Before she was the “Goddess of Pop” dominating dance floors or winning an Academy Award, Cher (born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) in the 1960s was the ultimate blueprint for the decade’s counterculture youth. Her rise to fame during this era was a whirlwind of folk-rock harmonies, distinct subversion of gender norms, and a highly influential, bohemian style.
Cher met producer and songwriter Sonny Bono in Los Angeles in 1962 when she was just 16 years old. Initially working as a backup session singer for legendary producer Phil Spector, she paired up with Bono musically, culminating in their 1965 breakthrough album, Look at Us.
Their signature song, “I Got You Babe,” hit number one on both the US and UK charts in 1965, instantly making them central figures of the decade’s youth movement. They followed this with multiple hits, including “The Beat Goes On.”
While remaining fiercely loyal to the duo, Cher launched a highly successful parallel solo career in the mid-1960s. Her solo music took on a darker, more dramatic pop-folk narrative, epitomized by her 1966 smash hit “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” This success proved early on that she possessed the star power to captivate audiences entirely on her own.
Cher revolutionized 1960s street style and mainstream fashion. Together with Sonny, she popularized bell-bottom pants, which were previously associated mostly with sailors. She regularly pushed social boundaries by pairing these statement pants with midriff-baring crop tops and fur vests. Her signature beauty aesthetic, defined by dead-straight raven hair, heavy upper-eyelid crease makeup, and long eyelashes, became the defining look for a generation of young women.
As the late 1960s approached, the hippie counterculture evolved into heavier rock, causing Sonny & Cher’s squeaky-clean, anti-drug pop image to temporarily lose its chart dominance. After a couple of unsuccessful movie ventures, the duo pivoted their focus toward a live lounge comedy act. This strategic move laid the exact groundwork for their massive 1970s television comeback, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
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