Cher

Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, later adopted by Gilbert LaPierre.) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, author and entertainer. Among her many career accomplishments in music, television and film, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards among others. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, Cher first rose to prominence in 1965 as one half of the pop/rock duo Sonny & Cher. She also established herself as a solo recording artist, releasing 25 albums, contributing to numerous compilations, and tallying 34 Billboard Top 40 entries over her career, both solo and with Sonny. These include eighteen Top 10 singles and five number one singles (four solo). Cher has had 16 top ten hits in the UK between 1965 and 2003, four of which reached number one (two solo, one with Sonny, one as part of a charity single). She became a television star in the 1970s and a film actress in the 1980s. In 1987, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the romantic comedy Moonstruck. In a career surpassing 40 years, Cher has been described as an enduring pop icon and one of the most popular female artists in music history. Since her debut in 1964, Cher has sold as a solo artist over 100 million records worldwide and an estimated 70 million singles and with duo Sonny and Cher over 75 million records becoming one of the biggest-selling artists of all time. During 2007, in the seventh volume of Chrome Hearts, Cher once again confirmed that she is working on her twenty-sixth studio album. No recordings have taken place as of yet, and no release date had been scheduled. It is rumoured that Cher will collaborate with Timbaland in a song for his next album Shock Value II, which will also feature Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Dido and Christina Aguilera. This album is expected to be released in November 2008. On February 7, 2008 Cher, at 61, announced that she had reached a deal to perform 200 shows over three years live at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Her new show, entitled Cher at the Colosseum, will debut on May 6, 2008. [36] The show reportedly includes 18 dancers, 4 aerielists, and multiple costumes designed by Bob Mackie. Choreography will be directed by Doriana Sanchez who also worked with Cher on her past three major tours. Her show will perform four nights a week for a month, and a second leg of the show will continue in August. Cher will share the stage on a rotating basis with contemporaries Bette Midler (whose The Showgirl Must Go On opened on February 20, 2008) and Elton John (whose The Red Piano which opened in 2004, will continues its run of about 50 shows a year). On February 10, 2008, Cher made a brief appearance at the Grammy Awards, introducing a performance by Tina Turner and Beyonce Knowles. Cher is set to make her musical debut and first film role in a decade in Burlesque, starring alongside Christina Aguilera, who is making her musical and film debut. The film is set for a November 2010 release. Los Angeles