Cher was ‘shocked’ when she heard her real name

Cher was shocked to discover the name on her birth certificate when she applied to legally change her name in the 1970s.

In her new book Cher: The Memoirs, Part One the legendary singer recalled how she discovered her real name was Cheryl and not Cherilyn, the name she grew up with.

“I believed Cherilyn was my name until the day years later when I decided to legally change my name to simply Cher,” the 78-year-old wrote in her memoir.

According to Cher, her mother, Georgia Holt, was too exhausted after the birth to notice the nurse asking her daughter’s name.

Cher wrote that her mother had said she “had no idea, but the woman persisted, so she replied, ‘Well, Lana Turner is my favorite actress, and her little girl’s name is Cheryl. My mom’s name is Lynda, so what about with Cherilyn?’ “

Cher confronted her mother after discovering her real name and asked if she knew the truth. According to Cher’s memory, her mother said, “I was just a teenager and in a lot of pain. Give me a break.”

Cher: The Memoirs, Part One finds the singer reflecting on several other moments in her life, including how her ex-husband Sonny Bono ‘seriously thought about’ throwing her off a balcony because their marriage fell apart. Cher divorced Sonny in 1975 and he died in 1988 from injuries sustained while skiing.