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Early days - Cher didn't have an easy childhood, raised mostly by a single mother in different states across America. Inspired by 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961), Cher started to become obsessed with fame.

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Moving to L.A. -

At the age of 16, Cher dropped out of school and moved to LA with a friend. She danced in clubs along Sunset Strip, and took acting classes too.

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Cher meets Sonny - In 1962, Cher met Sonny Bono, who was working for influential producer Phil Spector.

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'Be My Baby' - Bono introduced Cher to the producer, who got Cher and Sonny to sing on hit songs like 'Be My Baby' by The Ronettes. She wasn't even 18 and Cher had already worked on a classic.

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Falling in love - Cher's first single was 'Ringo, I Love You,' dedicated to Ringo Starr. However, she was actually falling in love with Sonny.

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Look at them - The duo married in 1964, and released their debut album 'Look at Us' just one year later.

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'I Got You Babe' -

The record featured their first hit, 'I Got You Babe,' which went number one in America and the United Kingdom. Reminder: Cher was just 19 years old.

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Smash hit - The song made stars out of Sonny and Cher, and became their signature tune.

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Motherhood -

The couple welcomed their only child in 1969. Chaz is transgender and began his transition in 2008, releasing a documentary on his journey called 'Becoming Chaz' in 2011. 

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Onto the small screen - After a string of successful singles and albums, Sonny and Cher got into the world of TV. 'The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour' aired from 1971 to 1974.

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Divorce - It seemed to be plain sailing for Sonny and Cher, but the couple got a shock divorce in 1975, surprising fans and the worldwide press.

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Cher as solo star - Sonny and Cher were big, but it was her time to establish herself as a solo star.

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The 'Cher' show - In 1975, the same year as her divorce, Cher was given her own hour-long show, titled 'Cher.' Here she is performing with David Bowie on the show.

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Breaking out - The show ran for just one year, but Cher was already breaking out as an on-screen solo star.

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'Cher.... Special' - She achieved another milestone in 1978, with the release of 'Cher… Special.' The special, in which she played every character from 'West Side Story,' even won an Emmy.

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Move to the big screen - In the '80s, Cher got a proper start to her movie career. She starred in such films as 'Silkwood' (1983), 'Mask' (1985), and 'Suspect' (1987).

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Iconic look at the Oscars - Cher wasn't just content with an Emmy, and wore this iconic outfit to the 1986 Academy Awards.

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'Moonstruck' - Cher's on-screen presence took on new heights in 1987, starring as Loretta Castorini in 'Moonstruck.'

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Best Actress, and best outfit too -

This was a milestone performance for Cher, and she went on to win the Best Actress Oscar. The star wore another striking outfit to pick up the award.

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'Mermaids' - Cher introduced herself to yet another audience by starring in 'Mermaids,' a comedy-drama that also starred Winona Ryder.

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The Heart of Stone tour -

Cher had gone almost a decade without touring until 1989, when she kicked off on the Heart of Stone tour.

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Major success -

The tour was a huge success, with televised specials, CDs, DVDs, and concert dates around the world. It was soon followed up by the Love Hurts tour in 1991.

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Concert queen - This signified the start of Cher's reign as a concert queen, with hugely successful tours through the '90s and the 21st century.

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'Believe' - Cher is partly responsible for a shift in global modern music. It started in 1998, when she released 'Believe,' featuring auto-tuned vocals.

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Breaking records - The song went number one around the world, and made Cher the oldest female soloist atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart ever (she was 53).

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Auto-tune - However, it's the song's sound that makes it so influential. The robotic auto-tuned vocals polarized many critics, but introduced mainstream audiences to the audio technique.

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Influential Cher - Nowadays, many artists use auto-tune. Beyoncé, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Post Malone are just some examples.

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Feud with Madonna - Cher's feud with Madonna has also contributed to her industry infamy. The two stars have gone back-and-forth for years.

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"Not beautiful, but she's rude" - In 1991, Cher made headlines when talking about Madonna. "She's unbelievably creative, because she's not unbelievably talented, she's not beautiful, but she's rude." Ouch!

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@Cher - In recent years, Cher has captured the love of a new generation thanks to her incredible Twitter account. She has many funny tweets, like 2012's "Whats going on with mycareer."

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Here we go again... -

Cher has stayed relevant in film in recent years with a starring role in 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' (2018). She played Ruby Sheridan, the stylish grandmother of Sophie.

See also: Unexpected stars who won Oscars

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