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For decades now, Cher has been one of the most prominent figures in the entertainment industry. And with all that time in the spotlight, fans of the Goddess of Pop have grown curious about her personal life.
Cher was married from Sonny Bono from 1969 to 1975. The year they divorced, she married her second husband, Gregg Allman. What do we know about Allman? How long were the two together? Read on for details.
1. She Married Gregg Allman Four Days After Finalizing Her Divorce from Her First Husband
Cher married Allman on June 30, 1975– just four days after finalizing her divorce from Sonny Bono.
She had been separated from Sonny for about a year at that point. Ultimate Classic Rock writes that many people were skeptical of Cher and Allman’s relationship from the get-go.
“To begin with, he was a Southern rock star, and she was a pop singer; musically and socially, they seemed to have little in common. More importantly, however, Cher was just days removed from the end of her marriage to Sonny Bono, which drummed up a year’s worth of lurid gossip, derailed the couple’s hit variety show, and sparked a custody battle over their daughter Chastity.”
Allman and Cher first met at a gig in Los Angeles. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Allman was immediately taken with her. He wrote in his memoir that Cher “smelled like I would imagine a mermaid would smell….” and that he “didn’t say hello or nothing at all, because I was so blinded by her.”
Later that night, Cher gave Allman her number.
2. He Was the Co-Founder of the Allman Brothers Band
Allman was the frontman and lead singer of the Allman Brothers Band. Ultimate Classic Rock reports that Allman’s band members weren’t huge fans of Allman’s relationship with Cher. “The other members of the Allman Brothers Band were reportedly none too happy with his attention-getting relationship, and larger problems loomed on the horizon — including the DEA sting that would result in Allman testifying against roadie Scooter Herring and ultimately breaking up the band.”
In 1977, two years into their marriage, he and Cher released a duet album called Two the Hard Way. The album was largely unsuccessful.
The Allman Brothers Band has come to be viewed as one of the first “Southern-rock” musical groups. They formed in 1969, and released their first studio album, The Allman Brothers Band, in 1969. Their second album, Idlewild South, was released in 1970.
Gregg Allman’s brother Duane, with whom he founded the band, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971, just months after the group released their album At Fillmore East, which is largely recognized as one of the best live albums ever made.
3. Cher Filed for Divorce Nine Days After Marrying Him
Cher filed for divorce just over a week after marrying Allman. According to EW, Allman’s “liquor and liquor problems were too much for her to handle.”
Cher is quoted as saying, “He was so high he didn’t even understand me.” Rumor had it that the stress of living with Allman got to Cher so much so that it “aggravated her acne” and the taping of Cher had to be suspended.
Eventually, the two were able to reconcile. Then, four years later, not long after the release of their duet album, they divorced. Allman stated that their fanbases didn’t mesh well, causing the album to flunk. It was released in November of 1977; within three months, they had divorced.
Cher is reported by Ultimate Classic Rock as saying, “Dead weight starts out as dead weight and ends up just the same… I don’t know why I waited so long.”
4. They Had One Son Together
Cher and Allman had one son together, Elijah Blue.
According to EW, the two were headed for divorce when Cher learned she was pregnant with Elijah.
After Elijah’s birth, Cher told People that Allman had gotten his act together. “Gregory has stopped drinking and has stopped doing any kind of drugs…” She added, “I’ve always loved Gregory, but until now I never felt it was going to last. For the first time I feel like married people.”
In 1978, speaking to People after divorcing from Allman, Cher said of Allman, “I just didn’t have the juice anymore. I wouldn’t have gone through it, except that nobody ever made me feel as happy as Gregory did. God, he’s wonderful. I don’t understand why he can’t see it. He’s the kindest, most gentle, loving husband and father. But then… he forgets and everything goes to shit.”
Cher has one daughter with Sonny, named Chastity Bono (later Chaz Bono.)
5. He Died in 2017 at Age 69
Allman died in 2017 at age 69 of complications with liver cancer.
A statement issued by his rep read, “[Allman] passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Georgia.” It continued, “Gregg struggled with many health issues over the past several years. During that time, Gregg considered being on the road playing music with his brothers and solo band for his beloved fans, essential medicine for his soul. Playing music lifted him up and kept him going during the toughest of times.”
In a subsequent statement, guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts, wrote, “It’s too soon to properly process this… I’m so glad I was able to have a couple good talks with him before he passed. In fact I was about to call him to check and see how he was when I got the call. It’s a very sad day.”
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