Believe it: Ageless pop culture legend Cher turns 80 on Wednesday, May 20. The singer, songwriter, actress, activist, mother, philanthropist, fashion icon, gay icon and so many more things has been topping the charts for six decades, has won multiple awards and is one of the bestselling artists of all time.
Here are just some of the highlights of her illustrious career:
Cher’s Music Career
-She’s sold over 100 million records worldwide.
-She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 by Zendaya and performed that night alongside Dua Lipa.
-She’s received seven Grammy nominations and won a Grammy in 2000 for “Believe.” She was also given the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
-Cher’s Living Proof: The Farewell Tour was, at the time of its conclusion in 2005, the highest-grossing tour ever by a female artist.
-She’s the only artist ever to have a #1 Billboard single in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.
-Her 2018 album Dancing Queen debuted at #3 on the Billboard album chart, tying the record for her highest-charting solo album ever.
-Her rebellious attitude, fashion sense and ability to reinvent herself has influenced everyone from Pink, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and Gwen Stefani. Sabrina Carpenter wore one of Cher’s Bob Mackie gowns from the 1970s to an event last year.
Cher’s Acting Career
-Received one best supporting actress Oscar nomination in 1984 for Silkwood; won the best actress Oscar in 1988 for Moonstruck.
-Won three Golden Globe Awards in 1974, 1984 and 1988.
-Starred in movies including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mermaids, The Witches of Eastwick, Suspect and Burlesque.
-Received seven Emmy nominations, winning in 2003 for Cher: The Farewell Tour.
-Starred in TV shows including The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, Cher, The Sonny & Cher Show, Cher… Special and HBO’s If These Walls Could Talk, for which she also directed a segment.
Other accomplishments
-She’s a New York Times bestselling author, thanks to her 2024 book Cher: The Memoir.
-Her life inspired the 2018 Broadway musical The Cher Show, which won two Tony Awards in 2019.
-She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018.
-She’s a style icon who received the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award for “Influence on Fashion” in 1999.
-She’s a gay icon, activist and ally, and recipient of the Vanguard Award from GLAAD Media Awards.
-She’s lent her support to countless causes and charities: animal rights, elder rights, soldiers and veterans, people living with AIDS, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, the COVID-19 pandemic and more.
-She’s the mother of Chaz Bono, whose father was her late husband Sonny Bono, and Elijah Blue Allman, whose father was her second husband, the late rocker Greg Allman.
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