Gray It Will Stay

Saturday 9: Believe

1) In 1998, Cher became the oldest woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 with "Believe." She was 52 at the time. At what age do you think you did hit/will hit your prime?

A. I hope this age. Shouldn't you aim to be your best at every age?

2) Cher is as well known for her outrageous outfits as for her singing. What's the latest piece of clothing you added to your wardrobe?

A. My aunt gave me a brown sweater and a black blouse for Christmas, which I received on December 30. But my husband gave me a string of pearls on Christmas Day to celebrate our 30 years of marriage. I love them.

3) Cher credits her unique looks to her diverse ethnicity. Her father was Armenian and her mom is English/German/Cherokee. From where did your ancestors come?

A. Scotland and Ireland. I can trace the line back to before the American Revolution, and have a Revolutionary War fighter in my lineage.

4) When she was a little girl, Cher produced and starred in a schoolyard production of Oklahoma. Were you involved in drama or theater in school?

A. No. I played in the band and in middle school I was editor of the school paper, but I was never involved in the theater that I can recall.

5) Cher is open about her plastic surgery, speaking freely about having had her breasts 'done', her nose bobbed and her teeth straightened. If you could change one physical feature about yourself, which would it be? And what would you never change, under any circumstances?

A. I am trying to lose weight, does that count? If I could change anything, it would be that. It might be nice to have less gray in my hair, too, but I am sensitive to hair coloring so gray it will stay. I have always been complemented on my skin so I suppose that is what I would not change.
6) There's a stubborn rumor, often denied, that Cher had a rib removed so that she could maintain her long and lean silhouette. What's the most outrageous thing anyone has said of you?

A. Someone I love once accused me of being a thief, which I never was and am not and never will be. The person never apologized and it is a hard thing to forgive.

7) When she was a kid, Cher practiced her autograph. Do you have a clear, legible signature? Or is it more of a scrawl?

A. If anyone can read my signature, they practice witchcraft. I can't even read my own handwriting very well anymore.

8) Cher asks, "Do you believe in life after love?" Crazy Sam's question is easier and less profound: Do you believe in luck?

A. Yes, I believe in luck. Some people have it, some don't. I don't. I think opportunities (or luck) can be found in many places, and some people see them and others don't. Sometimes luck finds you. Sometimes you create your own luck. Sometimes luck just happens.

9) Did you make any resolutions for 2014?

A. Not exactly. I listed some goals/dreams/ideas on Thursday Thirteen. Mostly I just want to get a health care concern under control. But to do that I need to find a doctor who can figure out what the problem is, and to do that I think I'm going to have to get out of this valley.