Cher is an icon. A monolith. She’s the Goddess of Pop, a fashion risk-taker, and one of the few humans on earth who only needs one name to be recognized globally. But icons don't just appear out of thin air. Behind the sequins and the deep contralto voice is a family history that reads like a gritty, mid-century Hollywood drama. If you’ve ever wondered who is Cher’s mom and dad, you’re looking at a story of eight marriages, truck-driving dreams, and a mother who was basically the original influencer before the internet even existed.
It wasn’t a "normal" upbringing. Not even close.
Cher—born Cherilyn Sarkisian—spent her childhood oscillating between the glamorous aspirations of her mother and the chaotic, often absent presence of her father. To understand Cher, you have to understand the two people who made her. Her mother, Georgia Holt, was a striking beauty with massive dreams, and her father, John Sarkisian, was a man whose struggles with addiction and the law left a permanent mark on Cher's early years.
The Woman Who Started It All: Georgia Holt
Georgia Holt was a force. Honestly, if you look at photos of Georgia in her prime, the resemblance is startling. She was born Jackie Jean Crouch in Kensett, Arkansas, back in 1926. She was a child performer, winning beauty pageants and singing on the radio by the time she was barely out of diapers.
By the time she moved to Los Angeles, she had changed her name and set her sights on the silver screen. Georgia was the blueprint. She worked as a model and an actress, landing minor roles in films like A Life of Her Own and Watch the Birdie. She even popped up on I Love Lucy. But despite her talent and those killer cheekbones, she never quite hit the A-list status her daughter would eventually conquer.
Georgia’s life was defined by a certain kind of restless romanticism. She was married eight times—twice to the same man. This "revolving door" of father figures meant Cher’s home life was never exactly stable. Georgia was a single mother for long stretches, often struggling to make ends meet while trying to maintain the veneer of a Hollywood starlet. There were times when things got so tough that Cher was briefly placed in an orphanage. It wasn't because Georgia didn't love her; she just couldn't afford to feed her. That kind of early trauma sticks with a person. It's probably why Cher has such a legendary work ethic. She knows what it's like to have nothing.
A Voice That Lasted Nearly a Century
One of the coolest things about Georgia is that she finally got her musical moment late in life. In 2013, at the age of 86, she released an album called Honky Tonk Woman. It had been recorded decades earlier in the 1980s but sat in a vault until Cher helped her finish it.
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They even did a documentary together called Dear Mom, Love Cher. It’s a raw, sweet, and sometimes uncomfortably honest look at their relationship. Georgia passed away in December 2022 at the age of 96. She remained a fixture by Cher’s side at award shows and premieres until the very end, proving that while their early years were rocky, their bond was unbreakable.
The Mystery of John Sarkisian: Cher’s Biological Father
Now, let’s talk about the other side of the DNA. Who was Cher’s father?
John Sarkisian was an Armenian-American truck driver with a penchant for gambling and a history of drug problems. He and Georgia had a volatile relationship, to put it mildly. They married and divorced, then actually remarried and divorced again. It was a cycle of chaos.
John wasn't around much during Cher’s childhood. In fact, she didn't even meet him until she was 11 years old. Imagine that. You’re a kid growing up in the bright lights of L.A., and your father is essentially a ghost. When they finally did meet, it wasn't exactly a Hallmark movie moment. John’s life was plagued by legal issues; he spent time in prison for various offenses, and his absences left a void that Cher has been quite vocal about in various interviews over the decades.
Despite the distance and the dysfunction, Cher’s Armenian heritage comes directly from John. That heritage is something she has embraced fiercely as an adult, especially during the 1990s when she visited Armenia on a humanitarian mission. She carries his name—Sarkisian—and his features. The dark hair, the almond-shaped eyes—that’s the Sarkisian legacy.
The Impact of Absence
Growing up with an absent father usually goes one of two ways. You either crumble or you build a shell of armor. Cher chose the armor. She once mentioned in a 1970s interview that not having her father around made her feel like there was always a "missing piece" to the puzzle of who she was.
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Interestingly, John Sarkisian passed away in 1985. While they never had a traditional father-daughter relationship, his influence on her identity is undeniable. You can see it in her resilience. You see it in the way she navigates the world—as someone who learned very early on that you can only truly count on yourself.
A Rotating Cast of Stepfathers
Because Georgia Holt was married so many times, Cher had several father figures. Some were better than others.
One of the most significant was Gilbert LaPiere. He was a banker who adopted Cher and her sister, Georganne. He provided a level of stability that John Sarkisian never could. In fact, for a long time, Cher’s legal name was Cherilyn LaPiere.
- John Sarkisian (The biological father, married Georgia twice)
- Chris Alcaide
- John Southall (Father of Cher's sister, Georganne)
- Joseph Harper Collins
- Gilbert LaPiere (The man who adopted her)
- Hamilton T. Holt (The man whose last name Georgia kept)
It’s a lot to keep track of. But this patchwork family structure is what shaped Cher's worldview. She saw her mother reinvent herself over and over again. She saw men come and go. This probably explains why, when she met Sonny Bono at age 16, she was looking for more than just a boyfriend—she was looking for a protector, a mentor, and a father figure all rolled into one.
The Armenian Connection and Why It Matters
You can't talk about Cher’s dad without talking about the Armenian diaspora. John’s parents were immigrants, and that cultural background is a huge part of Cher’s "look" and her public persona. In the 60s and 70s, she was often marketed as "exotic." People couldn't quite place her ethnicity.
Some thought she was Native American (which led to the song "Half-Breed"), but the reality was simpler and more complex. She was a kid of Armenian and White-American (Irish/English/German/Cherokee) descent trying to find her place in a town that wanted everyone to look like Barbie.
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The Sarkisian bloodline gave her that distinct, non-traditional beauty that eventually redefined what a superstar could look like. She didn't fit the mold, so she broke it.
Lessons from the Holt-Sarkisian Saga
So, what do we actually learn from looking at Cher’s parents?
First, talent is often a survival mechanism. Georgia Holt used her voice and beauty to try and escape poverty. Cher took that same drive and amplified it a thousand times. Second, family isn't always about who is present; sometimes, the people who are absent shape us just as much. Cher’s drive to be seen, to be famous, and to be successful likely stems from that early instability.
If you’re looking to apply some of this "Cher energy" to your own life, here are some actionable takeaways based on how she handled her family history:
- Own Your Story: Cher never hid the fact that her mom was married eight times or that her dad was a truck driver with problems. She turned her "unconventional" background into part of her legend. Don't hide your rough edges.
- Forgive for Your Own Sake: Cher eventually reconciled with the idea of her father and remained incredibly close to her mother, despite the childhood hardships. Holding onto resentment is heavy; dropping it lets you run faster.
- Reinvent Constantly: Georgia Holt was the queen of the fresh start. Cher took that lesson to heart, reinventing her career in every decade from the 60s to the 2020s.
- Value Stability Where You Find It: Because her early life was chaotic, Cher has always maintained a "tribe" of long-term friends and collaborators. When you don't have a solid foundation from birth, you have to build your own.
The story of Georgia Holt and John Sarkisian isn't just trivia. It’s the roadmap to understanding how a shy, dyslexic girl from El Centro became a global powerhouse. They gave her the DNA, the drama, and the drive. The rest, as they say, is history.
What to Do Next
If you're fascinated by Cher's family dynamic, the best thing you can do is watch the documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher. It’s available on most streaming platforms and gives you a much better "vibe" for Georgia's personality than any article ever could. Also, take a look at Cher’s 2024 memoir, where she goes into even more granular detail about her father’s impact on her psyche. Understanding where an icon comes from usually makes their success feel a lot more earned and a lot more human.
Check out Cher’s official social media archives as well. She frequently posts vintage photos of Georgia, often with captions that reveal their quirky, hilarious, and deeply loving relationship. It’s a great way to see the human side of the superstar.