“The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour”: What The Cast Are Up To Now

May 04, 2021 by apost team

“The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” was a television series that featured popular musical artists Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married at the time the show aired. The series premiered in 1971 but was canceled in 1974 after the couple divorced. However, the hosts would reunite in 1976 for “The Sonny and Cher Show” which had a similar format. That show ran for two seasons and ended in August of 1977.

Cher first met Sonny in the early 1960s when she was just starting out her music career in Los Angeles. She had terrible stage fright, so she would only perform with Sonny and would keep her eyes locked on him throughout the performance. In 1965 the couple released their hit single “I Got you Babe” which reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 list. The popularity of the song would launch the couple into stardom. With the attention from their single and their clear chemistry on camera, it was just a matter of time before the pair would receive their own variety show.

The series was nominated for 22 Emmy Awards throughout its complex history but only won once in 1972. More than 30 million viewers would tune into the show each week. The series featured memorable outfits from designer Bob Mackie, which helped establish Cher as the style-icon she is known as today. It is remembered for having many incredible guests that would go on to have wonderfully successful careers. We have covered the stories of the hosts and some of the most favored guests on the show. Here is what they have been up to since the show ended.

Cher

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in 1946. She has been given the nickname the Goddess of Pop by the media for her incredible career as a musical artist. However, it was not a seamless journey. Cher faced many ups and downs while trying to establish herself as a solo artist after her separation from Sonny. She tried out many different genres, including disco, rock and finally settled into pop music. One thing that has always remained is her stand-out fashion sense, and she is still known for her iconic style.

She has also had a successful career as an actress and won the award for Best Actress at the 1988 Academy Awards. She received the Oscar for her role in the film “Moonstruck,” in which she portrays a widowed Italian woman that is in love with her fiance’s younger brother. 

Cher has remained timeless and has gained new fans from every generation. She is lauded as a gay icon and is often portrayed by drag queens. In 1979, Cher hired two drag queens to perform with her at her Las Vegas residency and is considered one of the first people to showcase drag stars on the public stage. She is still beloved by fans and continues to be featured in films. 

Sonny

Sonny and Cher share one child together, Chaz Bono. Chaz was born in 1969 and came out as transgender in 2009 after undergoing a female-to-male gender transformation. After Sonny’s separation from Cher and the end of “The Sonny and Cher Show,” he decided to go into politics. He was the mayor of Palm Springs, California from 1988 to 1992. He then served as a Republican congressman for California’s 44th district until his death in 1998. 

apost.com

Tragically, Sonny passed away in a skiing accident after hitting a tree in Lake Tahoe, California. His wife at the time, Mary Bono, claims the accident could have been related to a drug addiction Sonny was struggling with. He is remembered most for his time on “The Sonny and Cher Show” and his epitaph reads: “And the beat goes on.”  

Carol Burnett

Burnett was a regular on the “Sonny and Cher Show” and first featured the couple on her own variety show on the CBS network called “The Carol Burnett Show.” She is currently 88-years-old and still considered active in her career. In 2019, she was presented with the inaugural Carol Burnett Award by the Golden Globes. 

Steve Martin

Martin was a writer for the “Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” before he grew into the successful comedian he is known as today. There were many times Martin would join the cast on-screen and he quickly became a fan favorite. He is well known for his career after working with Sonny and Cher and is a stand-up comedian, film and television star and musician. Recently he has moved into playwriting and is an accomplished novelist. 

Bette Midler

Midler was a frequent guest on the “Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” and was also featured on Cher’s solo project, “The Cher Show,” which ran only for a short time between Sonny and Cher’s two shows. Midler still has an active acting career and starred in the 2020 film, “The Glorias” which is a biopic about Gloria Steinem. She is also featured in season two of Netflix’s series “The Politician.”

Did you ever watch either of Sonny and Cher’s variety series? Who were some of your favorite guests? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to send this on to your loved ones.