Cher Admits She Had No Idea What Her Real Name Was for Years, and Was Left ‘Shocked’ After Learning What It Really Was

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As a dedicated follower and admirer of Cher’s captivating career spanning decades, I find her memoir to be a riveting exploration into the life of an icon who has consistently defied expectations and broken boundaries. What strikes me most is not just her resilience in the face of adversity, but also the profound honesty with which she shares her personal struggles.

For years, Cher thought her real name was something else! In her recently published memoir, the renowned singer revealed an unexpected fact – the moment when she decided to legally adopt the name ‘Cher’. In her book titled “Cher: The Memoir, Part One”, she penned down that she felt “Cherilyn” was her true name, but her birth certificate identified her as “Cheryl”.

After learning her true name, she conversed with her mother, Georgia Holt, but her mother requested some space from the singer. Georgia, who was both an actress until her passing in 2022, explained to her daughter that she was a young girl going through much turmoil when she gave birth to Cher in 1946.

In her book, the singer explained that when it came to naming her, her mother was unsure but a nurse insisted. Since Lana Turner was her favorite actress and her daughter was named Cheryl, my mother decided to go with a similar name. As my mother’s name is Lynda, she suggested Cherilyn instead.

Nevertheless, the woman behind “Strong Enough” was legally known as Cheryl. In 1979, she decided to simplify her name, adopting just ‘Cher’ after parting ways with the four surnames of her father John Paul Sarkisian, stepfather Gilbert LaPiere, and her former spouses Gregg Allman and Sonny Bono.

On The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the singer expressed that she decided to go by just “Cher” in order to eliminate confusion about how she should be addressed. Instead of being unsure if they should call her “Mrs. Allman,” “Mrs. Bono,” “Mrs. Bono Allman,” or something else, people could easily refer to her by this single name. As she put it, “It’s simpler for me.

Beyond reminiscing joyful moments, Cher delved into her personal struggles too, such as her complex first union with Sonny Bono. The singer openly disclosed feelings of despair and being overwhelmed by loneliness during their marriage. However, thoughts of her mother, sister, and countless fans kept her going until their separation in 1975.

In her autobiography, Cher also disclosed information regarding her difficult split with Val Kilmer from Top Gun. She revealed personal experiences, including her first time, which she characterized as “sex for revenge” following a local boy who abandoned her after a kiss.

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2024-11-25 20:37