Do You Believe in Life After Love? The Tragic Love Story of Sonny and Cher
Sonny and Cher were so famous in the 1960s and '70s that there was no need for a last name to be associated with the pair. This famous duo was one of Hollywood's power couples, but the relationship wasn't always as sunny as they made it out to be.
Let's break down Sonny and Cher's relationship and look at the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of it.
Cher Had Her Sights Set on Stardom
Cherilyn Sarkisian, better known today as Cher, was born in 1946. Growing up in California, she was raised mostly by her mother. Amid frequent moves and financial instability, the future superstar learned early to be independent and resilient.
As a teenager, Cher left school, supported herself with odd jobs, and gravitated toward music and acting, setting her sights on stardom.
Sonny Bono Was Struggling to Make It
Salvatore Bono, better known as Sonny Bono, was born in 1935. He spent his youth in Detroit and Los Angeles, and briefly joined the US Army upon coming of age. When his career in the military didn't work out, he began pursuing music professionally.
To say this was a difficult time period would be an understatement, and Sonny had to work a string of low-paying jobs to make ends meet. By the early 1960s, he was working behind the scenes as a songwriter and studio helper at Specialty Records and, later, Philles Records, still chasing success.
How Did Sonny and Cher Meet?
The pair first met in 1962, in Los Angeles. Cher was a 16-year-old high school dropout, while Sonny, 28, was 12 years her senior and working as an assistant to the now-disgraced record producer Phil Spector.
When they first met, Sonny had already been married once. While not yet divorced from his first wife, they were separated.
They Weren't Romantically Involved... At First
The two weren't romantically involved when they met. In fact, Sonny was first interested in Cher's friend, not her. But even from the start, the pair had a deep connection. Cher later recalled seeing him and feeling like "everyone just disappeared."
Cher Soon Moved in with Sonny
At the time they met, Cher was living with a friend of hers, and Sonny later moved into a nearby apartment. When the former was kicked out of her residence, she moved in with Sonny, a living situation that worked for them.
Their Relationship Became Romantic
Sonny and Cher's relationship eventually shifted from platonic to romantic. According to the latter, their bond "wasn't a fiery, sexy thing with us, but rather paternal, like we were bound together, two people who needed each other, almost for protection."
Cher's Music Career Began to Take Off
As Sonny and Cher's romantic relationship took off, so, too, did their professional careers.
Cher began singing backup in Phil Spector's music, including the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and the Ronnettes' "Be My Baby." People were starting to notice how powerful her voice was, and she was inching ever closer to the stardom she craved.
Cher Wasn't Comfortable Performing Solo
Sonny was hoping to make Cher a solo act, but she wasn't yet comfortable being on stage alone. To help with her nerves, the duo began performing and recording together.
Major success came in 1965, with the hit song, "I Got You Babe."
They Didn't Initially Settle on 'Sonny & Cher'
Before becoming famous as Sonny and Cher, the pair recorded music under several names as they searched for a sound and identity that would stick. Early releases credited them as Caesar and Cleo, the Righteous Brothers’ backing singers or featured Cher under variations of her name.
These early projects failed to gain traction, but allowed them to learn the studio, refine their chemistry and understand how the music industry worked.
Their Appearance as a Couple Aided Their Success
Before they were legally married (or had even underwent their fake wedding), Sonny and Cher were presenting themselves publicly as a couple, which helped strengthen their credibility in an industry that cared about appearances.
Living together and performing as a duo allowed fans and record executives to see them as a unified act, even though their personal relationship was still evolving behind the scenes.
Sonny and Cher 'Tied' the Knot
Their eventual (faux) marriage in 1964 formalized what the public already believed, but Cher later explained that the line between romance and business had been blurred from the very beginning. This early decision to appear as a couple set the tone for a partnership in which their public image often came first, sometimes at the expense of Cher’s personal autonomy.
Charting on the Billboard Top 20
It turns out 1965 was destined to be a prosperous year for Sonny and Cher.
Five of their songs were in the US Billboard Top 20, and they appeared on popular television shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand, further establishing themselves as major stars in Hollywood.
A Look to Match Their Sound
Sonny and Cher’s look quickly became as recognizable as their music, capturing the spirit of 1960s counterculture in a way few other pop acts did.
Cher’s long, straight hair; bold makeup; and dramatic outfits paired well with Sonny’s bell bottoms, vests and iconic mustache, allowing them to stand apart from the clean-cut performers who came before them.
A Shift in the Public's Music Taste Hurt Their Careers
By the end of the 1960s, Sonny and Cher's music career had slowed down, as public music tastes shifted from pop music to a heavier rock sound.
While Cher recognized that she and her husband had broke some big barriers, she realized they "didn't change our sound. That was really wrong."
Sonny Was Incredibly Controlling
From their earliest days together, Sonny exerted control over nearly every aspect of his and Cher's professional lives, positioning himself as both manager and decision-maker.
He negotiated contracts, handled finances, selected material and determined how Cher was publicly presented, often leaving her with little say in matters that directly affected her career.
Sonny's Foray Into Film Hurt Their Wallets
In 1969, Sonny took a major professional and financial gamble by self-financing Chastity, a film starring Cher. The project was a critical and commercial failure, drawing little audience interest and harsh reviews.
Since Sonny had funded the movie himself, the losses were devastating, wiping out much of the fortune he and Cher had earned during their hit-making years.
A Bright Spot in What Was Otherwise a Terrible Year
That same year, Sonny and Cher welcomed their son, Chaz Bono, into the world. This later led to the revelation that the pair hadn't actually tied the knot in 1964 - it had been a fake ceremony. Chaz's birth is what prompted them to make their marriage official.
They Desperately Needed Money
In need of money to support their growing family, the couple began touring and performing at nightclubs. During slower nights, they started talking to the band and audience.
Slowly, this banter grew into a comedy act that would later be turned into a hit TV show.
Launching 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'
In 1971, Sonny and Cher landed their own TV show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. It was a success, focusing on the closeness of their relationship. Sonny oversaw the show's concept, structure and creative direction, shaping his and Cher's on-screen personas.
Before long, it was a primetime small screen staple.
'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour' Revived Their Careers
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour breathed new life into the pair's careers at a time when their recording success had faded and their finances were strained.
The variety format allowed them to lean into humor, rather than hit singles. Sonny played the bumbling straight man, while Cher delivering sharp, confident punchlines that showcased her growing independence.
Their Relationship Was Deteriorating Behind the Scenes
Unfortunately, behind the scenes, Sonny and Cher's relationship was deteriorating. Years of control imbalance, lingering resentment over finances and decision-making, and Sonny’s infidelities had eroded the foundation of their relationship.
Cher later described feeling emotionally confined and increasingly aware of how little autonomy she had when it came to her own life and career.
Sonny's Infidelity Deeply Hurt Cher
The affairs were a significant source of tension in their relationship, and Cher later revealed how they affected her. She said her husband was repeatedly unfaithful throughout their relationship. However, she often felt powerless to confront it because of his control over her career and finances.
Over time, Sonny’s infidelity became one of the clearest signs that their marriage was no longer sustainable, even as they continued to present a united front to the public.
Sonny Wasn't the Only One Who Was Unfaithful
In 1972, Cher told Sonny she was romantically involved with a member of their touring band. The man? Guitarist Terry Funderburk.
While Cher was also unfaithful in their marriage, her affair paled in comparison to the many Sonny had engaged in. At one point, he was living with another woman in the same residence as his wife, but the latter said she was fine with the situation, since she and Sonny had a "strange relationship."
Cher Discovered Just How Deep Sonny's Deception Went
In 1974, Cher filed for divorce, citing "involuntary servitude" as the reason. However, they'd been separated for a while.
It was a public and messy process. She discovered Cher Enterprises, the corporation formed by Sonny, was 95-percent owned by her husband. The remaining five percent was held by her lawyer.
The Hurt Went Deeper Than Anyone Knew
In her 2024 memoir, Cher made a shocking revelation about her and Sonny's relationship, sharing she considered taking her own life on several occasions while they were married.
"I was dizzy with loneliness," she revealed. "I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear. For a few crazy minutes I couldn't imagine any other option. I did this five or six times."
Her Fans Saved Her
The only thing that stopped Cher during these dark times? Her fans.
"Things like this could make people who look up to me feel that it’s a viable solution," she recalled herself thinking at the time. "I don’t have to jump off. I can just leave him."
Marrying an Allman Brother
A few days after the divorce was finalized, Cher married Greg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. However, that marriage quickly fizzled out, due to his struggles with substance abuse.
The pair divorced just days after the wedding, and while they briefly reconciled to have a son, Elijah Blue Allman, they finalized their divorce in 1979.
A Highly-Publicized Custody Battle
After their split, Sonny sought custody of their son, Chaz, leading to a highly publicized and emotionally charged court battle in the mid-1970s. The case dragged on for months, with Sonny arguing that Cher’s career and lifestyle made her an unfit parent, while his ex-wife insisted on her right to raise her child.
In the end, the court awarded Cher primary custody.
Audiences Weren't Buying Their TV Reunion
After their divorce was finalized, Sonny and Cher tried their hand at their own solo TV shows. They even reunited in an attempt to replicate the initial success of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour by debuting The Sonny and Cher Show.
Audiences, however, weren't interested in an uncoupled Sonny and Cher, and the show was canceled after only two seasons.
Sonny's Pivot to Politics
Sonny struggled to regain his footing in entertainment, but continued pursuing TV projects, including the short-lived The Sonny Comedy Revue. He also appeared on many game shows and talk shows.
As his show business influence faded, Sonny pivoted into politics, becoming the mayor of Palm Springs in 1988 and then a US Congressman in '94.
Cher Proved She Could Make It On Her Own
Cher, by contrast, experienced a major career resurgence after the divorce, quickly proving she could thrive without Sonny.
She launched a successful solo TV venture with Cher, dominated the music charts and reinvented herself as a serious actress with film roles in Silkwood, Mask and Moonstruck.
Sonny Bono Tragically Passes Away
Sonny died on January 5, 1998, at the age of 62, after crashing into a tree while skiing at Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California.
His sudden death shocked the public, coming at a time when he'd successfully reinvented himself from pop star and entertainment impresario into a respected politician.
Cher Paid Tribute to Her Late Husband
The reaction to Sonny's death was widespread and emotional, particularly from Cher, who delivered a moving eulogy, describing her ex-husband as unforgettable and deeply influential in her life, despite their painful history.
"When I was young, there was this section in Reader's Digest called 'The Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met'," she said to those who'd gathered to remember her ex-husband. "No matter how old I get, no matter how many people I meet, that person will always be 'Son' for me."
