Van's Pick: Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher
- Van
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
Cher has been a superstar for seven decades. I just saw the musical based on her life - The Cher Show - at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans and I decided to read her memoir. This is a 432 page first volume with the second volume slated for release in November of this year. This book stayed weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List.
Cher has won an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, and Cannes Film Festival award. She has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and honored by the Kennedy Center. This volume discusses her growing up and her early singing career and ends around her Las Vegas concert in 1980 where she is talking to her dear friend Francis Ford Coppola who is encouraging her to pursue acting.
Cher did have a difficult childhood. She and her sister were raised by a strong mother figure who had some Cherokee ancestry. Cher’s father was Armenian and rarely present in her early life. Her mother wedded a number of men and Cher had trouble in school due to dyslexia. She overcame these obstacles and met Sonny Bono and the rest is history. She started backup singing for Phil Spector’s studio and eventually starting recording songs with Sonny leading to their hit albums and television shows. Cher would meet costume designer Bob Mackie on the set of the Carol Burnett show and thus would begin a collaboration that would extend for decades. After her divorce from Sonny leaving her destitute she would pick up her solo career and eventually start a Vegas concert show. Her relationships to David Geffin and Greg Allman are examined. Many of her famous boyfriends are mentioned but not a lot of gossip is given about them. She does respect their privacy. She does give a lot of detail about her various costumes and wardrobe and the exterior and interior designs of her homes.
The book has lots of detail and Cher’s wit and intelligence definitely shines through. Cher did have some assistance from a ghost writer. The book is some great color photos of Cher’s childhood and her early career. Interesting anecdotes and stories are given and this not a boring read. This first volume will please Cher fans as well as newbies who would like an introduction to this icon. On the back cover of the book, instead of giving a paragraph of Cher’s accomplishments, there is one simple message, “Cher is a global icon.” That about sums up everything. Now I have to wait for November and Part 2. - Van, Reference Librarian
