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Cher: A Biography
Traces the life of the popular singer, television star, and actress, describes her difficult childhood and failed marriages, and describes her major film roles
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
322 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
95 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
J. Randy Taraborrelli
26 books493 followersJ. Randy Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia. He also appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning. Taraborrelli resides in Los Angeles, California.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2025
Cher (maybe Sonny & Cher)
I was going to rate this book 1 star; the first half of the book is totally about Sonny and Cher (divorce and all), then a short recap of Chers' other boyfriends and husbands. FINALLY the author gets to her movies. This makes the book worth 2 stars and is the most interesting.
I was going to rate this book 1 star; the first half of the book is totally about Sonny and Cher (divorce and all), then a short recap of Chers' other boyfriends and husbands. FINALLY the author gets to her movies. This makes the book worth 2 stars and is the most interesting.
December 2, 2018
My God Cher!!!! A woman!! Well written and very entertaining, but because it’s a biography i sort of took everything with a pinch of salt. Would love a Cher autobiography one day 🤞
May 9, 2015
Interesting story of the relationship of Cher and Sonny, most detailed through the end of their careers together. He was definitely a controlling man and had to win at all costs. Does shed light on why they broke up. Bittersweet.
January 30, 2011
I read J. Randy Taraborrelli’s biography, “Elizabeth” about actress Liz Taylor in August 2007. I am now a fan of Taraborrelli’s concrete writing and hope to read some more of his books in the future. Here, he wrote about singer/actress Cher and this book was published in 1986. I saw Cher in concert once in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1990s. A lot of her fans at the concert were lesbians since she had a big gay following, particularly after her appearance in the movie “Silkwood” where she portrayed the lesbian roommate of Karen Silkwood who died in an automobile accident in 1974. Silkwood’s death was concluded to be suspicious and possibly a murder as she was on her way to meet with a union representative and a reporter of the New York Times to discuss safety issues at the Cimarron nuclear plant where she worked just north of Oklahoma City. Karen Silkwood was portrayed by actress Meryl Streep. I had the good fortune to see the movie on the big screen for my second time since its initial release in the early 1980s, this past summer at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas.
Cher was a naïve young woman when Sonny Bono met her. He was much older than her and was married, but separated from his wife and children. He saw that there was “something” in Cherilyn Sarkision. This book describes their many struggles, successes and failures for Sonny to make her a successful singer. He wrote and produced songs and their hit single “I Got You Babe” draw attention to the couple. Cher lived with Sonny, before he got a divorce and then they married. Sonny was very controlling and demanding, but also very ambitious. Cher fought Sonny on some of the things he pushed her to do, but ended up giving in to him, as she loved him very much. She was also very young and Sonny took care of everything in their career together. They did a few semi-successful movies together, played Vegas, and after many struggles and gigs, they were given their own TV show. The couple became very popular from their hit TV show, “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” in the 1970s. The couple had their struggles with Cher feeling trapped in her relationship and so Cher finally asked Sonny for a divorce. It was not ratings, but the dissolving of their marriage that terminated the weekly program.
Cher loved to wear outrageous outfits and speak her mind. Cher became the topic of tabloids, a personality, someone to gossip about. She had some very public relationships including one with record producer David Geffen, and her very short marriage to singer Gregg Allman created a son, Elijah Blue. She also had a relationship with Kiss performer Gene Simmons. For a while, she was back on TV again with her ex Sonny Bono.
She acted on the Broadway stage in a play, “Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” The production itself did not get the best reviews, but Cher who portrays a waitress, got very good reviews. Cher then went on to film “Silkwood,” where again she got recognition, and then she was the lead actress in the movie “Mask.” The book ends soon after discussing “Mask” since this book was published in the 1980s. Since then, Cher has had roles in several other movies, including most recently this year, as a California Sunset Strip dance club owner, in the musical movie “Burlesque.”
Still today, just saying the name “Cher,” everyone has an opinion. Cher’s daughter Chastity, named after a movie Cher and Sonny made in the late 1960s, came out as a lesbian in the 1990s, and recently had a sex change operation, and renamed herself Chaz. Cher has openly admitted that it was very difficult for her when she initially discovered that Chasity was gay and said that her reaction was very “un-Cher like” since she was upset and unaccepting. However, slowly she learned to adjust and accept Chasity. Now she has being very supportive of Chasity’s decision to be male, since she says that she loves her child and knows how difficult it must be for Chasity to become Chaz under the public magnifying glass.
I have always liked Cher and found her to be very talented. What makes her interesting is her public persona. She seems very real and open.
Cher was a naïve young woman when Sonny Bono met her. He was much older than her and was married, but separated from his wife and children. He saw that there was “something” in Cherilyn Sarkision. This book describes their many struggles, successes and failures for Sonny to make her a successful singer. He wrote and produced songs and their hit single “I Got You Babe” draw attention to the couple. Cher lived with Sonny, before he got a divorce and then they married. Sonny was very controlling and demanding, but also very ambitious. Cher fought Sonny on some of the things he pushed her to do, but ended up giving in to him, as she loved him very much. She was also very young and Sonny took care of everything in their career together. They did a few semi-successful movies together, played Vegas, and after many struggles and gigs, they were given their own TV show. The couple became very popular from their hit TV show, “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” in the 1970s. The couple had their struggles with Cher feeling trapped in her relationship and so Cher finally asked Sonny for a divorce. It was not ratings, but the dissolving of their marriage that terminated the weekly program.
Cher loved to wear outrageous outfits and speak her mind. Cher became the topic of tabloids, a personality, someone to gossip about. She had some very public relationships including one with record producer David Geffen, and her very short marriage to singer Gregg Allman created a son, Elijah Blue. She also had a relationship with Kiss performer Gene Simmons. For a while, she was back on TV again with her ex Sonny Bono.
She acted on the Broadway stage in a play, “Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” The production itself did not get the best reviews, but Cher who portrays a waitress, got very good reviews. Cher then went on to film “Silkwood,” where again she got recognition, and then she was the lead actress in the movie “Mask.” The book ends soon after discussing “Mask” since this book was published in the 1980s. Since then, Cher has had roles in several other movies, including most recently this year, as a California Sunset Strip dance club owner, in the musical movie “Burlesque.”
Still today, just saying the name “Cher,” everyone has an opinion. Cher’s daughter Chastity, named after a movie Cher and Sonny made in the late 1960s, came out as a lesbian in the 1990s, and recently had a sex change operation, and renamed herself Chaz. Cher has openly admitted that it was very difficult for her when she initially discovered that Chasity was gay and said that her reaction was very “un-Cher like” since she was upset and unaccepting. However, slowly she learned to adjust and accept Chasity. Now she has being very supportive of Chasity’s decision to be male, since she says that she loves her child and knows how difficult it must be for Chasity to become Chaz under the public magnifying glass.
I have always liked Cher and found her to be very talented. What makes her interesting is her public persona. She seems very real and open.
April 11, 2023
i love cher
August 30, 2012
This is an excellent book whether you are a Cher fan or not. Well written in depth look into Cher's life before, during, and after Sonny.
June 12, 2023
Cher
As amazing and interesting as any woman in history. As a small child I lived for the Sonny and Cher show. I was a huge KISS fan so I can remember the Rick mags and tabloids with Cher and Gene, he would have a "Billy the kid" bandana covering half his face. It was always exciting. This books seems to have been written with a little to much "salt" towards Cher. She is a SUPERSTAR. I have been lucky enough to catch her live shows which are incredible. Also, One must assume this book came out before the incredible album (ugh name escapes) with If I could turn back time. Every song on that album is great. This book is worth the read, it offered a lot of info I never knew.
Remember Armenian Women, we are strong and we always fight for what we believe is right. Love you Cher, always!!
As amazing and interesting as any woman in history. As a small child I lived for the Sonny and Cher show. I was a huge KISS fan so I can remember the Rick mags and tabloids with Cher and Gene, he would have a "Billy the kid" bandana covering half his face. It was always exciting. This books seems to have been written with a little to much "salt" towards Cher. She is a SUPERSTAR. I have been lucky enough to catch her live shows which are incredible. Also, One must assume this book came out before the incredible album (ugh name escapes) with If I could turn back time. Every song on that album is great. This book is worth the read, it offered a lot of info I never knew.
Remember Armenian Women, we are strong and we always fight for what we believe is right. Love you Cher, always!!
August 8, 2023
I didn't realize this was a biography, not an autobiography or memoir. So it was a little disappointing. Also, no pictures. And oh man, it wasn't up to date. Didn't mention Sonny's tragic ski fatality or Chaz coming out as a Trans man. I've always loved Cher, so it was still interesting enough!
September 9, 2023
Disappointing. Got tired of how "scared" and "afraid" Cher was in almost every paragraph. She had way too many accomplishment to be afraid of everything. The is largely a description of the movies Cher was in.
September 3, 2025
Juicy, gossipy, and totally entertaining. It definitely feels “unauthorized” at times, but that’s kind of the fun of it, you get all the behind the scenes drama along with Cher’s rise to superstardom. Not always polished, but a good read if you’re a fan.
January 10, 2025
What a great insight into Cher's life
Well written, enjoyed reading, hard to put down. If you are a fan of Cher, it's a must read. Wasn't what I expected.
Well written, enjoyed reading, hard to put down. If you are a fan of Cher, it's a must read. Wasn't what I expected.
April 15, 2024
Love Cher, but this book was a slog to get through. I think it focused a little too much on Sonny. Don’t get me wrong, Sonny is a pivotal person in Cher’s professional and personal life so of course he was bound to be in it, but honestly, I don’t care about him. I’d be more inclined to read an autobiography and read Cher’s own words about him. There was also a lot of musical history and exposition (sounds and styles of the 60s, 70s etc.) which again, I can appreciate, but doesn’t really have a lot to do with CHER herself. Yes Phil Spector was a big deal I know, but we didn’t need a chapter explaining his studio methodology.
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September 25, 2014did not read this, added in error
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews