Sonny & Cher
Updated: Wikipedia source
Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo composed of husband-and-wife Sonny Bono and Cher. Rising to fame in the mid-1960s, the pair became one of the decade's most recognizable acts with a string of hit singles, including "Baby Don't Go," "I Got You Babe," "But You're Mine," "What Now My Love" and "The Beat Goes On." The couple began their career as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. Their debut album, Look at Us (1965), established them as major figures in the folk-rock and pop scenes, while their distinctive fashion sense and countercultural style made them icons of the era. Signing with Atco Records, they released three studio albums in the 1960s, as well as the soundtrack recordings for two movies, Good Times (1967) and Chastity (1969). After their early chart success, their music career stalled in the late 1960s. In 1972, the duo returned to the studio and released two albums under the MCA/Kapp Records label, achieving another hit song, "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done." In the 1970s, they transitioned into television, starring in the popular variety programs The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971–1974) and The Sonny & Cher Show (1976–1977), which solidified their status as household names. Following their divorce in 1975 and the end of their professional relationship in 1977, Cher went on to a highly successful career as a solo singer and actress, while Sonny Bono was eventually elected to Congress as a Republican U.S. Representative from California. Sonny & Cher were nominated for two Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million records worldwide. They were inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998, following Sonny's death in a skiing accident. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 18 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.