What was Cher's birth name? Singer reveals she grew up believing her name to be Cherilyn
Popular singer and actor, Cher, recently released her new book, Cher: The Memori, Part One, where she spoke about how she learned that her real name was Cheryl, and not Cherilyn. She wrote in her book:
"I believed Cherilyn was my name until the day years later when I decided to legally change my name to simply Cher.”
Cher, whose birth name is Cheryl, claimed that her mother, Georgia Holt, was extremely tired after giving birth, and hence, did not notice what exactly the name tag reads. Cher wrote:
“My mother had no idea, but the woman insisted, so she replied, 'Well, Lana Turner's my favourite actress, and her little girl's called Cheryl. My mother's name is Lynda, so how about Cherilyn?'"
Cher later explained that the nurse ended up writing down her name as “Cheryl,” which ended up being the same on her birth certificate.
Cher has changed her legal name multiple times. She first changed her legal name to Cher in the 1970s, and then dropped her birth last name, Sarkisian. She then took and dropped the last names of her stepfather, Gilbert LaPiere, and ex-husbands, Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman.
"I was shocked to discover that I was officially registered as Cheryl” - Cher opens up about her birth name and more in her memoir
As Cher tried to change her name multiple times, she wrote in her book how she asked her mother for her birth certificate for the process. She then revealed:
"I was shocked to discover that I was officially registered as Cheryl, and asked my mother, 'Do you even know my real name, Mom?'"
Cher then stated how her mother, who was just 19 years old when she gave birth, asked if she could see the certificate, and told Cher:
"I was only a teenager, and I was in a lot of pain. Give me a break."
For the unversed, the singer released her memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One on November 19, 2024. In her book, she spoke at length about her childhood, success, and her relationship with her first husband, Sonny Bono. She also opened up about the “darkest phase” of her life, as she detailed her abusive relationship with Bono.
In her book, she claimed that Bono once considered killing the singer by throwing her off the balcony. Cher stated:
“He laughed a little at that and so did I. It was crazy that he was telling me. He went on: ‘I figured I’d plead insanity like Spade Cooley and get seven years in jail before they released me. Then I’d get a book deal and my own show.’”
She continued:
“I don’t think for a minute that Sonny would have actually pushed me off the balcony, but I’m sure it crossed his mind, and he knew that jumping off had also crossed mine. What else could we do but laugh?”
Furthermore, she even wrote how Tina Turner once asked her to leave her then-husband due to the same. While Cher’s memoir has become an instant hit amongst the masses, fans can expect the second part of the book to release in 2025.
