Cher

French river, rising in the Massif Central on the eastern edge of Creuse département, and flowing northwest to join the River Loire 19 km/12 mi below Tours; length 350 km/217 mi. It is navigable from Vierzon. It gives its name to the département of Cher.

Cher (1946– )

US singer and actor. Known for her flamboyance, she was part of the 1960s duo Sonny and Cher with her then husband Sonny Bono. Their first hit, ‘I Got You Babe’ (1965), topped US and UK charts. Her top-selling singles as a solo artist include ‘Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves’ (1971), ‘Dark Lady’ (1974), ‘I Found Someone’ (1987), ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ (1991 for her film Mermaids), and ‘Believe’ (1998). She has also had a successful acting career, receiving a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award for Mask (1985) and an Academy Award for Best Actress in Moonstruck (1987).

Cher's first solo hit was the single ‘Bang Bang’ (1971). Her albums include Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989), Love Hurts (1991), and Believe (1998). Her other films include Silkwood (1983) (Golden Globe award and Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination), Witches of Eastwick (1987), Suspect (1987), and Faithful (1995). She also produced several successful exercise videos.

Cher

Département in the Centre region of France; area 7,227 sq km/2,790 sq mi; population (1999 est) 314,400. The landscape is generally level and wooded. It is a fertile agricultural region with a temperate climate, producing corn, vines, fruit trees, sugar beet, hemp, and flax, and there is livestock farming. About a quarter of the population is employed in manufacturing – wool, electrical, and metal goods, porcelain, glass, and confectionery – and three-fifths in tertiary occupations. The principal towns are Bourges (the administrative centre) and Vierzon.

Cher is formed from part of the former province of Berry and a small part of Bourbonnais.