CHER AT 80: 'SHE'S TOTALLY AGELESS'

OK! looks back at the life of the 'Goddess of Pop' as she reaches her milestone birthday

- ANNA POINTER

It's hard to imagine that Cher turns 80 next week, but as she enters her ninth decade, it's fair to say the pop legend is still one of the most enduring names in music today. “She’s one of those rare stars who exists completely outside of age,” brand and culture expert Nick Ede tells OK!. “She’s never allowed herself to be defined by a number, trend or an era. She’s a movie star, a pop superstar, a rock chick and a fashion icon - and she’s totally ageless.” The Believe singer, who celebrates her big day on 20 May, has been entertaining the world since the 1960s, with a string of chart hits and an Oscar-winning film under her glittering belt. It’s a legacy that’s certainly not lost on the star, and speaking about her remarkable longevity she has said, “My life seems to be longer than any other human being ever. I feel like I should be in the Guinness World Records book for this. And I’m still going!”

Born Cheryl Sarkisian in California in 1946, she first shot to fame as one half of pop duo Sonny & Cher, alongside then-husband Sonny Bono. Their breakthrough hit, I Got You Babe, topped the charts in 1965, and they later became TV favourites on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

After she launched a solo career, smash hits included If I Could Turn Back Time in 1989 and Believe, which still stands as one Of the bestselling singles of all time. The 1998 track was credited with normalising the use of autotune in pop. “My favourite thing was that you didn’t know it was my voice at the beginning,” she mused on the song’s 25th anniversary in 2023.