree in this family.
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\n[post_page_title]Getting married in secret[\/post_page_title]
\nCher and Elijah haven\u2019t always had the best relationship – and perhaps Elijah has never really felt as though he could turn to his mom for relationship advice, due to her own past. So, when he decided to elope and get married in secret, Cher was allegedly not very happy.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143049\/xZe1Cad.jpg\")
\nBack in December 2013, he decided to marry Marieangela King, an English singer, without inviting his own mom. He later explained that he didn\u2019t want to wait around for his mother\u2019s approval or congratulations, especially as she didn\u2019t even react to their engagement.
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\n[post_page_title]Growing apart[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, Elijah didn\u2019t just grow apart from his own mother. When he and Chaz were growing up, the pair were pretty close. The fact they had different fathers didn\u2019t bother them, and it seemed as though they had an ally in each other.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/23143050\/iFscgaV.jpg\")
\nUnfortunately, however, the pair admit that they started growing apart as soon as they went to different schools. Elijah explained that they took their separate paths and very rarely speak to each other now. It seems sad to think that they\u2019re not as close as they used to be.
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\n[post_page_title]Feeling like the black sheep[\/post_page_title]
\nElijah has admitted in interviews he has always felt like a black sheep of the family, and clearly has very mixed feelings about both his mother and half-brother.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/03092622\/NxA8Aym.jpg\")
\nHe hasn’t talked to his mom in months, and claims he wasn’t even invited to celebrate Christmas with her last year. On the other hand, he himself didn’t invited her to his wedding – so it’s safe to say there are hurt feelings on both sides of this story.
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\n[post_page_title]Wanting to reconnect[\/post_page_title]
\nElijah admits Cher was not the only one who barely reacted (or reacted negatively) to the news of him suddenly getting married. It’s after all a pretty big deal, and more family members than Cher felt excluded. But at least one person didn’t.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/03092624\/RdpSmaJ.jpg\")
\nCher’s mother Georgia Holt, Elijah’s grandmother, did send her warmest congratulations to him. And despite his disappointment over the silence from his mother, he says he is still hopeful to reconnect with her.
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\n[post_page_title]She is Cher, after all[\/post_page_title]
\nAt the end of the day, the bond between a child and their mother is almost unbreakable, and Elijah truly admires and loves his mother – despite their many ups and downs over the years. When asked about her recently, he plainly stated “I mean, she’s Cher. What’s not to love?”.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/03092625\/XmKgo9J.jpg\")
\nAnd Cher herself seems to be taking their problems with ease, having stated she thinks all adult children and their parents go through ups and downs, including herself and her mother.
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\n[post_page_title]Living her life[\/post_page_title]
\nCher is 73 years old today, but is not showing any signs of slowing down. She is still healthy and strong, and spends her time both making music and touring. And it seems like longevity runs in her family.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/03092627\/JIzIbde.jpg\")
\nHer grandmother passed away only at the age of 93 and Cher herself barely looks a day over 50. She has admitted she didn’t even have to work out a day in her life to stay in shape, until she hit her early fifties.
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\n[post_page_title]Valuing her privacy[\/post_page_title]
\nBut when it comes to her love life, Cher has admitted she is a lot more careful today than back in her tumultuous youth with Sonny and Gregg. She has been quoted as saying “privacy is worth diamonds”, and she knows that’s not easy to get when you’re in the public eye.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/03092629\/GgIZTcN.jpg\")
\nShe partly blames media and paparazzi for putting such a strain on the previous relationships, it ruined them. Today she is convince any relationship worth having has to be kept secret to stay healthy and happy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When it comes to the pantheon of all-time-great duos, one of the 20th century\u2019s best offerings lies in Sonny and Cher. The couple turned superstars were two of the biggest names of their day, conquering music and TV as a duo. However, the turmoil of their private lives would eventually tear apart their relationship, as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":84537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n