Sonny & Cher – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Sonny and Cher Biography

Sonny Bono and Cher, an American music and entertainment couple who were married at the time, were known for their work in the 1960s and 1970s. The duo began their career in the middle of the 1960s as Phil Spector’s R&B backup vocalists.

In November 1962, when Cherilyn Sarkisian was sixteen years old, she first encountered Salvatore Bono in a coffee shop in Los Angeles. Bono, who is eleven years her senior, worked at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood for music producer Phil Spector. The two became the best of friends before falling in love and getting married in 1964, but according to Bono’s autobiography, it was not a legal union. After the birth of their only child, Chaz, they were formally wed. The Ronettes‘ “Be My Baby,” The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” and Darlene Love’s “A Fine, Fine Boy” are just a few of the iconic Spector records Cher sang backing on through Bono. Cher and Sonny are audibly close to the microphone in Darlene Love’s recording (along with Love, who recorded her own backing vocals).

The two first rose to stardom in 1965 with the hits “Baby Don’t Go” and “I Got You Babe.” In the late 1960s, after signing with Atco/Atlantic Records, they issued three studio albums as well as the soundtracks for the two flop films Good Times and Chastity, with Cher lending her vocals to one of the songs, “Chastity’s Song (Band of Thieves).” The duo went back to the studio and put out two more albums on the MCA/Kapp Records label in 1972, breaking a three-year quiet.

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show, two of the top ten TV programmes in the US during the 1970s, helped them establish themselves as media personalities. After divorcing, the couple’s career as a duo came to an end in 1975. Sonny and Cher sold more than 40 million records worldwide and were nominated for two Grammy Awards during their ten years of marriage. On their list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time, Rolling Stone placed them at No. 18 overall.

Cher, who went on to have a very successful career as a solo singer and actress while using her first name, did so as Sonny Bono eventually won election as a Republican U.S. Representative from California to Congress. Following Sonny’s passing in a skiing accident, the two performers were added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.

As “one of the foremost exponents of the rock-folk-message style of song, a hybrid combining the best and instrumentation of rock music with folk lyric and frequent lyrics of protest,” author Joseph Murrells called Sonny & Cher. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was nominated for several Emmys; in 1972, director Art Fisher took home the prize for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series. In 1974, Cher received a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Television Series.

The following awards were given to Sonny and Cher: Best New Artist nominated for the Grammys in 1966. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominee for a Grammy in 1972. In 1998, they were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On Rolling Stone’s list of the 20 greatest duos of all time in 2015, they came in at number 18.

Sonny & Cher Discography

Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs
All I Ever Need Is YouSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
In Case You’re in LoveSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér
Look at UsSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

Top Videos

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Sonny & Cher’S Biggest Hit Song?

The answer may surprise you – it’s not “I Got You Babe”! Sonny & Cher’s biggest hit song is actually “The Beat Goes On”, which was a huge success in 1967. This Sonny and Cher song peaked aft number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains one of the duo’s most well-known tunes.

What Is Sonny & Cher’S Biggest Album?

Their biggest album is “The Two of Us”, which was released in 1967. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The album spawned the singles “I Got You Babe” and “Baby Don’t Go”.

What Was Sonny And Cher’S First Hit Song?

I Got You Babe was Sonny and Cher’s first hit song. It was released in 1965 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song remained at the top of the chart for three weeks.

What Is Sonny & Cher Genre?

The duo were usually categorized as a pop act, but they also incorporated elements of rock, R&B, and soul in their music.

Most Searched For Sonny & Cher Songs

I got you babeSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
But you’re mineSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The Beat goes onSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Little manSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
All I ever need is youSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Baby don’t goSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Groovy Kind of loveSpotifyAppleAmazon