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.

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.

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]

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]

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.

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.

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.