1965-1967

Now calling themselves Sonny & Cher, the duo released their first album Look at Us in the summer of 1965. This album contained the overnight smash single I Got You Babe (1965) which would reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Cher was 19 years old, Sonny 30. A re-released Baby Don't Go, peaked at number eight.

Several more midlevel hits would follow, notably Just You (#20, 1965) But You're Mine (#15, 1965), What Now My Love (#14, 1966) and Little Man (#21, 1966), before The Beat Goes On (#6, 1967) returned the duo to the Top 10. Sonny and Cher charted a total of 11 Billboard Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1972, including 6 Top 10 hits.

The duo became a sensation, traveling and performing around the world. Following an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in the fall of 1965 in which Mr. Sullivan had infamously pronounced her name 'Chur' during their introduction, the singer began spelling her name with a (misleading) acute accent: Ch?r. The couple soon appeared on other hit television shows of the era including American Bandstand, Top of the Pops, Hollywood a Go-Go, Podunk, Hollywood Palace, Hullabaloo, Beat Club, Ready Steady Go! and Shindig!.

While initially perceived as the slightly awkward and less important half of the popular singing duo, Cher disguised her stage fright and nervousness with quick-witted barbs directed at her partner. She soon rose to prominence as the more outspoken, daring and provocative half of the team. With her dark, exotic looks, she became a fashion trendsetter, helping to popularize fashions such as bellbottoms, and incorporating hippie attire and eccentric gowns and elaborate costumes into their live shows.

Later in 1965, Cher released her debut solo album, titled All I Really Want to Do which reached number 16 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The gold-certified album contained a cover of the Bob Dylan song All I Really Want to Do which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1966 Cher released her second solo album on the Imperial Records label, The Sonny Side of Cher. It peaked at number 26 in the U.S. charts, and number 11 in the UK chart. It contained the singles Where Do You Go (#25 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)(#2 on the Billboard Hot 100). Both hits were written and produced by Sonny Bono. In the United States, the latter was Cher's biggest solo hit of the 1960s. Other artists to record versions of the song include Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Cliff Richard, Petula Clark, and Terry Reid. Also in 1966 she released another album, Cher; The album itself was not as successful as its two predecessors. However, it did manage to provide the European top ten hit Sunny.

In an attempt to capitalize on the duo’s initial success, Sonny speedily arranged a film project for the duo to star in. But the 1967 feature, Good Times, was a flop. Cher continued to establish herself as a solo artist and released the album Backstage. The album was a flop.