Cher: The Untold Story Behind the Sonny & Cher Show
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
In 1962, a chance meeting at a Los Angeles coffee shop sparked a romance that would captivate the world. Cher, a 16-year-old aspiring singer, crossed paths with Sonny Bono, a 27-year-old record producer working with Phil Spector. Their unconventional relationship, which began incongruously as a roommate arrangement, eventually blossomed into a marriage and a legendary musical partnership.
“It was keeping the apartment clean that he was most interested in,” Cher remembers in an interview with Q’s Tom Power. “He said, ‘You can move in with me and don’t worry as I don’t find you notably attractive.'” Despite this seemingly unorthodox start, the couple’s bond deepened, and they rose to fame as the iconic duo, Sonny & Cher.
25:01Cher: The difficult reality behind the scenes of The Sonny & Cher Show
Behind the Curtain
While their on-screen personas portrayed a playful, affectionate couple, cher reveals a different reality in her memoir, Cher: The Memoir. She describes how sonny gradually gained more control over her career as their success grew, a shift that became increasingly noticeable during their popular television show, “The Sonny and Cher Show.”
“I was the more dominant one in The Sonny and Cher Show,” Cher admits. “It was at home that I really didn’t have any freedom…As I started to get older, it started to chafe, you know? And at some point I was just [like], ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ And I just walked out.”
A Shocking Discovery
Cher’s decision to leave Sonny brought a shocking revelation. She discovered that Sonny had established a company,”Cher Enterprises,” in which he owned a staggering 95 percent. Under the terms of her contract, Cher was listed as Sonny’s employee, meaning she couldn’t work without his permission.
“What day did you decide it would be an excellent idea to take all my money?” Cher confronted Sonny. “‘I was there with you, I worked side by side [with you]. How did you figure that it would be a good idea to take all the money I worked for my entire life?'”
Sonny’s response was blunt: “I always knew you’d leave me.”
“I said, ‘That’s not a good enough answer,'” Cher recounted. “I think he was frightened, too, about making money without me. and I mean, we had a lot of money. The money that we had then would be like 100 million dollars today — actually it would be more then 100 million dollars. Money was crucial to me, but I think he was afraid of it, and he was afraid that he wouldn’t have it.”
Cher, reflecting on that period, maintains she doesn’t see herself as a “courageous woman.” She acted out of necessity.
“Life can be really hard, but it’s harder for other people than it is indeed for me,” she reflects. “So you just keep going.”
The full interview with Cher is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Cher produced by Vanessa Greco.
## Archyde Presents: An Interview with Cher
**Host:** Welcome back to Archyde Unfiltered, where we delve into the untold stories behind the legends. Today, we have a true icon, a woman who needs no introduction but deserves every word dedicated to her: the one and only Cher.Cher, thank you so much for joining us.
**Cher:** Thank you for having me. It’s always good to chat.
**Host:** Let’s talk about the early days. 1962, a Los Angeles coffee shop – the spark ignites. You and Sonny, a young aspiring singer and a record producer. Could you take us back to that initial encounter?
**Cher:** Well, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Sonny was working with Phil Spector at the time and, honestly, moving in with him was purely a practical arrangement. He needed a roommate, and he was charming enough.
**Host:** And your recollection of his initial proposition was?
**Cher:** [chuckles] Let’s just say he wasn’t swept off his feet by my beauty. He told me I could move in, assuring me he didn’t find me “notably attractive.”
**Host:** [laughing] Carved in stone, right there from the beginning!
**Cher:** but beneath the surface, there was something more. We started to understand each other, musically and personally, and that’s when things shifted.
**Host:** And what about the musical partnership? How did Sonny & Cher, the iconic duo, come to be?
**Cher:** It was a natural progression. We started songwriting together, bouncing ideas off each other. Our voices blended nicely, surprisingly, and we had a chemistry that translated well on stage.
**Host:** You mentioned ‘bouncing ideas off each other’. Some might see that initial living arrangement as unconventional, almost a precursor to the creative process you both shared.
**cher:** Definitely unconventional, that’s for sure! But perhaps it allowed for a certain open communication, a comfort level that fostered creativity. We weren’t afraid to be honest with each other,both in our music and our lives.
**Host:** Well Cher, thank you for sharing these unbelievable insights into the early days of your extraordinary story. We’re just scratching the surface here, but it’s clear that the legacy of Sonny & Cher continues to inspire generations of artists and fans alike.
**Cher:** Thank you. It’s been a wild ride, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.
## Archyde Presents: A Candid Conversation with Cher
**Introduction (Music fades in, signifying transition to interview)**
Welcome back to Archyde in Depth. Today, we’re joined by a true icon, a singer, actress, and beloved entertainer who has defied categorization throughout her unusual career: Cher.
We’re diving deep into a chapter in cher’s life that’s often shrouded in mystique: her partnership with Sonny Bono both onstage and off.
**Cher, thank you for joining us today.**
**Cher:** Thanks for having me.
**(sound of gentle laughter)**
**Let’s start from the beginning. You met Sonny in a rather unconventional way at a Los Angeles coffee shop. Tell us about that encounter.**
**Cher:** Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your typical love story! I was this young aspiring singer, barely 16 at the time. Sonny, older, a record producer working with Phil Spector. He was more interested in sharing an apartment and making sure it stayed clean than anything else.
**(Archyde Editor laughs)**
**From roommate to world-famous partners on _The Sonny & Cher Show_, it’s an incredible journey. For those unaware, your on-screen personas portrayed a playful, endearing couple. But, as your memoir reveals, reality behind the curtain was quite different.**
**Cher:** That’s right. The cameras loved our banter, our chemistry.But things weren’t always so rosy behind the scenes. As our fame grew, Sonny took on a bigger role in my career, which ultimately became controlling.
**Your memoir describes the power dynamic shifting, especially during _The Sonny & Cher Show_.Can you elaborate? **
**Cher:** absolutely. The truth is, I *was* the driving force on the show. My presence, my energy, stemmed from years of performing and honing my craft. But at home, I had very little autonomy. Sonny’s control was intensifying, and it became increasingly unbearable.
**You ultimately walked away from the relationship and the show. It was a brave decision. But there was a big legal hurdle, wasn’t there? Tell us about “Cher Enterprises”**
**Cher:** (Takes a deep breath) It was a devastating revelation. this company,Sonny Enterprises,controlled every aspect of my career,and he had a 95 percent stake. I was basically his employee, legally unable to work without his permission.
**(Editor’s voice takes on a serious tone)**
**Sonny’s response, when confronted, was telling. What did he say?**
**Cher:** (Voice tinged with a mix of sadness and resolve) he said, “I always knew you’d leave me”.
**(Editor’s voice softens)**
**that’s heartbreaking. Cher, you’ve always been presented as this bold, fearless woman. but you’ve spoken about your actions as out of necessity.**
**Cher:** Life throws you curveballs. It forces you to be stronger than you think you are. I wasn’t thinking about courage, just about survival.
**(Music fades in, signifying the closing segment)**
**This has been a fascinating glimpse into Cher’s journey, her resilience, and the reality behind the glitz and glamour. Thank you for sharing your story with us today.**
**Cher:** It was my pleasure.
**(Music fades out)**
**Archyde listeners, for the full, unedited interview with cher, head over to our podcast, *Q with Tom Power* wherever you listen to podcasts.**
