One day, Cher received a call from the head of Universal Pictures. "He just said, 'Hi Cher, you're in Mamma Mia 2'. Then he hung up without waiting for my reaction. I thought to myself: Oookay ..." Even the pop icon and Oscar winner was speechless for a moment when she hung up. Of course she agreed. The 72-year-old is a huge ABBA fan. "I liked songs like 'Waterlooo' and 'Dancing Queen' back in the seventies. And I saw the musical three times on Broadway." The "Goddess Of Pop" praises Agnetha and Anni-Frid as "great singers". This made her want to fill an entire record with ABBA songs. The result is called "Dancing Queen" - an album with ten classics from the Swedish pop band's catalog. The production was a huge challenge, the singer admits. "ABBA's music is not only timeless, but also very complex. You can't make the songs any better, I can only give them a Cher touch."
With the exception of the famous Cher effect in her voice and the bum-bum beats, as found in current dance tracks, Cher has left the songs original. However, the pop diva does not want to imitate the ABBA outfit from back then, but rather remain true to herself. "The sex appeal of Agnetha and Anni-Frid was different. Rather sweet and harmless, adapted to
the seventies. I think my sex is much more daring, more demanding
and hotter. I still enjoy going full throttle today."
"At some point, nothing embarrassed me anymore"
On her "Here We Go Again" tour, Cher opts for skimpy outfits as always. How does she do that, one wonders. After all, the 72-year-old doesn't seem to age. "I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't take drugs - I never have," Cher reveals her beauty secret. However, the style icon does not deny that she has helped herself here and there. A new nose and lips, a fake chin, a smooth neck, large breasts and a firm stomach - the list is long. The singer is said to have gone under the knife around thirty times and paid several hundred thousand dollars for the procedure. The only thing she vehemently denies to this day is the rumor that she had some of her ribs removed.
In addition to ABBA songs, Cher also sings her old hits live. Will she be wearing just a thong, stockings and a leather jacket like in the video for "If I Could Turn Back Time"? In 1989, the then 42-year-old caused a scandal. Even MTV thought the outfit was too little. The music channel only showed the video clip after 9pm. Cher also took off as an actress in the 80s. First on Broadway, then in Hollywood. In 1988, the actress accepted the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in the film "Moonstruck" in a transparent dress. She went without underwear and concealed her most private parts with a few pearls and sequins. "At some point, nothing embarrassed me anymore. The more skin I could show, the better", Cher remembers.
Men fell for her sex appeal by the dozen: Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise - to name just a few. Cher's most important man at the beginning of her career was Sonny Bono. As an 18-year-old, she landed her first hit "I Got You Babe" with him as the folk duo Sonny & Cher. As soon as the flower power era began, however, the duo was out. "As a married couple, we were too staid for the hippies. We also didn't do drugs. That was a no-go back then," recalls the entertainer.
THE CHER EFFECT
Cher landed the biggest hit of her career in 1998 with "Believe". This song brought autotune software into the mainstream. It is actually used to correct crooked vocal tones. Cher used the software to distort her voice. Autotune soon made its mark on pop music. The so-called "Cher effect" is widespread today.
With "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down"), she also achieved her breakthrough as a solo artist in 1966. In 1971, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was her first number 1 hit. Cher developed from a folk singer into a disco star in the 80s. Her two albums "Cher" (1987) and "Heart Of Stone (1989) sold over 20 million copies worldwide. In 1998, the singer landed her biggest hit to date with the single "Believe" - and received a Grammy for it. Not least thanks to the now famous Cher effect (see box). With the "Farewell" tour in 2005, Cher said goodbye to the public for the time being. She later performed her own show in Las Vegas and shone as an actress in the musical drama "Burlesque". In 2013, she celebrated her comeback to the pop scene with the album "Closer To The Truth".
Film, musical and concert
As part of the "Here We Go Again" tour, Cher is back on stage in Switzerland for the first time in 15 years. The current show combines her talents as a singer, actress and director. The 72-year-old stages a world of film, musical and concert in the Hallenstadion. Fans can be sure of one thing: The entertainer pulls out all the stops in her show - and not just with skimpy outfits and great hits.
Cher
09.10.2019, Hallenstadion Zurich
TICKETS
