The Sonny & Cher Zone | Biography

The story of Sonny & Cher begins in November 1962 when 16-year-old Cherilyn Sarkisian met struggling songwriter Salvatore Bono, aged 27, in a Los Angeles coffee shop. Early the next year, Bono began working for now-legendary record producer Phil Spector as a promotion man and eventually a percussionist and background singer at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. Rooting from a friendship, Cherilyn and Salvatore eventually became romantically involved.

Up until that point, Cherilyn, known by everyone as just Cher, had always aspired to be an actress (like her mother), and had been taking acting lessons. However, Sonny - the name that Salvatore went by, and who was enjoying some success as a songwriter with his co-penned 'Needles & pins' by Jackie DeShannon climbing up the US charts to #84 - introduced Cher to Spector, who gave her a job as a "baby-sitter" for his girlfriend Ronnie Bennett. Spector eventually hired Cher to perform alongside Sonny, and others, as a background singer at the Gold Star Recording Studios in July 1963 when one of his usual background singers, Darlene Love, couldn't make it in time to record Spector's latest masterpiece - The Ronettes' classic 'Be My Baby'. The US#2 hit was Sonny & Cher's first joint professional recording.

Sonny and Cher were background singers on virtually every Spector recording until October 1964, when they sang back-up on another masterpiece - The Righteous Brothers' US and UK #1 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''. Other classics that feature Sonny and Chers' background vocals are The Ronettes' transatlantic top 40 hits 'Baby I Love You' and 'Do I Love You?'; and Darlene Love's festive favorite 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'.

Meanwhile, the couple emerged as a duo under the name "Caesar and Cleo", playing gigs covering other people's material, and releasing single 'The Letter' on Vault Records in February 1964 - which stirred little interest in California. Sonny - whose 'Needles & Pins' had just been revived into a UK#1 hit by The Searchers - persuaded Spector to record Cher. Her March 'Ringo, I Love You' under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo mason on the newly-formed Annette Records label stirred even less interest.

Still as Caesar & Cleo, the duo signed with Reprise Records, and in September, released a cover of 'Love Is Strange', which went by unnoticed. Simultaneously with the aforementioned track, they released a Sonny-penned track, 'Baby Don't Go' - this time as "Sonny & Cher" under a new contract. The single failed to reach the American national chart - but got close, spending time on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart (#12 peak), due to its small success in California and Texas. An attempt to get a cover of 'Do You Want To Dance' onto the Netherlands music chart also failed.

Sonny - who had tried to gain success as a recording artist since 1955 - was determined to get him and/or Cher a proper hit and just prior to the year's end, he penned a solo Cher song called 'Dream Baby' which too was a minor hit in California. A February 1965 attempt to get 'Baby Don't Go' into the UK charts failed but a switch to Atco Records saw another US single release in April's 'Just You'. Like the duo's last single, it was a minor hit in California and Texas. Meanwhile, they were playing gigs up and down the West Coast, were making appearances on TV's 'Shivaree' and 'Shindig!' and were back in the recording studio to record Sonny's latest-penned song 'I Got You babe'.

After several failed attempts to catch their big break in the US, Sonny &; Cher took the advice of The Rolling Stones - who were in the US on their first West Coast tour - of moving to England. Sonny and Cher, and their managers - Charlie Greene and Brian Stone - sold their cars to raise cash for the plane tickets. Whilst the London Hilton hotel turned Sonny &; Cher away the morning they arrived due to their appearance and proceeded to escort them out the door - Cher later heard that Greene had arranged the whole thing for a publicity stunt - photographers captured the spectacle. As a result, Sonny &; Cher were on the front page of the British papers later that same day. Whilst the London Hilton objected to the couple's bizarre image, it captured the rest of the nation.

The duo had become an overnight sensation as interview and photoshoot requests came flooding in the next day for the pair. More importantly, London radio stations discovered and began to play their latest recording, 'I Got You Babe'. Following in-demand promotional appearances on television shows 'Ready Steady Go' and 'Top of The Pops' among others earlier in the month, performing 'I Got you Babe', the song knocked the Beatles' 'Help!' off the top of the UK single charts near the end of August.

Sonny & Cher returned home to America where they were greeted at the airport by thousands of new American teenage fans. Also greeting them was the presence of 'I Got You Babe' at the top of the US charts - where it would spend three weeks. Also On the Charts were solo recordings - Sonny's self-penned 'Laugh At Me' (US#10, UK#9) and Cher's 'All I Really Want To Do' (US#15, UK#9) from her successful debut of the same name (US#16, UK#7). With 'I Got You Babe' selling millions, the duo's past recordings, 'Baby Don't Go' and 'Just You' were also re-released. The former reached number 8 (UK#11) and the latter reached number 20. At one time, all five of these recordings were on the US Hot 100 chart. A re-issue of 'The Letter' soon made an appearance at #75 on the US Hot 100 and one of 'Love Is strange' reached #31 on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart.

Meanwhile, Sonny rushed everyone into the studio to mastermind the duo's debut album, in a bid to catch onto their new-found success. Out came 'Look At Us' - which featured their hits 'I Got You Babe', 'Just You' and 'The Letter'. Another album track, 'Sing C'est La Vie', went to number 1 in Belgium and number 2 in Australia. The album jumped up the charts, spending an incredible eight weeks at number two, behind The Beatles. It and 'I Got You babe' were unsurprisingly both certified Gold by the RIAA. The album reached number 3 in Australia (renamed 'I Got You Babe') and number 7 in the UK. 'Baby Don't Go' was being released on the 1965 Reprise compilation album of the same name, billed to "Sonny & Cher and Friends", featuring a selection of songs from the duo plus some from artists who at one point were on the label's roster - Bill Medley, The Lettermen and The Blendells.

September saw the couple appear on some of the biggest television shows in America, such as 'Where The Action Is', 'Hullabaloo' and 'The Ed Sullivan Show' - where the host pronounced Cher's name incorrectly (like "Chur").

On the latter show, Cher performed her upcoming single, the Sonny-penned 'Where Do You Go' (US#25) whilst the duo also performed a fresh track - 'But You're Mine'. The new Sonny & Cher song would be released in October, reaching number 15 in the America and number 17 back in the UK. As well as the television appearances, they also appeared as themselves in the film 'Wild on the Beach', singing the 'I Got You babe' B-side and 'Look At Us' album track 'It's Gonna Rain'. Sonny would score a minor hit – and his last ever solo hit – with 'The Revolution Kind' (#70) in November.

Another new Sonny & Cher track was released in January, their version of 'What Now My Love' – which performed similarly to 'But You're Mine' by reaching number 16 in the US and number 13 in the UK. Both tracks were top ten hits in Canada and would be featured on the duo's new album, 'The Wondrous World of Sonny & Cher'. It became another US top 40 album, although it performed disappointingly on the charts compared to their début – it reached number 34 on the US Billboard 200 when released in April. It did better in the UK by reaching number 15, though this was still a fall from their UK#7 debut. Meanwhile, featuring the new Sonny-penned million-selling smash hit 'Bang Bang (My baby Shot Me Down)' (US#2, UK#3), Cher's second solo album 'The Sonny Side of Cher' (US#26, UK#11) was released. Sonny & Cher's June single 'Have I Stayed Too Long' failed to become a top 40 hit single, reaching number 49 in the US and 42 in the UK.

The duo were nominated at the 1966 Grammy Awards for 'Best New Artist' alongside the likes of The Byrds, Herman's Hermits and Tom Jones. Jones won the award.

The couple embarked on their 'The Wondrous World Tour' in support of the album though they ceased releasing any further singles from the album. Instead, a brand new track, September's 'Little Man' was released. It became a huge European hit, topping several national singles charts and charting highly on some of the biggest countries on the continent - #2 in Germany, #4 in the UK and number 7 in France. It sold over a million copies worldwide. However, it only reached number 21 in the US. Cher was scoring more solo hits during the year – Alfie (US#32), 'I Feel Something In The Air' (UK#42), 'Sunny' (UK#32) and the minor hit 'Behind The Door' (US#97) whilst her third album – second of 1966 – was released, October's 'Cher' (US#59).

Sonny & Cher became briefly controversial in Los Angeles for siding with the young people being harassed on the Sunset Strip; as a result, they were removed from their promised position of honor in the Tournament of Roses Parade in January 1967. The same month, they took part in the San Remo song festival but failed to reach the finals - having entered with songs 'Il Cammino' and Cher' solo 'Ma Piano'. After their November 1966 single Sonny-penned 'Living For You' charted lower than desired – number 87 in the US and number 42 in the UK – Sonny unleashed a new song for the duo in January 1967 – 'The Beat Goes On' (UK#29). The song propelled the duo back to the top 10 of the US singles charts, selling half-a-million copies, reaching number 6.

Following the success of their fresh US top 10 hit, in April, Sonny and Cher released their third album 'In Case You're In Love'. Despite the inclusion of the aforementioned hit, it only peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard 200 becoming their first studio album to miss out on the top 40. It didn't chart in the UK at all. Confusingly, the same month, they released a new single, the Sonny-penned 'A Beautiful Story', which was not a song from the new album. It reached number 53 in America.

After The Beatle's released their movie 'A Hard Day's Night', Sonny was inspired to make a film for the duo to star in despite Cher's un-enthusiasm about the project. Directed by William Friedkin and co-starring George Sanders, the movie was titled 'Good Times' and released in April 1967. It premièred in Austin, Texas – where the movie did well. However, elsewhere, it was a commercial – and critical – failure. The following month, they released the soundtrack album to the film, which charted at number 73 in the US.

In the following months, they released the singles 'Plastic Man' (US#74) and taken fom the soundtrack album, 'It's The Little Things' (US#50). Both were written by Sonny.

Sonny & Cher released their first greatest hits package in August, 'The Best of Sonny & Cher'. The album was a success, reaching number 23 on the US Billboard 200, where it would chart for an impressive forty-seven weeks. Their December 1967 single 'Good Combination' reached number 53 on the US Hot 100. However, it would be their final hit single of the decade. Following the release of her minor single 'Hey Joe' (US#94) and her new album 'With Love, Cher' (US#47), Cher enjoyed a solo comeback with December's 'You Better Sit Down Kids' (US#9), written by Sonny. However, that would be her final solo hit of the decade.

Sonny released his only solo album 'Inner Views' in October. The album and all three of its singles - 'My Best Friend's Girl is Out Of Sight', 'Pammie's On A Bummer' and 'I Told My Girl To Go Away' - failed to chart, although the latter single found some minor success in California and Arizona.

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