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The Memoir: Part One by Cher – a gutsy tale of showbiz survival
The first chapter of the superstar performer’s recollections is full-blooded and hearty, but only hints at her real persona
Born Cheryl Sarkisian in California in 1946, she endured a childhood that ricocheted chaotically between poverty, violence and upheaval (her “deadbeat” Armenian father was a largely absent heroin addict), and wealth and plenty (depending on who her starlet mother was married to at the time). Contributing backing vocals for late “Wall of Sound” producer Phil Spector ( convicted of shooting dead actor Lana Clarkson in 2009), she observes: “He wasn’t unstable then,” but at a later date, he twirls a gun at her. Even after they scrabble back to success with their juggernaut 1970s TV show (Cher resplendent in Bob Mackie gowns), Bono controls her every movement, putting her off taking acting classes, or even tennis lessons, and even stopping her wearing perfume.
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