Cheryl Sarkisian, better-known to the world as simply Cher, has lived one hell of a life during her 78 years. Gaining fame while only a teenager, Cher has had the kind of career that many artists dream of. While she’s always been outspoken, Cher hasn’t ever really lifted the lid on the ups and downs of her life but she’s ready to do that now with the release of ‘Cher: The Memoir, Part One’. No stranger to forging her own path, Cher has decided to release her autobiography in two-parts so she can tell her fans the full story of her remarkable life.
‘Cher: The Memoir, Part One’ covers the star’s childhood and takes readers just beyond the breakdown of her marriage to Gregg Allman, finishing in the early 80s. The first third of the book focuses on Cher’s childhood, growing up with a mother who was trying to be a star and frequently moving the family around the US as she flitted from one marriage to the next. Stability isn’t something that Cher had during her childhood with her only constant being her half-sister Georganne aka Gee, who was the daughter of actor John Southall. Despite the constant changes in her life, Cher speaks positively about her mother and she’s open about the difficult relationship they had.
While the childhood part of Cher’s story is interesting, and gives fans an insight into how Cher became the no-nonsense force of nature she is, it’s her relationship with Sonny Bono, her first husband, that will likely be the draw here. It’s no secret that Cher and Sonny had a rocky relationship, but they also managed to find friendship in the years after their marriage came to an end. The way Cher tells it, their relationship blossomed by complete accident after she’d moved in with him as a teenager. It was through Sonny that she was exposed to the music industry, finding herself in the circle of disgraced producer Phil Spector, and her career began.
It's hard to imagine there was ever a time when Cher wasn’t calling the shots but the picture she paints of her marriage is one that saw her taken advantage of time-and-time again. She believed that Sonny had her best interests at heart and despite the two of them experiencing incredible success, Cher was anything but happy and on top of the world. As Sonny & Cher, the duo released hit records and established themselves as TV stars, but the problems in their marriage eventually drove them apart. Despite their troubles, they managed to maintain a professional working relationship and you can tell by the way that Cher speaks about Sonny that she still has a deep found love and respect for him.
It's heartbreaking to learn of the way Sonny controlled Cher during their success. She talks about being unable to do anything without Sonny’s permission and having barely any friends as he insisted on approving everything she did. Recalling their life away from the spotlight, Cher talks about her loneliness as she was essentially isolated from everyone and only able to do what she was told. Sonny refused to see that he was working his wife into the ground, constantly adding more tour dates and plans to their calendar without any discussion. Honestly, it’s amazing that they managed to maintain anything with one another once they divorced and went their separate ways.
Alongside her marriage and career, Cher talks about becoming a mother to Chastity and her second marriage to Allman Brothers star Gregg Allman, who unbeknownst to her was a heroin addict. That relationship put Cher through the ringer too but it produced her second child, Elijah. Cher admits that she fell into the trap that so many people do, of believing they can change an addict. You can hear Cher’s fondness for the late Gregg in her words but it’s also clear that she knew their relationship was a dead end shortly after it started. Before meeting Gregg she opens up about her relationship with record executive David Geffen, who changed her life and helped her break free from Sonny’s control. While that relationship didn’t last, it’s clear that it’s one that had a profound effect on her life.
‘Cher: The Memoir, Part One’ is an engaging read and Cher dives deep into her life and career. For a woman who has had so much success, she’s also gone through a lot of hard times and heartache. Whether it’s her relationships you’re interested in or the stars she met along the way – Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and The Rolling Stones are just some of the people she had in her friendship circle – you’ll find plenty to enjoy with this book. Coming in at just over 400 pages, it’s a fairly lengthy read but given it ends in the early 80s, you know that the second part if likely going to be even longer. Cher is a true icon and a living legend, and her fans will delight in finding out more about her with this book.
Publisher: HarperCollins (HarperNonFiction) Release date: 19th November 2024 Buy ‘Cher: The Memoir, Part One’ now
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