The Cher Episode | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[Music]. welcome to stuff you should know a. production of iHeart. Radio hey and welcome to the podcast I'm. Josh and there's Chuck and Jerry's here. too and uh this is stuff you should. [Music]. know stuff you should. know is that your autot tune uh I told. you turn that off.

it's stuck on on it's stuck on. awesome yeah it's and this wasn't even. intentional but here we are doing. another biography of Another Gay icon. another de well she's not gay she's an. icon of the gay community Chuck well. that's what I meant I know yeah I'm just. being contrarian already yeah I know I'm. really feeling it I'm full of pee and. vinegar today oh we say p&v at our house.

for uh our dog Gibson he's full of p&v. all the time that's awesome how's he. doing he's good he's he's a lot to to. handle but he's he's an awesome sweet. boy he's got to be pretty big by now his. paws were huge as a puppy he is he is. pretty large I mean he's he's a full. full full grown doggy like Clifford. large no no no he's not oversized but. he's a big boy uh well shout out to. Gibson and shout out to Sher who we're.

doing an entire episode on right now as. you said do you mean cherylyn. sarisan yes I do I do and when I saw. that I was like I knew she was Armenian. I never thought about it up until this. moment but I just knew she was Armenian. in. Heritage yeah well I mean I think one. thing Sher sort of played with over the. years was some kind of uh ambiguous. ethnicity that's one way you could put. it sure but yeah she's her father uh.

John John Paul sisian was Armenian uh he. was a horse breeder and a truck driver. sure who had addiction troubles so he. got divorced from her mother uh before. Sher was a year old um which would have. been 1947 Kare was born in El Central. California in. 1946 that's right oh you're setting me. up I read Chuck that um her mother. Georgia and her Father John Paul got. married two more times so they were. married a total of three times yeah and.

I think her mother Georgia Holt who was. an actress she was married like eight. times eight times from what I saw yeah I. think George's mom had her when she was. 13 or something like that and so they. had a very um sure had a very. interesting upbringing um and I had. never seen it compared to mermaids but. it really strikes me from some of the. interviews and articles I've read about. her that her upbringing was a lot like. wiona Ryder's upbringing and.

mermaids which is a movie Sher was in in. case you're wondering why that was even. brought up but man that movie is so good. I saw it for the first time just like. last year and it is a really good movie. yeah you know Sher is one of my favorite. actors when I look through her. filmography uh it's just like it's a. murderer's row of great parts and great. films yeah for sure and we'll talk about. those um apparently as it turns out she. wanted to be a performer from a very. young age saw something like four she.

saw Dumbo and was like I'm going to be a. performer like Dumbo and she actually. kind of put her money where her mouth is. at age 11 I love precocious kids stories. like this she put on a a production of. Oklahoma and apparently could only get. other girls to be in the show with her. so she just went ahead and played all. the mail Parts herself I know that's a. great story and just a few years after. that uh Warren batty would be sleeping. with her yeah like just a few years when. she was like 16 and he was 25 right yeah.

what is it with powerful men in. that uh I mean Moren batty had a long. history of dating teenagers um back when. you know back when I'm not going to say. it's like it was super cool to do that. but back when you could do that and get. away with it without being you know. without having to kill jail or something. the guy who knows about it while he's in. prison exactly they um very famously she. was driving in Hollywood when she was 16.

uh he almost hit her with the car and. she got out and was like are you crazy. and she was like oh my God you're Warren. batty and he was like why don't you come. back to my place and have dinner and uh. that's what happened she came home at 2: in the morning uh her parents were not. thrilled but apparently Warren is very. charming and uh called up Georgia Hol. called up her mom and made his case and. she was like okay date date my. 16-year-old I know that was back then.

when you could just pick up the phone. and be like come on right exactly so uh. Sher dropped out of high school not a. lot of uh great performing opportunities. while you're in high school so she. dropped out and she uh tried to make it. in the show in Show Biz and initially. she wanted to be an actor um but she met. another guy who would have a much bigger. impact on her life than even Warren. batty a guy named Salvatore Bono better. known as Sunny Bono he was 12 years old. older than her rather than just the.

traditional nine that Warren batty had. established the traditional nine and she. was 1617 something like that when they. met in Los Angeles and both of them. swear that the their relationship was. platonic at first that she had moved. into a group home with some other women. and um the Apparently that Housing. Opportunity fell through or ran out and. she met Sunny Bono he's like why don't. you move in with me and clean my house. and that's supposedly how it was at. first and then of course it did not last.

very long and uh they got married within. 2 years I think although it wasn't legal. for another seven or for seven years. five years five is just as good an. estimate as seven yeah she was 18 when. they got um sort of fake married um in. 1964 they did have a ceremony but it. wasn't a legal wedding and it became. legal like you said in. 1969 and sunny was working for music.

impressario Phil Spectre at the time MH. who was like Hey this this kid you got. has got an outstanding voice also love. shar's voice by the way and she started. singing backup for Phil Spectre on like. some really big songs like uh You've. Lost That love and feeling by the. Righteous Brothers and Be My Baby By The. Ronettes yeah so in two years she's met. Warren batty and dated him met Sunny. Bono moved in with him and is singing. backup on Phil Spectre songs by age 17. like stuff just started happening for.

really quickly and from that point on. things started happening happening very. quickly because Sunny Bono was making. things happen like you said he was. working for Phil Spectre and so he was I. guess he and Phil were both like this. this she needs like her own career. apparently there's an anecdote where. when she was singing backup on some of. those songs Phil Spectre kept telling. her to like back up further and further. away from the mic cuz she was. overpowering the other backup singers um. so it was very clear that she needed her.

own to go out on her own although. apparently Phil Spectre um opposed it at. first Sunny Bono was like no we're we're. going to take this girl to really great. places and we're going to do it by. giving her the pseudonym Bonnie Joe. Mason yeah that's right her first single. uh was released it was called Ringo I. love you as Bonnie Joe Mason not not a. great song um and you know Sher has that. Sher has that low um I guess this is it. an alto yeah sounds like this if I could.

turn back. [Laughter]. to uh I meant to look up what her voice. technically is but it's maybe baritone I. don't know but it's that low kind she's. got this great fantastic powerful low. voice and um apparently there were some. radio stations that thought it was a man. singing and it was a love song to Ringo. Star so they refused to play it uh in. some markets but she was like you know. it's not a very good song not a big deal. uh but very shortly thereafter in 1964. would sign with uh Imperial records.

which was part an imprint of Liberty. records and had her first really big hit. in ' 65 with a cover of Bob Dylan's. amazing song uh all I really want to do. is roller skate in. parentheses she did a great version too. it's uh I love the production style and. the recording quality of those of like. the mid 60s and and earlier it's really. good yeah for sure um so she hit like. number 15 on the Billboard charts with. that single that cover of Dylan that's.

pretty I mean seriously think about this. she just is like I'm going to go make it. on my own and then it just happened I'm. I'm really impressed by how condensed. like her first series of like big. exposures were you know um and so in. addition to her performing her her her. carrying out I guess her solo career she. also was performing with sunny too as. they would become very famous together. performing um but if at first.

they went under the name Caesar and Cleo. apparently as an homage to Sunny's. haircut at the time which she said was. somewhere between Caesar's and. Napoleon's hair I don't I don't know. what Napoleon's hair looks like he had. like that big old hat he liked to wear. yeah I said that hat Cleo was a nod to. her um ambiguous ethnic looks people. said like you look like a a more um um. glamorous Cleopatra so that's what they. with and they scuttled that pretty quick.

yeah I mean she kind of played that up. too she had that's when when she was. wearing the dark mascara with sort of. the The Cattails coming off the side and. just super super cool looking like very. tan and she had that beautiful long. black hair like I've been watching a lot. of share stuff in sunny and chair from. that era today and I I got a big old man. crush on her all over again that. reminded me of when I had one on her. when I was 6 years old that's cute from. watching the sunny and sh show and all.

that yeah so you know they had some um. songs together that were not popular. like you talked about but in '. 65 they rebranded as themselves as sunny. and Sher uh with that huge huge um. number one single I got you babe that. the Rolling Stones who are always. champions of them yeah said hey take it. over to England the love your vibe there. yeah apparently in America they weren't. getting much love um Sher says that they. were basically hippies before the word. hippie was even around they dressed like.

hippies they acted like hippies and. America wasn't ready for hippies yet but. England was like Hey we're swinging over. here so come on over here and yeah. that's just so bizarre that the Rolling. Stones were the ones who like helped get. sunny and share their big break because. you just do not that's like Le Zeppelin. helping out Donnie and Marie in my mind. you know what I. mean it's very similar to that oh boy I. would argue sunny and Sher were 2%. cooler.

Mar definitely but it's certainly in the. same ballpark you know totally that's. funny um that single um I Got You Babe. which is the song They're they're most. known for is a Duo still I think um sold. more than three million copies uh was. number one for three weeks and the album. was number two for eight weeks and. probably would have hit number one had. it not been for the fact that the. Beatles Help uh was released at the same. time and held down that number one spot. right yeah yeah if you're going to be.

number two to anybody that's a pretty. pretty good album to be number two to at. the time yeah for sure but they had 10. top 40 singles and five of those were uh. top 10 not not too shabby no not at all. um the other thing that they were very. much known for was banter comic banter. in between apparently Sunny was the the. comedic writer between the two but Sher. said in her eulogy of of Sunny Bono when. he died of from a skiing accident in. 1998 that um he like people just kind of.

saw Sunny Bono especially during their. early careers like the the butt of the. jokes he's like the the dipwad I guess. is a technical way to put it um but that. he knew that that's that's what made the. most sense with their their their Duo it. made sense for her to be the sharper. more sardonic smarter one and him to be. the butt of the jokes but she's like the. big joke was he was the one writing the. joke so he kind of had the last laugh in. that sense.

did you watch any of the the actual. variety show banter today or yesterday. you know weirdly I just read a um. synopsis a very detailed synopsis of one. of their episodes on um Shar scholar.com. yeah it's I encourage you to check it. out and anyone out there who's like what. was their chemistry like because it is. it's really good stuff I mean I watched. the second iteration of their show that. was out uh later on which we'll get to. in a sec but um they're just so funny.

together and you could tell they're. having a good time and while it is. scripted it comes across as very natural. and it feels like they're and they may. have been improving some of it um but it. was just they just had fantastic. chemistry and he would she would make. short jokes cuz he was 5'5 and she was. she seemed giant compared to him but she. was only 5'7 but I think they they put. her in heels and stuff like that and he. would make jokes about her prominent. nose and uh but she usually got the best. of him but they were just it was a very.

cute pairing together you know kind of a. cute historic comedy pairing yeah all. you had to do is put them on TV and let. them do their thing and people would. fall in love with them that's what. happened um they were guest stars on. Carol Bernett back in. 1967 they um guest hosted some Merv. Griffin Show episodes and just from that. they introduced themselves to America. their TV chops I guess and um the head. of CBS programming Fred Silverman who. would go on to um executive produce.

Diagnosis Murder um he gave them their. first show in August of 1971 it was a. summer replacement and I feel like such. a slack researcher that I didn't go see. what that replaced oh yeah I didn't. either but then when December came. around and it was time for like okay. what's the real deal shows it got its. own slot and it became like a really big. hit they were pulling in like 30 million. viewers a week I mean this was I don't. think there were 30 million people in. America at the time yeah it was It was.

kind of the the early Heyday of the. variety show which if you're of a. certain age you remember but if you're. not you know variety shows were these um. Comedy half hours usually an hour where. they would they would come out and they. would do like an opening monologue and. joke around or or probably open with a. song which would lead into the monologue. and then it was you know it was sketches. it was music they would have Musical and. comedy guests uh it was called the sunny. and chair Comedy Hour and it was just. there were a lot of these great shows. back then and I I Pine for those to come.

back uh and I think they could if they. did it right really yeah I think if you. had the right the right people and. especially like a couple like this is. kind of a fun way to do it I think it. could work I mean they have some that. are like skirting the genre for sure. yeah they're terrible like America's Got. Talent and and um the voice and all that. stuff it's not the same thing it's not. strictly but some of those are like. there's so many different Acts or types. of Acts that it's close it's just.

missing like the people who host the. show like having like a a larger m main. role in it you know what I mean like I. get that like take away the competition. aspect get a couple of cutie Pi like us. to host it sure I mean I guess my my. point is be careful what you wish for. right no you're right because what are. the chances they would do it right right. probably not good so Sunny Bono is very. um very much tied to Shar and vice versa.

like in in most people's mind in a lot. of people's mind especially older people. but there's another collaborator that a. guy who wrote for the New Yorker his. name is Michael scholman uh he said that. Bob Mackey the very very famous fashion. designer was probably arguably. surpassing Bono as her defining. collaborator because one thing people. know about share is that she will wear. any over-the-top outfit that Bob Mackey. would make for her and apparently they. were very close collaborators it wasn't. like Bob Mackey would say here I.

designed this put this on she would she. would go back and forth with them kind. of push him to go even further and just. just from the fact that she was willing. to try on or wear in public anything he. came up with I think really inspired him. too so those two were as much a Duo as. sunny and Sher were yeah and to be clear. like this was started on that TV show it. wasn't just the sort of iconic thing she. would wear in the red carpet later like. they they've been together since the. beginning basically yeah I think their. TV show would have something like 20.

different costume changes per episode. and Bob Mackey was there designing. everything so um yeah they're they're. very close I think still I'm pretty sure. Bob Mack is still around all right well. we're going to go check and see if Bob. Mackey is still with us and take a break. and we'll come back with the with the. breaking news right after this. [Music].

we love so much stuff from Josh and. Sh stuff you should. know all right Chuck so lay it on. everybody is Bob Macky known as the. Sultan of sequins still. alive I'm glad to say Sir that he is. he's uh was born in 1940 so Bob Macky is. uh 84 years Young. very nice still going okay so back to.

Sunny again Sunny's spirit is out there. like okay that's enough about Bob Macky. let's get back to me. right okay so should I take over from. here yeah. do they had their uh they had their very. popular TV show um romantically with. their marriage things weren't as. successful um Sunny started stepping out. and then sherff started stepping out on. their marriage. um they had some Financial issues which.

you we should be like how in the world. would these huge stars have money. trouble um one of the reasons because. Sunny was he controlled everything in. their relationship when it came to the. business um so he was controlling their. money uh one of the big things that. happened was in ' 69 he financed a movie. called. Chastity um putting a most of their. money into it uh for Sher to you know. star in her first movie vehicle and it. was a big flop MH it's one of the the. big rules of movie production is you.

never put your own money into your own. movie just not smart to do so uh it was. actually the same year that uh Chaz Bono. was born which is their son who uh very. famously transitioned in 2008 uh because. Chaz was assigned female at Birth right. uh and that's another thing that Sher. would become very famous for um is. championing trans rights in large part. because of her experience with chazer. son um and she's become a real as we'll.

see I think as you mentioned at the. outset a gay icon and also a huge um she. has a huge following in the trans. Community too yeah absolutely so um by. 1973 sunny and Sher show are still going. on still going pretty strong um and for. all intents and purposes Sunny is. married to a former cigarette girl in a. club called named Connie. foran but for the Public's um. information they were still together.

sunny and Sher where finally they're. like okay this this isn't sustainable. anymore and they started to get divorced. in. 1974 and you said that Sunny um had. total control over um their finances. right yeah he had even more control than. she realized like I think she just. thought like he handled that stuff but. as they were getting divorced her own. lawyer was like you know. the company that was built on your.

talent it's actually called share. Enterprises you own zero% of that Sunny. owns 95% and the lawyer that runs the. thing owns the other five you own. nothing and she's like oh my god really. that's crazy and the lawyer is like no. no it gets even worse you've been. signing contracts that you haven't been. reading haven't you and she's like yeah. I guess uh this is a paraphrase by the. way or an imagin conversation. and he said you signed a contract that.

said that you would not work outside of. share Enterprises so you can't record. music you can't be in movies you can't. be on TV and we don't know what what's. going to happen with this because this. is essentially an iron clag. contract right which of course there is. no such thing uh thankfully because so. many entertainers sign bad contracts. that they uh can in fact get out of and. that's what happened when sharff was. like wait a minute you're saying that I.

I can't do anything except for make. entertainment for a company that I own. no part of right and he said yeah and. she was like all right well let me ask. my boyfriend this uh her boyfriend at. the time was uh another music empresario. David geffin and he said I'll get you. out of that don't worry about it so he. gets her out of that contract um gets. her a $2.5 million deal with Warner. Brothers which uh you know that's a lot. of money now but but obviously in 19 the. early 1970s was a very big record.

contract uh and that would be followed. very shortly thereafter by the um. cancelling of The Comedy Hour in. 1974 um but Sher was always she still. liked Sunny she wasn't like this guy. took advantage of me she was she was. like you know I really love Sunny um I. would have done another show if they. would have split it 50/50 with me um he. was a terrible husband but a great. mentor and a great teacher to me right. anytime I hear about the sunny and share.

show too I'm reminded of that Simpsons. um little bit where they talk about a. man who woke up from aoma after 20 years. and he's being interviewed in his. hospital bed and he goes do sunny and. shares still have that stupid show and. Kim Brockman goes no she won an Oscar. and he's a congressman and that guy goes. good night and like dies right there sng. like RS out of his mouth yeah Sony Bono. would become a congressman yeah a. Republican Congressman no less was he.

yeah oh I couldn't remember uh so in. 1975 she got her own variety show just. called share and it was sort of like the. rest of them um it was not as popular. you know they had a certain chemistry. together that made them famous and so. they would bring back the show uh this. time not as the The Comedy Hour but just. the sunny and chair show and that one. didn't last super long either because in. by 1977 and this was the version that I. saw on TV uh when I was but 6 years old.

uh they broke up professionally as well. so that was it for her and sunny Bono. from that point on aside from in the. Public's Collective memory right yeah um. like I said she was still carrying out. or performing like she had a solar. career that she was also doing all this. time while she was doing other stuff. with sunny um and it was very successful. very early on um she had uh her seventh. album was in.

1971 she. was uh 24 I think at the time 25 maybe. and she that was her seventh studio. album initially it was enti it was. titled share with a little accent over. the E just to make it fancy but instead. they're like no no we want to be way. more offensive than that let's name it. after the title track Gypsies Tramps and. thieves that's right uh that's a word. that is not used anymore which we. learned when we did that episode many. many years ago so we're all still.

learning everybody MH uh she also had a. song on there that that hasn't aged too. well um it was called Half Breed and it. was um about it was like from the. perspective of a half Cherokee Woman uh. and Sher wore you know a a a faux. headdress and performed that way and. claimed to be of Cherokee descent on her. mother's side and seems like none of. that is actually true and I'm I'm sure. that stuff Shar is is not like you know. puts at the top of her CV these days no.

but interestingly she still rocked a. headdress in her Vegas residency in in. the 21st century when did really yeah. when they she would do a medley of her. hits for that that song she would wear a. headdress still so she's still doing. half breed yeah all right yeah so I read. that somewhere um I didn't see it with. my own eyes or anything well maybe that. is at the top of her CV then so it was. about this time. can you imagine that's the number one.

thing she lists out of her entire career. so um about this time early early 70s um. she starts becoming known for like. really wearing just totally revealing. clothing uh and she and Bob Macky just. put it into like overdrive and start. taking off from there and one of the um. outfits that she first got wide public. notice for was a her naked dress that. she wore to the Met gal in 1974 and Bob. Mackey uh escorted her and it is a naked.

dress it's an amazing beautiful gown. that seems totally. seethrough um but it's not and it was a. it was a big deal it made a huge Splash. yeah and if you know you can't go to the. Met Galla these days and throw you can. throw a rock and hit five naked dresses. uh with that one throw but that was I I. tried to find examples of anyone to to. Pioneer that nude look in public before. share and I couldn't find any so as far.

as I know Mackie and chair kind of put. that that well-worn look on the map Yeah. Yeah from what I saw she was widely um. cited as the first one she also wore it. the next year on the cover of time and. uh that just kind of sealed it as an. iconic dress but that was far from the. last dress as we'll see we're going to. talk a little bit more about her dresses. soon but first let's take a little side. trip over to the Almond Brothers Band. literally and meet up yeah and meet up. with Greg almond one of the founders and.

um they got married apparently within a. few days of sunny and sher's divorce. being final um Sher I guess had met Greg. Alman at some point and was like let's. go get married in Vegas and I think nine. days later they were married in Vegas. yeah and they had a uh I mean her. relationship in marriage to Greg Alman. is as famous as it was to Sunny Bono. because of um I mean her marriage to. Sunny was a little boring in comparison. I think yeah and and uh I I think it was.

either Sher or maybe it was Greg one of. them described their marriage as being. on LSD at Disneyland so they had a lot. of fun um but this this was a a bad time. I mean good time professionally for Greg. Alman in the mid 70s but he was really. not doing too well with his consumption. habits um he had uh heroin issues and. cocaine issues and alcohol issues and. they had a volatile. um I guess four or five year run um.

Getting Back Together remarrying stuff. like that Recon uh. reconciling um so it was sort of an up. and down wild marriage rock and roll. marriage which got a lot of press uh but. it also bore her um other son Elijah. Blue almond who was born in. 1976 yeah and I don't remember if I. brought this up and if so where but um I. ran across this somewhere and I. remembered it when I was reading about. of blue almond um the balloon arch which.

you might see at like a wedding or. something like that was invented for. Elijah Blue Almond's third birthday by. legendary balloon artist treb heining. the new dress isn't that amazing the. balloon arch the nude dress what else. autotune as we'll see yeah I mean she. was a huge Pioneer in a lot of well Sher. had a really large pop cultural impact. more than gets credit for for sure I.

think so um as I said that marriage was. trouble uh Greg Alman was not much of a. father uh Elijah Blue has had struggles. in his life in his health uh drug. problems I know he struggles with Lyme. disease and they're very sadly still. have a troubled he and Cher have a. troubled relationship she I remember. reading this last year she tried to file. or she filed to try and get a. conservatorship over him um just late. last year but was denied it and it's. just. I think anyone who is a fan of Shar is.

really behind her and hoping that she. and her son can can resolve this yeah. apparently she went through a really. rough patch with Chaz as well but that. that's kind of been resolved over the. years she said in I think a 2010. interview in Vanity Fair right yeah so. by this time by 1978 she and Greg alond. are about to split up for good um and. she decides to finally just change her. legal name to share which was an. enormous um reduction in the number of.

letters in her full name because at the. time her full legal name was cherylyn. ccasian laier Bono Alman and she's like. just call me Sher from now on and uh. that's what the law said they stamped it. and said okay we'll call you Sher from. now on uh another thing that Sher was. very well known for was her her married. boyfriend she had over the years uh many. times including up to today uh dating. men that were um younger than her. sometimes much younger than her uh but.

usually famous dudes uh very. high-profile relationships uh she dated. Jee Simmons for a couple of years uh the. bass player from kiss and uh more than. bass player obviously um she dated Val. Kilmer she dated Tom Cruz she dated Eric. Stoltz who played her son in the movie. Mask which is a little strange but um. yeah she she um loves loves men and. loves dating being men yeah she believes.

in love right and she believes in life. even afterward too yeah uh little side. thing on Eric stultz that I found out. recently apparently he was the original. Marty McFly and Back to the Future did. you know that you didn't know that no. I'll stop sharing this anecdote. immediately then no I'm sorry I that was. just one of those that uh I thought you. would have known like you can see the. the like they shot some of the movie. with him and you can see those scenes. did not know that part I did know that.

um they wanted Michael J fox originally. but Family Ties was like no so they went. with Eric STS like this kid is playing. this way too seriously he would not goof. it up at all he was too serious of an. actor so they were like all right we're. like a third of the way through shooting. we're just going to bring in Michael J. fox on nights and weekends which is why. a lot of the stuff that a lot of the. scenes Michael J fox is in are at night. said it oh yeah you should check out. some of the scenes it's very brain. breaking uh to be someone of Our. Generation and see Eric stz playing.

Martin McFly so what like the scenes. that made it into the movie you mean or. the the. outake no no no okay just I mean they. had shot a third of the movie and that. that exists online I see I got you I. didn't know they were like this this. scene was actually too good we're just. going to pretend like. that's I gotta so uh like he's got his. back turn to the camera you can still. somehow see his. freckles uh in the 80s is when Sher. finally broke out as an actor uh this is.

something that uh or actually should we. take a break there or no uh um. uh yeah we might as well all right we'll. leave the Cliffhanger though and and. when we come back we'll learn to see if. Sher ever acted again right after this. [Music].

we learn so much stuff from Josh and. Chu stuff you should. know all right we've got to the bottom. of that one too Sher did finally get. into acting in a genuine way in the. 1980s uh she was on Broadway in the um. uh I guess in the same year in 1982. Robert Alman did a broad version of come. back to the five and dime Jimmy Dean.

Jimmy Dean and a movie um she was in the. movie and won a Golden Globe for that. part even did you know that that um play. originally premiered at the alliance. theater in Atlanta before Broadway. amazing um so that was a big. breakthrough for her um that that movie. in particular but also Broadway I mean. that's it's like a pretty big deal to go. act on stage there's a big difference. between having being in the hands of an. editor and being like live on stage so. that was a pretty pretty big way to kind.

of um debut as like a genuine actor cuz. one thing we should say that Chastity. movie that she first tried in 1969 that. was a drama it wasn't a comedy it was. like a straightup drama and people are. just like no we're not accepting this so. she kept at it she was Inc come back to. the five9 Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean she I. think the next year played um the. lesbian roommate of Merill stre uh well. Merl Streep's character in silkwood uh. and she actually cites that as one of.

the one of the watershed moments that. started to attract like a a following. for her from the gay community that kind. of eventually became you know her gay. iconip right um yeah she won by the way. a golden she won the golden glob for. that okay great and then she starred in. mask very she I mean she was amazing in. mask that movie was so good um if I. remember correctly I haven't seen it in. a long time but I just can't see that. not being good like that part where he.

teaches his blind girlfriend like what. colors are through touch what was that. Laura D uhhuh okay so Sher is like her. his Eric stoltz's protective biker mom. and just the whole movie is just so. great she does a really great job and. she won the best actress award at can. for her role in mask so she was. expecting to at least be nominated for. an Oscar for best actress yeah nothing. it was a snub a straightup snub like.

Hollywood was sending a message to her. like uh nice try but just stay out of. the acting business we've got this we. can't really take you seriously yeah it. was a big uh Thumb in the eye so um Bob. Mackey designed her famous Revenge gown. gowned gown which was this it was the. one where she had the big huge plume of. black feathers all over her head kind of. like a headdress MH and or I guess it. was a headdress and just like you know. not a Native American kind of headdress.

uh and it was it was basically like hey. everybody look at me yeah not Donna Mei. who would. win who won Donna Mei he won for cocoon. she was presenting the best supporting. actor. award oh okay I thought you meant one. her award no she she I think that was oh. uh Geraldine Page maybe in. what well I don't know if Sher got. nominated or would have. been nominated I guess she would have. been nominated for best actress or would.

have been a Best Supporting for mask I. think best actress that's what she won. and can okay so I think Geraldine pagee. won best actress in what uh can't. remember the name of the movie what was. it about can you give a brief synopsis. no I can't remember but that was also. the same year of the color purple so I. think there were three or four actresses. nominated in both categories for that. gotcha and Jessica Lang like it you know. it's always tough to to say like well.

this person deserved it more than that. person but hey that's how the Oscars go. Sher should have been nominated um at. least but um she would win the next year. uh for Moon struck which is one of my. favorite movies I've never seen it oh. man it's you'd love it okay I'll take. your word for it V vintage Nicholas Cage. um also I wanted to mention too in case. anyone is curious I did uh I I got I. rewatched masked uh masked. what is wrong with me I don't know I'm.

just saying everything slightly wrong. was it masked to James or Jim Carrey. James Cary that was the mask okay gotcha. so what's masked there is no such thing. there probably is but mask I rewatched. um a few years ago because that was a. movie Crush movie uh it was TIG NATO's. pick oh nice I don't I don't blame TIG. for that at all yeah so it was fun to go. back and rewatch that because that was. an HBS special for me I watched it quite. a few times back in the day so did it.

hold up yeah really good good movie. great so the 8S were like really kind of. big for share and remember she like made. her debut and was releasing hits and had. a hit TV show in the early 7s not even. mid. 70s um by the mid 80s and late 80s it. was like she had a brand new career um. she'd won an Oscar she won a best. actress at can um she was becoming an. acclaimed Act actress and then she. starts releasing albums again uh in two.

albums in two years or three years 1987. and 1989 and the 1989 one Heart of Stone. that went triple platinum and the reason. one of the big reasons that went triple. platinum was for her If I Could Turn. Back Time song yeah I've been singing. that all day and I didn't even watch it. just from Reading those words it's been. stuck in my head I've got the the thing. I've been doing the whole time with that. if I could turn back time it's um I saw.

Jack do it on um Will and Grace when she. did a cameo on it and he thought she she. was like a drag queen but it was the. real share and he was telling her how to. do it right and she slaps him and says. snap out of it why was he doing his. voice like that though he saw her and. like they had like a turn back time off. and he was correcting her because he. thought he thought she was she was a. share impersonator. it's a pretty great you haven't seen. that scene it's great yeah you know um.

what's Jack from Will and Grace. oh Shawn Hayes right best known for his. role on smartless the podcast. yeah uh the movie career would continue. um if I can turn back time was a huge. hit she put out mermaids in 1990 uh that. had another hit song in it the sh sh. song it's in his kiss um Sunny like you. said would a very tragically D in a. skiing accident in '98 uh but that was.

also the year of her biggest hit ever uh. the song We that you joked about the. autotune which was believe uh of the. Same album Believe and it was a. quadruple Platinum Number One Hit uh the. album was quadruple platinum and that. song was number one for four weeks yeah. and not only that we talked about this. in the autotune episode um that was the. first use of autotune in that way up to. that point it had just been used to kind.

of just gently correct people's vocals. that's what it was originally created. for and her producer Mark Taylor was. like no we're turning that thing up to. 11 to see what happens and so this is. 1998 right she had her first career in. the 70s second career in the 80s she's. kind of gone off and just been out of. the Limelight for a good decade and um. she has this idea to record this album. and Warner Brothers in America was like. n we don't think so we're not 100%. you're going to sell any copies so just.

like with the Rolling Stones bringing. her to England and saying like hey. everybody check these people out and. that helping her get her her boost she. went to her um British label Warner. Brothers UK and they agreed to release. it so Warner Brothers America turned. down that album and luckily the UK label. agreed and it had not only just that. huge impact on her career but also so. the fact that use autotune it just took.

off from. there yeah it was huge um and you know. change music for a little while it's I. don't think it's a it's a it's a thing. that's sort of rooted in time now I. think a lot of people were worried like. oh no this is going to change music. forever and it it was just sort of a. um oh what's the word I'm looking. for just a music trick that was. fashionable for a little while I guess. yeah a long while I would say I mean. this is like a good people still use.

that stuff and not just in rap anymore. right and it's been a quarter Century. that people have been doing that is it. still a thing yeah yes it is still a. thing it's becoming like you said less. and less and less I think everybody's. like I we got to come up with something. besides trap music now because it's it's. just been done too long too many times. but I saw a an interview with Sher who. said Jay-Z once came up to her and. thanked her he said a lot of my friends. who who don't have very good voices uh. have careers thanks to you in in.

autotune so I think that's a reason why. it's stuck around for a quarter Century. because it lets producers say like hey. you're terrible at this we can make that. right just go out there and be the image. that we want to see yeah well one word. you've said a few times in uh describing. that is decades um and I'm not talking. about her perfume uh but her perfume is. named decades because uh the coolest. fact about Sher probably is that she's. the only solo artist in music history to.

have uh hits in seven different decades. which is just unbelievable and it's. something I mean that's why she called. her perfume that because something she's. really proud of is her staying power um. I know she's been asking interviews. about um like you know who these days is. it Lady Gaga or who's the next share. who's comparable to you and and she. wasn't being like uh nobody honey um but. her response was just sort of like well. you know they're all great but like the.

thing I'm most proud of and I'm of. course um paraphrasing is the the. decades seven decades of hits and like. you know not saying there's no one. comparable but there's kind of no one. comparable and like kind of a call me in. 40 years kind of thing and let's see. where they're at and not again she. wasn't being a jerk she was just being. very matter of fact about what a big. accomplishment that is for her and I. don't blame her for sure um she's still. releasing albums I mentioned a a Vegas. residency 2008 to 2011 she was working.

Caesar's Palace um she released a album. in. 2013 it was a dance album I think the. whole thing was a dance album that kind. of made it different from some of her. all the rest of her albums um she. released a Christmas album last year I. didn't know that I got to hear that it's. it's unlistenable um at least the at. least the single is it's bad man DJ play. Christmas song it's not I don't like it.

and I like Sharon I like her work but I. I'm not a fan of that song and you like. Christmas music it does yes I think. that's why I don't like that song but. yeah um yeah it's it's it's odd it's. definitely worth listening to but I. don't think you're going to make it. through the whole thing okay through. that whole song yeah I mean if you were. on ecstasy and acid and at a club you'd. probably be like this is pretty good but. if you're just sitting there listening. to during a work day yeah I don't think. you're going to like it very much yeah.

while you're working at the Gap at the. mall during Christmas like please God. not again I worked at the Gap during. Christmas that's the only time I worked. there was for like a month but um that. Christmas mix got so into my brain and. the one that really stands out was uh. Santa's Got a Brand New Bag the James. Taylor one James Taylor or James Brown. did I say James Taylor what is wrong. with me I don't know you know James. Taylor yeah Santa's got got a brand new.

bank oh man I'm just off my game today. um that's pretty funny though I'm not. going to cut you're still Charming as. ever though I'll tell you that I. appreciate it like Warren batty you just. need autotune for your brain for this. episode yeah that's exactly what I need. uh Sher is but a Tony away from an egot. I not sure if there are any plans to get. her one uh they to me they should have. given her one just for um the musical. the share show which was on Broadway and.

did win Tony's but like just throw her a. Tony man give her that e got yeah one of. the things so we talked about her being. a a gay icon um she did an interview. with prid source.com and they were. asking her about you know how how that. happened um and she was saying like you. know gay men are very loyal and she said. that um come back to the five and dime. when it premiered like it had a big. response initially and then it just. dropped off but the Broadway yes but the. gay community had already discovered in. love share and she said they just.

basically came out and supported the. show and kept it going long enough to. develop in larger and larger following. and that had it not been for the gay. community it would have just been it. would have been canceled very quickly. after after debuting and it didn't and. she's like that's she that's just the. kind of support that not just she but. anybody that is in icon in the gay. community can expect that they're just. very loyal and supportive even if what. you're doing is not that great and I. read that the share show is essentially.

being supported by the gay community too. that it it's it's not super good yeah I. haven't heard that but and of course. that's the the full spectrum of the. lgbtq community because of her worked. with trans rights um you know she even. admits having a hard time when um uh. initially uh Chaz came out as gay and. then later transition but you know. they're a tight family and they worked. through it and she has been a a. supporter even though it she just had to. wrap her head around it uh I know that.

she um got her first experience with the. gay community when she was 12 um from. this article I read she said told a very. cute story she said I came home from. school one day there were these two guys. in our living room talking to my mom and. her best friend and they were so happy. and excited about everything they were. talking about so animated and I thought. these guys are so much more fun than the. regular men who come over to visit I. didn't know they were gay I just thought. these guys are great and it all start. did from then I love that story it's a. great anecdote it's really good uh she.

also is a supporter of veterans um she's. called into cpan at least two times to. uh promote her help for um I think with. inserts into helmets for soldiers in the. Iraq War um and she co-founded a charity. called free the wild that relocates. captive zoo animals to like actual good. habitats um that's awesome yeah she's I. mean she's flirting with Dolly Hood not. quite but she's really close I mean.

she's like a good she's a cool person. good person yeah I guess uh look for. episodes on Barbara Stan and Judy. Garland yeah in the next couple of years. here you go we're going to become gay. icons if we keep this up that should. round it out oh I hope so well if you. want to know more about share just go. watch some videos listen to some songs. read some articles go see a Broadway. play about her whatever you wanted do. there's plenty to take in and since I. said that it's time for listener.

mail uh I'm going to call this uh. freaking followup hey guys back in the. day when there were payones the operator. could actually give you back your dime. and later recorder by aone if something. went wrong uh one of the earliest hacks. involved getting back your dime without. an operator and usually many more dimes. than just yours by slowly controlling. the return from dialing the number nine. wow man kids back in the day as you.

return the dial uh money would come out. oh okay so it was on a dial phone and. depending on when the service uh. depending on when the service people had. last collected from that phone I'm not. sure I read that right but I think you. get the picture yeah you get quite a lot. of money this way I refused to answer. how I know this but a person could pay. for train fair to the suburbs from Grand. Central by going to several phone boosts. in a.

row uh that is from Danielle last name. redacted nice thanks a lot Danielle it's. a great anecdote I love that one Chuck. me too well if you want to be like. Danielle and give us a great anecdote. about something we talked about you can. guess we love that kind of stuff you can. put it in an email and send it off to. stuff podcast at iheartradio.com. stuff you should know is a production of. ihart radio for more podcasts my heart. radio visit the ihart radio app Apple.

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