Cher

Cher by Cher Detailed Summary

Cher’s memoir Cher by Cher opens with a portrait of her turbulent upbringing, revealing how the instability of her early years forged her remarkable resilience. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, she grew up in poverty alongside her mother, Georgia Holt—a struggling actress and waitress—and her younger sister, Georganne. The family often lived hand-to-mouth, moving constantly from one relative’s home to another and even staying in a Catholic children’s home when money ran out. Cher recalled sleeping on couches, sharing cramped rooms, and sometimes not knowing where they would live next month. These early experiences of scarcity and displacement instilled in her an intense fear of insecurity but also a hunger for stability and control.

Her father, John Sarkisian, an Armenian truck driver with a volatile temperament, drifted in and out of her life, leaving Cher emotionally conflicted about male authority figures. Watching her mother work double shifts while still chasing dreams of Hollywood fame left a deep impression. Cher admired Georgia’s persistence yet also saw the cost of that dream—the exhaustion, the heartbreak, and the constant starting over. From those early years, she learned two guiding principles that would shape her entire life: never depend entirely on others, and never let anyone tell you who you can or cannot be.

A Childhood of Restlessness and Early Self-Reliance

Constant upheaval defined Cher’s childhood. She was often left in the care of friends, acquaintances, or extended relatives while her mother sought acting work in Los Angeles. When Georgia remarried, Cher briefly found stability, but it was short-lived. Her mother’s marriages—six in total—created a carousel of father figures, teaching Cher early that love and security were rarely permanent. By the age of nine, she was caring for her younger sister, budgeting food stamps, and taking on household duties usually reserved for adults.

Despite the chaos, Cher developed a sharp sense of independence. She often described herself as the “protector” of her little sister, someone who learned to make decisions without guidance. Her self-reliance became her shield. Years later, she recognized that this early need to take control translated into both her artistic drive and her perfectionism as an entertainer. The same girl who managed a home as a child would grow into a woman who managed her image, her finances, and her creative career with surgical precision.

Discovering Art and Music as a Refuge

Amidst the instability, performance became Cher’s emotional anchor. Her mother frequently took small roles in theater productions, and their modest home was often filled with aspiring actors and singers. Cher grew up surrounded by rehearsal scripts, old Hollywood gossip, and the sound of show tunes playing from a record player. This early exposure awakened her love for the arts.

Her grandfather Roy introduced her to country music, teaching her the emotional storytelling behind songs by Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. Georgia, meanwhile, encouraged her to sing harmony while cleaning or cooking, shaping her ear for melody. Cher later admitted she wasn’t the best singer at first—but her voice carried an ...