The beat goes on ... and on ... and as strong as ever for this superstar entertainer who has well surpassed the half-century mark while improbably transforming herself from an artificial, glossy "flashionplate" singer into a serious, Oscar-worthy, dramatic actress ... and back again! With more ups and downs than the 2008 Dow Jones Industrial Average, Cher managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes each time she was down, somehow re-inventing herself with every decade and finding herself on top all over again. As a singer Cher is the only performer to have earned "top 10" hit singles in four consecutive decades; as an actress, she and Barbra Streisand are the only two Best Actress Oscar winners to have a #1 hit song on the Billboard charts. At age 77, Cher has yet to decide to get completely off her fabulous roller coaster ride, although she has threatened to on occasion.

The daughter of Arkansas-born Georgia Holt (the former Jackie Jean Crouch) and truck driver John Sarkisian, Cher was born in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946. She has a half-sister, Georganne LaPiere. Cher is of Armenian heritage on her father's side, and of English and German, with more distant Irish, Dutch, and French, heritage on her mother's side. Cher's parents divorced when she was an infant and her mother went on to marry six more times. Her mother, who aspired to be an actress and model, paid for Cher's acting classes. Cher had undiagnosed dyslexia, which acutely affected her studies; frustrated, she quit high school at 16 to pursue her dream. At that time, she had a brief relationship with actor Warren Beatty.

Meeting the quite older (by 11 years) Sonny Bono in November 1962 changed the 16-year-old's life forever. Bono was working for record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood at the time and managed to persuade Spector to hire Cher as a session singer. As such, she went on to record backup on such Spector classics as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Be My Baby". The couple's relationship eventually shifted from soulmates to lovers and she and Sonny married on October 27, 1964.

At first Cher sang solo with Sonny behind the scenes writing, arranging and producing her songs. When the records went nowhere, Sonny decided they needed to perform as a team so they put out two songs in 1964 under the recording names of Caesar and Cleo ("The Letter" and "Baby Don't Go"). Again, no success. The changing of their names, however, made a difference and in 1965, they officially took on the music world as Sonny & Cher and earned instant rewards.

The now 19-year-old Cher and 30-year-old Sonny became huge hits following the release of their first album, "Look at Us" (summer, 1965), which contained the hit single "I Got You Babe". With the song catapulting to #1, they decided to re-release their earlier single "Baby Don't Go", and it also raced up the charts to #8. An assembly line of mild hits dotted the airwaves over the next year or two, culminating in the huge smash hit "The Beat Goes On" (#6, 1967). Between 1965 and 1972 Sonny & Cher charted a total of six "Top 10" hits.

The kooky couple became icons of the mid-'60s "flower power" scene, wearing garish garb and outlandish hairdos and makeup. However, they found a way to make it trendy and were embraced around the world. TV musical variety and teen pop showcases relished their contrasting styles -- the short, excitable, mustachioed, nasal-toned simpleton and the taller, exotic, unflappable fashion maven. They found a successful formula with their repartee, which became a central factor in their live concert shows, even more than their singing. With all this going on, Sonny still endeavored to promote Cher as a solo success. Other than such hits with "All I Really Want to Do" (#16) and "Bang, Bang" (#2), she struggled to find a separate identity. Sonny even arranged film projects for her but Good Times (1967), an offbeat fantasy starring the couple and directed by future powerhouse William Friedkin, and Cher's serious solo effort Chastity (1969) both flickered out and died a quick death.

By the end of the 1960s, Sonny & Cher's career had stumbled as they witnessed the American pop culture experience a drastic evolutionary change. The couple maintained their stage act and all the while Sonny continued to polish it up in a shrewd gamble for TV acceptance. While Sonny on stage played the ineffectual object of Cher's stinging barbs on stage, he was actually the highly motivated mastermind off stage and, amazingly enough, his foresight and chutzpah really paid off. Although the couple had lost favor with the new 70s generation, Sonny encouraged TV talent scouts to catch their live act.

The network powers-that-be saw potential in the duo as they made a number of guest TV appearances in specials and on variety and talk shows and in what was essentially "auditioning" for their own TV vehicle. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971) was given the green light as a summer replacement series and was an instant sensation when it earned its own time spot that fall season. The show received numerous Emmy Award nominations during its run and the couple became stars all over again. Their lively, off-the-wall comedy sketch routines, her outré Bob Mackie fashions and their harmless, edgy banter were the highlights of the hour-long program. Audiences took strongly to the couple who appeared to have a deep-down sturdy relationship. Their daughter Chaz Bono occasionally added to the couple's loving glow on the show. Cher's TV success also generated renewed interest in her as a solo recording artist and she came up with three #1 hits during this time ("Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady").

Behind the scenes, though, it was a different story. A now-confident Cher yearned to be free of husband Sonny's Svengali-like control over her life and career. The marriage split at the seams in 1974 and they publicly announced their separation. The show, which had earned Cher a Golden Globe Award, took a fast tumble as the separation and divorce grew more acrimonious. Eventually they both tried to launch their own solo variety shows, but both failed to even come close to their success as a duo. Audiences weren't interested in Cher without Sonny, and vice versa.

In late June of 1975, only four days after the couple's divorce, Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. That marriage imploded rather quickly amid reports of out-of-control drug use on his part. They were divorced by 1979 with only one bright outcome -- son Elijah Allman.

In 1976 Sonny and Cher attempted to "make up" again, this time to the tune of a second The Sonny and Cher Show (1976). Audiences, however, did not accept the "friendly" divorced couple after so much tabloid nastiness. After the initial curiosity factor wore off, the show was canceled amid poor ratings. Moreover, the musical variety show format was on its way out as well. Once again, another decade was looking to end badly for Cher.

Cher found a mild success with the "top 10" disco hit "Take Me Home" in 1979, but not much else. Not one to be counted out, however, the ever resourceful singer decided to lay back and focus on acting instead. At age 36, Cher made her Broadway debut in 1982 in what was essentially her first live acting role with "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean". Centering around a reunion of girlfriends from an old James Dean fan club, her performance was critically lauded. This earned her the right to transfer her stage triumph to film alongside Karen Black and Sandy Dennis. Cher earned critical raves for Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), her first film role since 1969.

With film #2 came a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for her portrayal of a lesbian toiling in a nuclear parts factory in Silkwood (1983), starring Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell. This in turn was followed by her star turn in Mask (1985) as the blunt, footloose mother of a son afflicted with a rare disease (played beautifully by Eric Stoltz). Once again Cher received high praise and copped a win from the Cannes Film Festival for her poignant performance.

Fully accepted by this time as an actress of high-caliber, she integrated well into the Hollywood community. Proving that she could hold up a film outright, she was handed three hit vehicles to star in: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Suspect (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Along with all this newfound Hollywood celebrity came interest in her as a singer and recording artist again. "If I Could Turn Back Time (#3) and the Peter Cetera duet "After All" (#6) placed her back on the Billboard charts.

During the 1990s Cher continued to veer back and forth among films, TV specials and expensively mounted concerts. In January of 1998, tragedy struck when Cher's ex-husband Sonny Bono, who had forsaken an entertainment career for California politics and became a popular Republican congressman in the process, was killed in a freak skiing accident. That same year the duo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to television. In the meantime an astounding career adrenaline rush came in the form of a monstrous, disco-flavored hit single ("Believe"). The song became a #1 hit and the same-titled album the biggest hit of her career. "Believe" reached #1 in 23 different countries.

Having little to prove anymore to anyone, Cher decided to embark on a "Farewell Tour" in the early part of the millennium and, after much stretching, her show finally closed in 2005 in Los Angeles. It didn't take long, however, for Cher to return from this self-imposed exile. In 2008, she finalized a deal with Las Vegas' Caesars Palace for the next three years to play the Colosseum, and has since returned live on numerous "farewell" tour extravaganzas. Never say never. Cher returned films with her co-starring role opposite Christina Aguilera in Burlesque (2010), but has since only provided a glitzy cameo in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). After keeping a low romantic profile for some time, she nearly out-cougared Madonna by embarking on a romance with four-decades-younger Def Jam executive Alexander "A.E." Edwards, father of rapper Amber Rose's second son. The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary in 2023, right before the release of Cher's first holiday album, simply titled Christmas.

In other facets of her life, Cher has been involved with many humanitarian groups and charity efforts over the years, particularly her work as National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson of the Children's Craniofacial Association, which was inspired by her work in Mask (1985).

Ken Howard was elected the National President of The Screen Actors Guild on September 24, 2009. He was a working member of SAG for over forty years. The Tony and two-time Emmy Award-winning actor, most recently received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie playing Phelan Beale in critically-acclaimed Grey Gardens (2009). The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning film starred Golden Globe-winner Drew Barrymore and fellow Emmy-winner Jessica Lange.

He starred opposite Jimmy Smits in the CBS drama Cane (2007) as "Joe Samuels". Howard portrayed the world-wise retired Detective Lieutenant "Max Cavanaugh" on NBC's Crossing Jordan (2001) and is perhaps best known for his performance as a street-savvy teacher in the classic drama The White Shadow (1978). He taught master classes at the American Repertory Theatre Institute and was an instructor at Harvard University and Harvard Law School. His teaching experience helped form the basis for his book, ACT NATURAL: How to Speak to Any Audience, published by Random House in 2003.

In 1968, two years into the three-year program at the Yale School of Drama, he accepted a small role on Broadway in Neil Simon's "Promises, Promises". He originated the role of Thomas Jefferson in the Tony-winning musical 1776 (1972), directed by Peter H. Hunt, receiving a Theatre World Award. Howard earned his Tony for his work as a young gym coach at a Catholic Boys' school in "Child's Play". He starred on Broadway in "Seesaw", "The Norman Conquests", "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" and the national tour of "Equus". In 2008, Howard starred in the one-man play, "According to Tip". His award-winning performance as Tip O'Neill was critically acclaimed.

His feature-film debut was in Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970), opposite Liza Minnelli. Additional films: 1776 (1972), Such Good Friends (1971), Clear and Present Danger (1994), The Net (1995), At First Sight (1999), 2:13 (2009), A Numbers Game (2010) and The Beacon (2009). He delighted movie audiences in 2005 with his work in FOX 2000's In Her Shoes (2005), with Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine, and in Dreamer (2005), for Dreamworks, co-starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning. He starred with Sylvester Stallone in Rambo (2008) (aka "Rambo IV"), Michael Clayton (2007) with George Clooney and Smother (2008) opposite Diane Keaton. He became firmly established in the public's mind as "Coach Ken Reeves" on MTM's prestigious The White Shadow (1978), a series which he co-created, based on his own experiences as the only white player on his high school basketball team. "White Shadow" fans can revisit the critically-acclaimed series of seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. He co-starred on the series It's Not Easy (1982), The Colbys (1985) and Dynasty (1981). He guest-starred in numerous prime-time shows: Boston Legal (2004), Dirty Sexy Money (2007), Eli Stone (2008), Cold Case (2003), Brothers & Sisters (2006), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Arli$$ (1996), The West Wing (1999), Conviction (2006), Ghost Whisperer (2005), George Lopez (2002) and Showtime's Huff (2004), opposite his dear friend, Blythe Danner. He had a recurring role on Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) and The Practice (1997). He starred in Sacrifices of the Heart (2007) for the Hallmark Channel. Miniseries include Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder (2000), The Thorn Birds (1983), Rage of Angels (1983), OP Center (1995), Mastergate (1992), He's Not Your Son (1984), The Country Girl (1982), Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Smart Story (1991), Memories of Midnight (1991). Howard's first Emmy Award was for the on-camera narration of "Facts for Boys: The Body Human". His voice can be heard on more than 30 best-selling books on tape. A kidney transplant success (the gift of longtime friend and stunt-woman Jeannie Epper), Howard was appointed Chancellor of the National Kidney Foundation, and worked with their efforts to encourage people to donate their organs. He was a member of the Board of the Los Angeles Alzheimer's Committee and, along with his wife, Linda, served as Board members of Shambala Animal Preserve. He was also the national spokesperson for the Onyx and Breezy Foundation. Howard resided in Los Angeles, with his wife, retired stunt-woman Linda Fetters Howard Howard, and their recently rescued dogs, Harley Hoops and Hannah Henrietta.

Tommy Hinkley was born on 31 May 1960 in El Centro, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Leatherheads (2008), The Little Vampire (2000) and Mad About You (1992). He has been married to Tracey Needham since 1 January 1995. They have one child.

Michael Polish was born on 30 October 1970 in El Centro, California, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Twin Falls Idaho (1999), Northfork (2003) and Jackpot (2001). He was previously married to Kate Bosworth and Jo Strettell.

Mark Polish was born on 30 October 1970 in El Centro, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Twin Falls Idaho (1999), Murmur (2022) and The Astronaut Farmer (2006). He is married to Wendy Polish. They have one child.

Along with other activities that Glen does, he found time to host a radio show in his home town. He called it "The Saturday Morning Blitz". The focus was Major League Footbal with local High School Football Talk throughout the show. During the 3 hour broadcast, from 9am to 12noon, Cadrez and his co-host talked about current NFL Games, highlighted the night before High School games of the Valley and talked to past and present NFL Coaches & team members. The Show Ran on Saturday's beginning August through January 2003 and again in the 2004 season, before Cadrez moved on to other entities. The show aired live on KROP-AM 1300 in the Imperial Valley, produced by DJ Toby (Station Program Director & Director of Imaging for KROP-FM & KSIQ-FM).

Rhode Montijo received his BFA in Illustration from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1996. Thanks to a grant from the Xeric Foundation, Rhode Montijo was able to release his comic 'Pablo's Inferno' to a wider audience. While his love lies in working on his self-published comic, recently Rhode Montijo has been paying the rent, working on Character Design and Storyboards for various multi-media projects.

He has also worked for many Mondo Media shows like Thugs on Film and The God & Devil Show. It was while working on Mondo when he meet Kenn Navarro and Aubrey Ankrum and created the popular dark humored flash cartoon series, Happy Tree Friends (2000) .In the Rhode worked as writer, director and art director and also did the voices of Lumpy and Splendid. After five years working on the show, he officially left Happy Tree Friends in 2004 to focus more on his comic-book work.

Brooke Wiederhorn was born on 21 February 1986 in El Centro, California, USA. She has been married to Thayer Wiederhorn since 2 August 2014. They have two children.

Glenn Allen Smith was born on 29 April 1935 in El Centro, California, USA. Glenn Allen was a writer, known for Ellie (1984). Glenn Allen was married to Louise Mosley. Glenn Allen died on 21 September 2023 in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Terrance Tornberg was born on 17 November 1977 in El Centro, California, USA. He is known for I Am Legend (2007), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Green Lantern (2011). He has been married to Heidi Tornberg since 3 October 2015. They have two children. He was previously married to Tonya Noerr.

Born in El Centro, California on March 6, 1985, Robert Gonzalez's love of acting started at a very young age. As a child Robert liked to do impersonations of "The King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley, dancing and singing to "The King's" music in front of family and friends. His childhood interest for the performing arts pushed him to audition for a theater company in his home county. From the time he was seven to the age of seventeen, he appeared in several plays and musicals. Robert portrayed the role of the Tin Man in the American classic "The Wizard of Oz.". He also portrayed the role of La Muerte (Death) in the acclaimed Latin-American play "El Soldado Razo," written by well known Chicano playwright Luis Valdez. During this time, his interest in film and television also grew and he was sought after to participate in "IVTV Kids," a FOX local television news show for tweens. It is there that he got his first experience in television. Once he graduated from high school, Robert decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting in the film and television industry. While in Los Angeles, Robert attended dramatic schools and received private coaching. Since then, Robert has appeared in the Paramount/MTV Pictures production of "Freedom Writers" starring Hilary Swank. He has also starred in the Universal Pictures production of George Romero's third installment of the "Creepshow" series. In addition, Robert has starred and participated in independent and short films; and has had the opportunity to work and collaborate with many people in the entertainment industry. Overall, Robert has amassed over fifteen years of theater, television, and film experience; and continues to grow as an actor, and more importantly, as a person.

Carla Polkinhorn is the founder and owner of Borderline Media Enterprises, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Carla's primary education was at Instituto Villafontana in Mexicali, Mexico where she became fluent in Spanish. Carla then attended Tufts University and earned a B.A. in International Relations and Drama where she produced and acted in various plays and starred in Jean Genet's "The Maids". While attending law school in California, Carla wrote and produced her first film "Descension" which was filmed in Baja California, Mexico and California, USA. Carla then completed "Looking For Lenny", a feature documentary that explores comic Lenny Bruce's legacy and how his personality has affected freedom of speech in the spoken word. In 2008 Carla moved to Dubai, UAE and has since teamed up with international producers to bring international independent films to worldwide audiences.

Studied acting at the acclaimed Actors Studio (MFA) New York City. Attended Central Union High. He graduated from San Diego State University and majored in Political Science and Sociology. He followed his Father's lead and played Professional baseball in Mexico. His Father Jesse was aggressively scouted by the California Angel's Baseball Organization but opted to attend Cal Poly Pomona instead. His Mother, Aida, is a District Representative for a California Democratic Senator. His Step-Father Alan, was in Boy Scouts with Actor David Leisure. Auditioned for Academy Award winners, Martin Landau, Mark Rydell and Ellen Burstyn. His first time in front of a camera was when he was picked out of a group by Director Kevin J.Dobson for a background scene in the 1993 TV show "Acapulco Heat". He was vacationing with friends and he loved it so much he extended his stay to work on the show.

Raul Celaya was born on 29 May 1975 in El Centro, California, USA. He is a producer and assistant director, known for Big Momma's House (2000), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) and Big Fat Liar (2002).

Fred A. Baughman was born on 14 November 1932 in El Centro, California, USA. He was married to Annette Sutherland. He died on 16 October 2022 in El Cajon, California, USA.

Deserea Wasdin was born on 17 September 1983 in El Centro, California, USA.

Marti Maraden was born on 22 June 1945 in El Centro, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Campbells (1986), The Beachcombers (1972) and The Wars (1982). She was married to Frank Maraden. She died on 31 August 2023 in Sweden.

Bruce Brown was born on 27 December 1952 in El Centro, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Zipperface (1992) and Nudist Colony of the Dead (1991).

Terry Martin was born on 3 September 1937 in El Centro, California, USA. He was married to Candy. He died on 12 May 2012 in Capistrano Beach, California, USA.

George Tanaguchi was born on 19 October 1926 in El Centro, California, USA. He was an actor. He died on 1 March 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Cody Casper Clark was born on December 20, 1992 in El Centro, California to Barbara. He has one older sister, and one younger sister, Corina and Janie. Before Cody became an Actor, he was involved in Football, Basketball, Baseball, and modeling. His career began when he moved to Chico, California and met Jack Stockton, who encouraged him to join is program at Hollywood Studios Media Center. After having an interview with Models Inc Talent Agency in Pleasanton, California and performing a cold read, and thus began his career in the Entertainment Industry

Joie Hutchinson was born on 5 June 1929 in El Centro, California, USA. She was a costume designer, known for Steel Magnolias (1989), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and Doc Hollywood (1991). She died on 24 March 2012 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA.

DeVette Solomon was born on 5 August 1960 in El Centro, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Just Call Me Maybe (2012), What Does the Fox Say (2013) and Nae Nae (2015).

Manuel Ángeles Ortiz was born on 2 July 1916 in El Centro, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Joe Palooka, Champ (1946). He died on 31 May 1970 in San Diego, California, USA.