Editing Cher (section)

=== 1962–1967: Solo breakthrough and Sonny & Cher ===
At 16, Cher left school and moved out of her mother's house to live with a friend. She took acting classes and supported herself by dancing in [[nightclub]]s along Hollywood's [[Sunset Strip]], where she introduced herself to performers, managers and agents.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=23}} According to Berman, "[Cher] did not hesitate to approach anyone she thought could help her get a break".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=24}} Cher met performer [[Sonny Bono]], 11 years her senior, in November 1962 when he was working for record producer [[Phil Spector]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=24}} Cher's friend moved out and Cher accepted Sonny's offer to be his [[Housekeeper (domestic worker)|housekeeper]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=27}} Sonny introduced Cher to Spector, who used her as a backup singer on many recordings, including [[the Righteous Brothers]]' "[[You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin']]" and [[the Ronettes]]' "[[Be My Baby]]".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=28}} Spector produced her first single, "[[Ringo, I Love You]]", which Cher recorded under the name Bonnie Jo Mason.<ref name=Eder>{{cite web |last=Eder |first=Bruce |title=Cher – Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cher-mn0000107090/biography |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201025517/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cher-mn0000107090/biography |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> Many radio programmers rejected the song, mistaking Cher's deep [[contralto]] for a man's voice and assuming it was a male homosexual singing a love song to [[the Beatles]] drummer [[Ringo Starr]].{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=92}}

[[File:Cher - All I Really Want to Do ad - Cash Box 1965.jpg|alt=An advertisement features a black-and-white portrait of Cher with long, straight hair and bangs, wearing a dark outfit. The text promotes her "phenomenal talent" and upcoming TV appearances.|thumb|upright=0.8|Advertisement for Cher's third solo single, "[[All I Really Want to Do#Cher version|All I Really Want to Do]]", featured in ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'', June 26, 1965]]

Cher and Sonny became close friends, later lovers and held an unofficial wedding ceremony in a hotel room in [[Tijuana]], Mexico, on October 27, 1964.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=28}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19750628&id=dRNIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3860,3724402|title=Cher divorces Sonny|newspaper=[[Record-Journal]]|date=June 28, 1975|access-date=April 24, 2016|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909170529/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19750628&id=dRNIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3860,3724402|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Sonny had wanted to launch Cher as a solo artist, she encouraged him to perform with her because she suffered from [[stage fright]] and he began joining her onstage, singing the harmonies. Cher disguised her nervousness by looking at Sonny; she later commented that she sang to the people through him.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=94}} In late 1964, they emerged as a duo called Caesar & Cleo, releasing the poorly received singles "[[Do You Wanna Dance?#Other versions|Do You Wanna Dance?]]", "[[Love Is Strange]]" and "[[Let the Good Times Roll (Shirley and Lee song)|Let the Good Times Roll]]".{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=29–30}}

Cher signed with [[Liberty Records]]' [[Imperial Records|Imperial]] imprint in the end of 1964 and Sonny became her producer. The single "Dream Baby", released under the name "Cherilyn", received airplay in Los Angeles.<ref name=Eder/> Imperial encouraged Cher to work with Sonny on her second solo single for the label, a cover of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[All I Really Want to Do]]".<ref name=Eder/> It peaked at number 15 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and number nine on the [[UK singles chart]] in 1965.<ref name=Caulfield-2014>{{cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/1563030/cher-birthday-billboard-hits |title=Cher's 20 Biggest ''Billboard'' Hits |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105221030/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/1563030/cher-birthday-billboard-hits |archive-date=January 5, 2017}}</ref><ref name=UKChartHistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11931/cher/ |title=Cher – Full Official Chart History |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102190239/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11931/cher/ |archive-date=January 2, 2016}} Chart history for the UK and Scotland can be accessed via drop-down menus on the webpage. Select the relevant chart for details.</ref> Meanwhile, [[the Byrds]] had released their own version of the same song. When competition on the singles charts started between Cher and the Byrds, the group's record label began to promote the [[I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better|B-side of the Byrds' single]]. [[Roger McGuinn]] of the Byrds commented, "We loved the Cher version&nbsp;... We didn't want to hassle. So we just turned our record over."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=40}} Cher's debut album, ''[[All I Really Want to Do (album)|All I Really Want to Do]]'' (1965), reached number 16 on the [[Billboard 200|US ''Billboard'' 200]];<ref name=Cher-Billboard /> it was later described by AllMusic's Tim Sendra as "one of the stronger folk-pop records of the era".<ref>{{cite web |last=Sendra |first=Tim |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-i-really-want-to-do-mw0000457386 |title=''All I Really Want to Do'' – Cher |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128015527/http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-i-really-want-to-do-mw0000457386 |archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>

Following Cher's solo success, the duo rebranded as [[Sonny & Cher]].{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=98}} After recording "[[I Got You Babe]]", they traveled to England in July 1965 at [[the Rolling Stones]]' advice; Cher recalled, "[they] had told us&nbsp;... that Americans just didn't get us and that if we were going to make it big, we were going to have to go to England."{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|pp=108–109}} According to writer [[Cintra Wilson]], <blockquote>English newspaper photographers showed up when S&C were thrown out of the [[London Hilton on Park Lane|London Hilton]] [because of their outfits] the night they arrived—literally overnight, they were stars. London went gaga for the heretofore-unseen S&C look, which was neither [[Mod (subculture)|mod]] nor [[Mods and rockers|rocker]].<ref name=Wilson-2000>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Cintra |author-link=Cintra Wilson |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/02/22/cher/ |title=Cher |website=[[Salon.com]] |date=February 22, 2000 |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201223450/http://www.salon.com/2000/02/22/cher/ |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:TeenIn11968a.jpg|alt=Sonny and Cher stand against a stone wall; Sonny wears a vest over a white shirt and dark pants, while Cher wears a striped sleeveless top with matching flared pants.|thumb|left|upright|1960s publicity photo of [[Sonny & Cher]]]]

"I Got You Babe" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6221458/rewinding-the-charts-fifty-years-ago-sonny-cher-got-to-no-1|title=Rewinding the Charts: Fifty Years Ago, Sonny & Cher 'Got' to No. 1|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 14, 2015|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201011733/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6221458/rewinding-the-charts-fifty-years-ago-sonny-cher-got-to-no-1|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> and became, according to AllMusic's Bruce Eder, "one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s".<ref name=Eder/> As the song knocked the Beatles off the top of the British charts, English teenagers began to emulate Sonny & Cher's fashion style, such as [[bell-bottoms]], striped pants and fur vests.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|pp=110–111}} Upon their return to the US, the duo debuted on film with a cameo in ''[[Wild on the Beach]]'' (1965),<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019161853/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95871/Wild-on-the-Beach/ |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |url-status=live |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95871/wild-on-the-beach |title=''Wild on the Beach'' (1965) – Overview |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> made several appearances on the teen-pop showcases ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]'' and ''[[Shindig!]]''{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=114}} and completed a tour of some of the largest arenas in the country.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=149}} Their shows attracted Cher look-alikes, with girls straightening and dyeing their hair black to emulate her style, often pairing it with vests and bell-bottoms.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=116}}

Sonny & Cher's debut album, ''[[Look at Us]]'' (1965), released under [[Atco Records]],<ref name=Eder/> spent eight weeks at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, behind the Beatles' ''[[Help!]]''.<ref name=Caulfield-2013>{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5740752/cher-earns-highest-charting-solo-album-ever-on-billboard-200|title=Cher Earns Highest-Charting Solo Album Ever on ''Billboard'' 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=October 2, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117201554/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5740752/cher-earns-highest-charting-solo-album-ever-on-billboard-200|archive-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> The duo competed successfully with the [[British Invasion]] and [[Motown]] sounds of the era.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=148}} Author Joseph Murrells described them as "leading exponents of the rock-folk-message type of song", blending rock instrumentation, [[Folk music#Traditional folk music|folk themes]] and [[Protest song|protest lyrics]],{{sfn|Murrells|1978|p=197}} while ''[[The Guardian]]'' called their music "the sound of the growing [[Counterculture of the 1960s|60s counterculture]]".<ref>{{cite web |first=Alexis |last=Petridis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/18/chers-30-greatest-songs-ranked |title=Cher's 30 greatest songs – ranked! |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 18, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018120450/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/18/chers-30-greatest-songs-ranked |archive-date=October 18, 2018}}</ref> Between 1965 and 1972, Sonny & Cher charted ten ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' top-40 singles, including five top-ten hits: "I Got You Babe", "[[Baby Don't Go]]", "[[The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher song)|The Beat Goes On]]", "[[All I Ever Need Is You (song)|All I Ever Need Is You]]" and "[[A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done]]".<ref name=S&C-Billboard>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/sonny-cher/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Sonny & Cher – Chart History |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240928222100/https://www.billboard.com/artist/sonny-cher/chart-history/hsi/ |archive-date=September 28, 2024}}</ref> At one point, they had five songs simultaneously in the top 50—a feat equaled only by the Beatles and [[Elvis Presley]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=Style Over Substance; Got You Babe: Cher Reclaims Her History|first=Frank|last=DeCaro|author-link=Frank DeCaro|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/31/style/style-over-substance-got-you-babe-cher-reclaims-her-history.html |date=May 31, 1998|access-date=February 6, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207005011/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/31/style/style-over-substance-got-you-babe-cher-reclaims-her-history.html |archive-date=February 7, 2016}}</ref> According to ''Time''{{'}}s [[Ginia Bellafante]], they became "rock's [[Supercouple|'it' couple"]].<ref name=Bellafante-1998>{{cite magazine|last=Bellafante|first=Ginia|author-link=Ginia Bellafante|url=http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/12/time/Bellafante.html |title=Appreciation: The Sonny Side of Life|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=January 19, 1998|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201195234/http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/12/time/Bellafante.html |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

The duo's subsequent albums, [[The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér|''The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér'']] (1966) and [[In Case You're in Love|''In Case You're in Love'']] (1967), failed to match their debut's success, as Cher's solo career increasingly overshadowed their collaborations.<ref name=Eder/> Her second solo album, ''[[The Sonny Side of Chér]]'' (1966), includes "[[Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)]]", which reached number two in the US and number three in the UK and became her first million-selling solo single.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}} ''[[Chér (1966 album)|Chér]]'', also released in 1966, contains the international number-one single "[[Sunny (Cher song)|Sunny]]"<ref>Chart positions for "[[Sunny (Cher song)|Sunny]]":
* Number one in Norway: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=October 29, 1966 |title=Norway's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |url-status=live |page=79 |volume=28 |number=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910074837/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |access-date=April 1, 2025}}
* Number one in the Netherlands: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=November 12, 1966 |title=Holland's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |url-status=live |page=79 |volume=28 |number=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811043131/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |archive-date=August 11, 2024 |access-date=April 1, 2025}}</ref> and the [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]] composition "[[Alfie (Cher song)|Alfie]]"—the first US recording of the song—featured in the American release of the 1966 film [[Alfie (1966 film)|''Alfie'']].{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}} ''[[With Love, Chér]]'' (1967) presents songs described by biographer [[Mark Bego]] as "little [[soap-opera]] stories set to rock music" such as the US top-ten single "[[You Better Sit Down Kids]]".{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}}