Cher: If You Believe

by Mark Bego

After catapulting to fame as Sonny Bono's musical cohort with the venerable I Got You, Babe, Cher has since built a substantial solo recording career.

Genres: Music

464 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Britt Kemp · Rating 2 out of 5]

years later, I am still haunted.

[Laura Cozicar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read with as many facts as unanswered question. Gives us a glimpse of Cher and even Sonny, but only seems to gloss over the details.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone once joked that after a nuclear holocaust, the only living creatures will be cockroaches and Cher. Cherlyn Sarkisian Bono Allman (aka Cher) has certainly demonstrated her survival instincts with career successes that range from hit songs in the 1960s through her first Grammy Award in 2001. Along the way, the outrageous chameleon defied nay-sayers by moving fluidly and successfully between a recording career (she and Aretha Franklin are the only women to have a top-10 hit in each of the last four decades) and film work (winning an Oscar for 1987's Moonstruck; a Golden Globe for 1983's Silkwood; and a Cannes Film Festival Award for 1985's Mask), with brief forays on Broadway (Come Back to the Five & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) and in print (her exercise book, Forever Fit). The prolific Bego (who co-authored Dancing in the Streets with Martha Reeves and I'm a Believer with Mickey Dolenz) has assembled a fast-paced and knowledgeable tribute, which, while admiring of the diva, isn't afraid to broach such subjects as plastic surgery. Fans will find a lot more meat here than they did in the diva's own scattershot quasi-memoir, The First Time. Along with the lively writing, Bego offers fans a comprehensive Cher almanac at the back of the book a filmography and discography; the credits for the Sonny & Cher Show; awards; memorable lines from her films; and even a "Boyfriendography" listing all the men she dated between 1962 and 1991. The Supremes' Mary Wilson provides the book's introduction.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, Bego lists discography, movies, outfits, hairstyles and lovers but refrains from making any statement about what motivates his subject to continue working decade after decade. Is she a beautiful survivor or simply attention seeker who knows how to create media frenzy (and than complain about it)?
When it comes down to it, she will be remembered as a half-naked lady behind some successful, bombastic hit singles and tabloid favorite - no one would ever accuse Cher of being too brainy or serious artist. I always liked her but must admit she created her own image and has to live with it - at this point she is pushing 70 and still striping on Las Vegas stage, to the delight of her fans. Mark Bego does not talk about reasons why she does it and is happy to simply provide starry-eyed fan shrine to celebrity, no deep analysis or insight here.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read about Cher but I sure picked the wrong author. He writes like those trash tabloids, churning out one terrible book after another. Poor Cher. She deserves better.