Cher: Photos of the Pop Star to Celebrate Her 78th Birthday

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946. She is of mixed heritage, as her father was Armenian and her mother was English, Irish and Cherokee Indian. Cher initially pursued acting, but later shot to fame in the 1960s with her musical and romantic partner Sonny Bono. The duo got attention for their first two singles, including “I Got You Babe” and later were the faces of their own popular variety series, “The Sonny & Cher Show.” The couple welcomed their only child, Chaz Bono, in 1969. Chaz was originally born Chastity, but later underwent a female-to-male transition surgery. After Sonny and Cher split, she continued with an extremely successful solo career, spawning hit songs like 1989’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” and 1999’s “Believe.” She has become an icon in the music world, inspiring artists of all ages.

Scroll through our gallery to see photos of Cher over the years!