Vault: Interview Cher (Part 1)

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault — Interview with Cher (Part 1)

Date: October 28, 2025
Podcast: The Bert Show (Pionaire Podcasting)
Episode Focus: A candid and engaging interview with Cher, exploring her legendary career, her memories with Sonny, experiences of loss and reinvention, and life in the celebrity spotlight.

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Episode Overview

This episode features a special vault segment with the iconic Cher. With warmth, humor, and characteristic honesty, Cher recounts pivotal moments from her personal life and career, offers heartfelt anecdotes about Sonny Bono, and reflects on her enduring presence in music, television, and pop culture. The conversation explores what it takes to stay relevant across decades and what it feels like to be in the constant glare of the public eye.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Story of Cher’s Wedding Band

[02:34 – 03:38]

• Cher recounts a surprising story: A woman once called into a radio show, claiming to have Cher’s original wedding band.
  • “I thought, oh, you know, how could that possibly be? And then we met, and her husband had found it … out by a dumpster. It was, like, in the dirt.” — Cher [02:46]
  • The ring had "Sonny" engraved on it, and it was originally a set: “I had a ring that said Sonny. He had a ring that said Cher. And they were in silver. Then later we got them in gold.” — Cher [03:17]
• The ring had been lost during remodeling in her old house, discovered by accident, and nearly discarded as a “funky silver ring.”

2. Sonny’s Career & Their First Meeting

[03:38 – 04:53]

• Correcting a misconception: Sonny wasn’t a meat delivery man when they met.
  • “No. He had been. When I met him, he was a promotion man. He worked for Phil Spector.” — Cher [03:42]
• First Impression: Cher reminisces about meeting Sonny at a radio station (KFWD) where he stood out for his unique style:
  • “I just was… mesmerized because he didn’t have really long hair, but he had ridiculously strange and long hair for the time… he had beetle boots on. And I’d never even heard of the Beatles.” — Cher [04:24]

3. Losing Sonny & Coping with Bereavement

[04:53 – 05:30]

• Sonny’s passing: Cher describes it as an incredibly painful and unprecedented experience.
  • “I was completely unprepared for it, and I never had that feeling before.” — Cher [04:58]
• Public response and eulogy: Her heartfelt speech at Sonny’s service touched many.
  • “That was a fantastic eulogy you gave at his service, by the way.” — Co-host [05:11]

4. Memories & Musical Tributes

[05:30 – 06:31]

• A special performance for Bono: Cher shares a moving moment at a Heart Association event, recalling how she was persuaded to sing “I Got You Babe” for Bono, joined by REM.
  • “I’ve never really sung it with anyone but Sonny. I said, well, once with Beavis and Butthead, but that was a cartoon… So we sang ‘I Got You Babe’ to Bono, and it was really great.” — Cher [05:47]
• She tells a memorable anecdote about Bono encountering Sonny in an elevator, highlighting lasting connections among music legends.

5. Longevity in Show Business

[06:31 – 07:32]

• What keeps a star relevant? The host asks if Cher’s enduring fame is due to talent, marketing, or something else.
  • “I think it’s luck. I don’t have any answers for that because I’m amazed myself.” — Cher [06:58]
  • She credits her ability to transition between music, TV, and acting for keeping public interest alive: “We went from music to TV and then I went to acting… sometimes people, you’ve just been around so long and people just know everything about you.” — Cher [07:03]
  • At her concerts, she observes a diverse audience: “You would have seen, like old grandmothers and kids 3 years old. It was kind of amazing to me.” — Cher [07:20]

6. The Challenges of Constant Public Scrutiny

[07:32 – 08:01]

• On the invasiveness of fame: Cher admits that she's often tired of intense scrutiny, especially from tabloids.
  • “It’s not really so much about the public. Sometimes it’s about the tabloids … sometimes I just go away and you don’t hear about me for, you know, a year or two. And then when I’m ready, I come back.” — Cher [07:37]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[Sonny] worked for Phil Spector. He had hauled meat, you know, the freeways to Disneyland…” — Cher [03:42]
• “I was just mesmerized because he … was dressed like no one I’d ever seen and was fascinated with him.” — Cher on first meeting Sonny [04:24]
• “I think it’s luck. I don’t have any answers for that because I’m amazed myself.” — Cher on career longevity [06:58]
• “Sometimes I just go away and just … you don’t hear about me for, you know, a year or two. And then when I’m ready, I come back.” — Cher [07:55]

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• [02:34] — Cher recounts the story of her lost and found wedding band.
• [03:38] — Discussing Sonny’s real job and how they met.
• [04:53] — Coping with Sonny’s death.
• [05:30] — The Bono tribute and singing “I Got You Babe.”
• [06:31] — Reflections on staying relevant in pop culture.
• [07:32] — Handling the pressures of fame and media intrusion.

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Tone & Atmosphere

Warm, humorous, occasionally poignant, and always genuine—Cher’s candid reflections blend nostalgia with sharp wit. The Bert Show hosts foster a relaxed environment that draws out Cher’s storytelling instincts and emotional honesty.

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This vault episode delivers a rare, intimate look at Cher’s memories and resilience, mixing music history, personal tributes, and meditations on fame, all in Cher’s inimitable voice.

Transcript

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[Cher]

You heard them.

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[Jeff Bridges]

The Birch Show.

[Radio Host]

Here's a woman that's been generating music in four different decades. She's constantly in the media spotlight. She's been nominated for Oscars, she's won Grammys, and. And now she's reached the apex. She joined the Burt Show. This is Cher on Q100. Hey, Cher.

[Cher's Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Radio Host]

Thank you for joining us. We missed you on Friday.

[Cher]

I know. I'm sorry.

[Verizon Spokesperson]

I remember talking to you at another radio station a couple years ago and.

[Cher]

Hearing a great story about.

[Verizon Spokesperson]

Was it your wedding band and Rick D's?

[Cher]

Oh, that's right. I was on the show, and people were calling in, and this woman called in and she said, I think I have your original wedding band. And I thought, oh, you know, how could that possibly be? And then we met, and her husband had found it. He had been doing some work at our old house. Sonny actually was remodeling. I didn't live there anymore. And he found it out by a dumpster. It was, like, in the dirt. And he picked it up and threw it in his pocket.

[Radio Host]

Wow.

[Verizon Spokesperson]

And how did she know it was yours? Was it engraved?

[Cher]

Well, no, it said Sonny on it. Because when Sonny and I were first, I had a ring that said Sonny. He had a ring that said Cher. And they were in silver. Then later we got them in gold. We just put them then in a box, and somehow this woman's husband found it. It got ripped out under the carpet, and the guys just threw it away because, you know, it was just kind of a funky silver ring.

[Radio Host]

Is it true that when you met Sonny, he was a meat delivery man?

[Cher]

No. He had been. When I met him, he was a promotion man. He worked for Phil Spector. He had hauled meat, you know, the freeways to Disneyland. But of course, you wouldn't know the freeways to. But he had helped pull out some of the freeways to Disneyland with Clint Eastwood.

[Radio Host]

Oh, no. Is that right? What was your first impression when you laid eyes on him? Because looking at you two as a couple, I'm telling you, it wouldn't be a couple that you would think would be together physically.

[Cher]

Let's see. I was at a radio station. I was downstairs from a radio station called kfwb. Sonny walked in. I was sitting with some promotion people and a guy named Wink Martindale, who was a jockey on. On Camp wb.

[Radio Host]

Tic Tac Toe. I remember him in His T Roll.

[Cher]

Son walked in, and everybody said, oh, look, there's Sonny. There's Sonny. And I turned around and looked at him, and I just was. I have to say, I was just mesmerized because he didn't have really long hair, but he had ridiculously strange and long hair for the time. He had a Caesar haircut, which was, like, pointy coming down on his face, and he had beetle boots on. And I'd never even heard of the Beatles. And he had. I mean, he just was dressed like no one I'd ever seen and was fascinated with him.

[Radio Host]

Would it be safe to say that one of the most painful days that you. You've ever had was the day that Sonny died?

[Cher]

I actually had. I have never been. I was never really that close to anyone who died. I mean, I have. I haven't had that many deaths around me. And so I was completely unprepared for it, and I never had that feeling before.

[Cher's Interviewer/Co-host]

That was a fantastic eulogy you gave at his service, by the way.

[Cher]

I think.

[Cher's Interviewer/Co-host]

I think a lot of people were touched with that, but. Because, of course, when you think of Sonny, you think of Cherry, so you kind of do. Yeah. I mean, even though you live separate lives, you know, at that point, I think that people still find the memories of the two of you together to be, you know, quite charming.

[Cher]

On Valentine's Day, I went to this thing for Bono. It was a huge gathering. Couple of. I mean, maybe 5,000 people. And it was to honor him for the Heart Association. When I got there, the guys from REM Said, come backstage. And when I went backstage, they were all sitting around with guitars, and they said, okay, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna sing I Got yout Babe for him. And. And I said, well, you know, I've never really sung Ikat with anyone but Sonny. I said, well, once with Beavis and Butthead, but that was a cartoon. I was the one doing it. So I said, I'm not sure I'd be able to do it. They went, no, no, you'll be able to do it. And then they told me this story about one time Bono was in an elevator, and there was this guy in the elevator, and neither one of them looked at each other. And then elevator opened, and the guy got off, and he turned around and he looked at him, and he went, you pronounce it. And it was sunny. That story was so charming. I said, okay, I'll do it. So we sang I got you, babe to Bono, and it was really great.

[Radio Host]

What is really the secret behind being a Cher or a Madonna? Somebody that can generate hits and generate talk. I mean, we're talking about four or five decades now where you're in an industry of so many one hit wonders and so many fly by night musicians. You've been able to somehow evolve and capture people and their attention for so long. Is that a gift you have or is that the product of good marketing? What do you contribute that to?

[Cher]

I think it's luck. I don't have any answers for that because I'm amazed myself. I mean, for a while, you know, I went off into another part of my career where I just, you know, started acting. And I think that made people interested for, you know, that made them kind of. I mean, look, we went from music to TV and then I went to acting. And I don't know, I think sometimes people you've just been around so long and people just know everything about you. And, you know, I've been around for. I mean, if you had come to the believe concert, you would have seen, like old grandmothers and kids 3 years old. It was kind of amazing to me.

[Zoe]

Has there ever been a point, though, when you've said, all right, I'm sick of the public knowing about my private life, Everything?

[Cher]

Well, yeah, I mean, I've gotten to that point millions of times and it's not so much about. It's not really so much about the public. Sometimes it's like about the tabloids that they won't leave me alone or they, you know, I've had boyfriends that they just hounded us and said horrible things. And if you've noticed, sometimes I just go away and just. You don't hear about me for, you know, a year or two. And then when I'm ready, I come back.

[Zoe]

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[Cher]

You look the same.

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[Radio Host]

You haven't changed your hair in 15 years.

[Cher]

Selfies.

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