Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California in 1946) is an American singer and actress whose recording career stretches back to 1963, from the Sonny & Cher hits through disco, rock, and dance-pop reinventions. Believe (1998), with its Auto-Tuned title track, remains the go-to entry point alongside the '60s duo classics. Find Cher vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Cherilyn Sarkisian was born in El Centro, California on May 20, 1946. She began her recording career in 1963 as a backing vocalist on Phil Spector productions, then formed the duo Sonny & Cher with Sonny Bono in 1965. The duo's I Got You Babe (1965) became a global hit. They divorced in 1975 and continued the partnership professionally until 1977. Cher's solo career on Imperial, Kapp, MCA, Casablanca, Geffen, and Warner Bros. produced singles and albums across pop, rock, disco, and dance, with her 1998 single Believe (using Auto-Tune for distinctive vocal effect) becoming a global cultural phenomenon and reigniting her commercial peak. Her parallel acting career produced an Academy Award for Moonstruck (1988).
Cher's recordings span pop, rock, disco, dance-pop, country, and adult contemporary, with her distinctive contralto vocal range as the through-line across decades of stylistic reinvention. Her Geffen-era 1980s work (I Found Someone, If I Could Turn Back Time) and Warner Bros. 1998 album Believe with its Auto-Tune-driven title track represent the two most commercially significant peaks of her solo catalog.
Cher's catalog has been extensively reissued across multiple labels and formats. Original 1960s Imperial and Atco pressings of the Sonny & Cher catalog are widely collected. Believe (1998) has had multiple anniversary editions.
Listeners new to Cher typically start with Believe (1998) or a hits compilation. The Sonny & Cher catalog (1965-1977) is a separate entry point.
