Cher's journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been a long and eventful one. The 78-year-old singer, known for her hit "Believe," was finally honored at this year's ceremony in Cleveland on Saturday. In her speech, Cher humorously noted that getting divorced from her former husbands, Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman, was actually easier than being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Cher took the stage after being introduced by Zendaya, who spoke highly of the legendary artist. "She has navigated a multitude of musical genres, defined new ones and reinvented others," Zendaya, 28, said. "Her music touches your heart, your spirit, makes you dance, makes you rock, and has stood the test of time."
After performing with Dua Lipa, Cher playfully addressed her love life during her acceptance speech. "It was easier getting divorced from two men than it was getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," she quipped to the audience. The Goddess of Pop then expressed gratitude to her late mother, Georgia Holt, for teaching her resilience. "She said, 'You know, if you're down and you're out, you get up again.' And in my life, I've been so down," Cher recalled. "As my mother would say, 'lower than a snake's belly.' That's how down I've been. People have told me that I was finished, that I was through, that I have 10 minutes. The one thing that I think I got from my mom is I never gave up."
Cher continued, "Honestly, I believe what my mom said, but I'm lucky. I've had really bad things happen. I was dropped by four labels. When it was completely over, I did 'Believe,' and it was like, 'Yes!' I've just been really lucky, and I have had number ones for seven decades, which surprises me, because I'm a good singer. I'm not a great singer." "You know what? I'll take it," Cher added as the audience cheered. "And also, I changed the sound of music forever, alright? And 'Believe' really changed the sound of music."
She then offered a message of encouragement to other women. "You guys are on your own. We've been down and out, and we keep striving, and we keep going, and we keep building, and we are somebody. We are special. As my mom would say, 'We're special.'"
Cher attended the induction ceremony with her boyfriend, music producer Alexander "AE" Edwards, 38. The couple, who have a nearly 40-year age difference, have been together since 2022. Edwards has a son named Slash with ex Amber Rose. Cher's previous marriages were to Sonny Bono from 1964 to 1974, with whom she had one child, Chaz Bono, and to Gregg Allman from 1975 to 1979, with whom she had another child, Elijah Blue. Both Sonny and Gregg have since passed away.
Since dating Edwards, Cher appears to be happier than ever. She shared with The Post last year that she "wasn't looking" for a relationship when they met at Paris Fashion Week in 2022. "I meet Alexander, and I kept saying, 'Dude, this is not gonna work out. I'm telling you, it's not gonna go good. It's just not gonna work.' And he just wasn't going for it," she recounted.
Cher was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside other music icons including Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, and Kool & The Gang.
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