American singer and actress Cher was BOTD in 1946. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, she had a turbulent childhood following her parents’ divorce, including temporary placement in an orphanage and undiagnosed dyslexia. At 16, she moved to Los Angeles where she met songwriter Salvatore (Sonny) Bono. They married in 1964 and became singing together, scoring an international hit with the love ballad I Got You Babe. They parlayed their success into the popular TV variety show The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, featuring Cher in a series of Bob Mackie-designed showgirl dresses. Cher also launched a solo career, scoring three No 1 hits with Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves, Half-Breed and Dark Lady. Her rising popularity and Bono’s abusive behaviour led to their divorce in 1974. Newly single, Cher undertook the first of a series of highly successful Las Vegas residencies, and pursued an acting career. In 1982, she starred in a Broadway revival of the play Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Her performance lead to her film debut in Mike Nichols‘ Silkwood, playing a lesbian factory worker. Critics and audiences were dazzled with her de-glammed naturalistic performance, which earned her an Oscar nomination. Her role as the mother of a facially disfigured teenager in Mask won her the best actress prize at the 1985 Cannes Festival, followed by an Oscar for the 1988 romantic comedy Moonstruck. One of the bestselling musical artists of all time, she clocked up No 1 singles over seven decades, notably Believe and If I Could Turn Back Time. Her much-vaunted 2002 Farewell Tour ran for three years and was seen by 3.5 million people. Moving into her 70s, she starred in the musical Burlesque and the sequel to ABBA-karaoke film Mumma Mia, headlined the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, and released a bestselling ABBA covers album. Known for her salty, take-no-prisoners persona and love of plastic surgery, she was a beloved gay icon and drag queen favourite from early in her career. She became a bona fide LGBTQ activist after her eldest child Chaz Bono came out as a lesbian and later as trans. She published the first volume of her memoirs in 2024.