Cher
Cher in 2010, DFree / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Cherilyn Sarkisian
Place of Birth: El Centro, Imperial, California, United States
Date of Birth: May 20, 1946
Ethnicity:
*father – Armenian
*mother – English, German, more distant Irish, Dutch, and French
Cher is an American singer, actress, and fashion personality. She was part of the singing duo Sonny & Cher, with Sonny Bono. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Moonstruck (1987). Her films also include Silkwood, Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick, Mermaids, Burlesque, and If These Walls Could Talk. She has also been known as Cheryl LaPiere, Cher Bono, and Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere Bono Allman.
Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian. Cher’s father, John Paul Sarkisian, was born in California, to Armenian parents; he worked as a truck driver. Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt (born Jackie Jean Crouch), a singer, songwriter, actress, and model, was of English and German, with more distant Irish, Dutch, and French, descent.
Cher is also stated to have Cherokee Native American ancestry on her mother’s side. She recorded the song, “Half-Breed,” about a woman of half Native American descent. However, no Cherokee Native American ancestors are documented on any publicly available genealogies of Cher.
Cher adopted the surname LaPiere from her stepfather, who was named Gilbert LaPiere. She has a son, activist and musician Chaz Bono, with her former husband, late musician Sonny Bono; and a son, musician Elijah Blue Allman, with her former husband, late musician Gregg Allman.
Cher’s paternal grandfather was named Ghiragoch/Ghiragos “George” Sarkisian.
Cher’s paternal grandmother was Syranous/Siranoush “Blanch”/Blanche Dilkian (the daughter of Hagop Dilkian and Loussaper Chivitjian).
Cher’s maternal grandfather was Roy Malloy Crouch (the son of James William “Jim” Crouch and Laura Belle Green). Roy was born in Arkansas. James was the son of William Howard Crouch and Mary Ann Bookout. Laura was the daughter of The Rev. William Martin Green and Julia Ann Bryant.
Cher’s maternal grandmother was Lynda/Linda Inez Gulley (the daughter of Isaac A. Gulley and Margaret Frances Fritz). Lynda was born in Arkansas. Isaac was the son of Thomas Bush/W. Gulley and Delilah R. Ann Donahue/Donihoo. Margaret was the daughter of Friedrich/Frederick August Fritsche/Fritz/Fritch, who was German, and of Margaret Ann Henson/Stewart.
Sources: Genealogies of Cher – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com
Armenian, english and native american make a good mixing, she is definitely an exotic beauty.
Her Native American ancestry is not confirmed.
she not native
You can search someones back ground all you want, that does not mean you will find every ancestor.. so just because someone says she does not have Cherokee does not make them right, in fact I would think she knows more about her family tree then a stranger. As for Chaz, he obviously took after his Mothers German side with the blonde hair, and fair skin, does not take a genius to figure that one out being that Cher’s sister, and Mother are both blonde. Before I new anything of Cher, I thought she looked Cherokee, with similar features of those on my Grandmothers side. My Mother was Jewish, Irish, and Cherokee, and my Father was German. I have a straight haired dirty blonde, brown eyed sister who tans easily, a curly haired brunette, brown eyed sister very fair, and I am wavy blonde, w/blue eyes, fair. When you decide to shake that family tree, no telling what will fall out.
You know people from Germany can actually be pretty dark…in fact it’s more common there to have dark hair than blonde, and most Germans tan well ….even the blondes. With that said, there are also many people who are of Armenian decent with light hair and eyes. Have you ever been to Europe or Armenia? Where are you getting your stereotypical information? The ignorance here is astounding.
Every geneologist that has ever searched Cher’s background has said the same thing they could not identify any non white persons, such as indian or any other race or ethnicity other than caucasian. To claim indian ancestary legally you have to have 1/4 mimimum in your background that is one full grandparent, that would be easy to trace, Cher is not indian.
To Layla
She might not be by blood,lots of people both white and black,were adopted into the tribe.Going by the census in the early 1900’s,there were only 37,000 Cherokee left.Of that 37,000,only about 2000 were what you call pure.Alot of mixed bloods(all combos),and the rest(about 7000) adopted.So some of those people have the culture,but not the blood
Layla4805-Wrong. To claim Native American ancestry it is up the tribe. Each tribe has their own qualifications or “Rolls”. Every tribe varies. Some require 1/4 or more some do not require any blood quantity proof as long as you can prove your ancestor or relative was on the census during certain years. People need to do their research before blurting our false facts on here. Wyandotte Native here. This is part of the reason America is SO ignorant about other cultures and ethnicities.
Please she is mostly Armenian and besides did anyone ever notice that Chastity Bono looks nothing like Sonny or Cher with her jet black hair and his brown hair. Why is it that when Sonny married the now congress woman Mary Bono and they had two children with medium brown hair and they both have medium brown hair.
cher definitely has the Armenian features. Especially back in the 70s! the dark long hair, larger nose, high cheekbones, larger eyes and lashes.
But with aging and media, she tampered with her face as most of the rich and famous do.
Those are definately native american features !!
She looks more like her mother, but she has a darker complexion and a thinner face. I think her mother looks Cherokee, though she is blonde, which people do not think as very Native American. But there was a whole tribe of blond Native Americans in the western coast of South America, anyway.
All the things you list, Somegirl, are famous stereotypical features of a Cherokee.
Cher is clearly not Native American. White hollywood people are always making that claim up. It’s always something they say to make themselves seem more “exotic”.
What she has are Armenian features, not exclusive to Native American (and her mother looks completely white).
Del, with all due respect, you are a moron. That’s a stereotype. There are White people with high cheekbones, big noses, etc… Since when do Natives have big eyes and long lashes? Native Americans tend to have narrow eyes like Asians. Cher just looks Armenian and White to me.