Cher ‘shocked’ when she discovered her real name after a mistake on her birth certificate

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Cher officially changed her name and dropped all four of her last names in 1979, but what some may not realize is that the singer discovered something about herself in the process.

In her memoirs, “Cher: The Memoirs, Part One”, which was published on Tuesday, November 19, the 78-year-old singer revealed that she grew up thinking her name was Cherilyn for part of her life, when it was actually Cheryl.

The Grammy Award-winning singer explained that she was “shocked” to learn her real name when she ultimately “decided to legally change her name to simply Cher.” She also mentioned this when she questioned her mother Georgia Holt about her discovery, and was told to “give (her mother) a break,” and that Georgia was “just a teenager, and (she) was in a lot of trouble ‘. pain,” when she gave birth to Cher in May 1946.

The “goddess of pop” also noted that her mother “had no idea (what to call her), but the (nurse) insisted, so she replied, ‘Well, Lana Turner is my favorite actress and her little girl name is Cheryl. My mother’s name is Lynda, so what about Cherilyn? ” Eventually her name was officially registered as Cheryl.

Cher, who previously went by the last name of her father John Paul Sarkisian, stepfather Gilbert LaPiere and ex-husbands Gregg Allman and Sonny Bono, spoke about her name change with Johnny Carson on The tonight show in 1979. “It’s better for me than having people wondering whether to call me Mrs. Allman or Mrs. Bono or Mrs. Bono Allman or Miss Cher or whatever,” Cher said.

The singer’s revealing memoir also revealed some details about her marriages, specifically alleging that Sonny Bono – whom she was married to from 1964 to 1975 – was “abusive.” She also wrote about her ex Gregg Allman’s infamous battle with drugs while she was pregnant with their child.

Cher is mom to Chaz Bono, 55, who she shares with Sonny, and Elijah Blue Allman, 48, who she shares with Gregg.

While fans can now read the first part of the superstar’s memoir, they can expect part two to be released in 2025, according to the sources. People.