The Goddess of Pop Cher has turned 80

'If I could turn back time...' Happy 80th birthday to the Goddess of Pop Cher

Cher is a legend of the stage and screen and on May 20 she has turned 80!

The Goddess of Pop has given us timeless hits like I Got You Babe, If I Could Turn Back Time and Believe, whilst her movies include classics such as The Witches of Eastwick, Mermaids and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Take a look back at the life and career of Cher on her 80th birthday...

Born to be a star

Cherilyn Sarkisian was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, to a truck driver and a former model.

From a young age, she set her sights on a life in the public eye.

Reflecting on her early ambitions, she said: “I decided that I just wanted to be famous - maybe not with a specific talent, like Judy Garland or Dorothy McGuire, but as a personality.”

Entertainment over education

When she was 16 years old, Cher left school and moved out of her mother’s home to chase her dream of becoming a star.

She danced in small clubs and, according to a 2001 biography, she “did not hesitate to approach anyone she thought could help her get a break, make a new contact, or get an audition”.

In 1962, she met fellow performer Sonny Bono and even offered to work as his housekeeper - but her big break was just around the corner.

Who is Bonnie Jo Mason?

At the time, Sonny Bono was working with renowned record producer Phil Spector and soon introduced Cher to him.

Spector quickly hired her as a backing singer for well-known acts, including The Ronettes - her voice can be heard on the group’s 1963 hit single Be My Baby.

During the height of Beatlemania, she released her first single, Ringo, I Love You, under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason.

However, the track was pulled from radio stations after some DJs mistakenly believed it featured a gay man singing about his love for Ringo Starr.

Hollywood stardom

After her divorce from Sonny, Cher’s music career began to lose momentum, prompting her to explore a new path in acting.

Cher starred alongside Susan Sarandon, Jack Nicholson, and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1987’s The Witches of Eastwick, and later admitted: “I got into acting because I couldn’t get a job singing. Nobody wanted to know me.”

Over the years, she went on to star in several critically-acclaimed films, including 1980’s Mask and Silkwood.

Cher’s acting talent was soon recognised, and she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar for her part in 1987’s Moonstruck, in which she starred opposite Nicolas Cage.

Farewell and Vegas

In June 2002, Cher embarked on what was promoted as her farewell tour called Living Proof, and it became the most successful tour ever by a female artist at the time - earning $145 million from 200 performances.

In 2008, the singer began a three-year residency in Las Vegas and returned to touring in the years that followed.

Speaking about her decision not to retire, she explained: “It’s all I ever wanted to do, from the time I was four years old. Sometimes I think, ‘You better stop, this is too much.’ But that’s momentary.”