Decades into her legendary career in music, Cher uncovered a shocking revelation about her identity—one linked to the name she thought she’d always known.
Pop legend Cher revealed a surprising detail in her latest memoir, “Cher: The Memoir, Part One.” The name she had always believed was hers—Cherilyn—was nowhere in her birth records.
Cher attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York on October 15, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
Instead, the 78-year-old discovered she had been officially registered under a completely different name. “I was shocked to discover that I was officially registered as Cheryl,” the singer revealed in her book. The discovery came in the late 1970s, as she sought to legally change her name to simply “Cher.”
According to her memoir, Cher, confused by the discovery, turned to her mother, Georgia Holt, to ask if she was aware of her real name. Georgia, who was just 19 when she gave birth, replied, “Let me look at that!”
Reflecting on her postpartum experience, Georgia told her daughter, “I was only a teenager, and I was in a lot of pain. Give me a break.”
Cher and Georgia Holt appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on April 30, 2013 | Source: Getty Images
The mix-up originated shortly after Cher’s birth in 1946. Georgia, still recovering in the hospital, hadn’t decided on a name when a nurse asked for one. Inspired by actress Lana Turner’s daughter Cheryl and her own mother, Lynda, Georgia suggested “Cherilyn.” However, the name was never recorded correctly on official documents.
Cher and her mother, Georgia Holt, picture together on January 1, 1986 | Source: Getty Images
In 1979, the artist explained her decision to simplify her name to just “Cher,” stating that a single name reduced confusion about how people should address her, particularly in light of her marriages and public image.
As part of this decision, she dropped her...
