It's a week of musical divas for our STEVEN COJOCARU! We first brought you the fashion guru's chat with BRITNEY SPEARS, and tonight it's all about the incredible CHER -- as Cojo keeps the legendary entertainer company backstage at the final performance of her farewell tour!

The 16-month "Cher: The Final Tour" kicked off in June of 2002 in Toronto, which is where the spirited singer decided to wrap it up on Halloween night!

But Cher revealed to Cojo that this may not, in fact, truly be the last of her on stage. "This is the last show for this year," she remarked. "But it might not be the last show because we're planning on taking this worldwide possibly."

Cojo informed Cher that many of her fans had dressed up just like the music icon herself for the show. "Good!" she laughed, "I really love it. People are very creative!"

The tour celebrated her latest album Living Proof as well as other material from her long and successful career.

Not one to disappoint, the raven-haired beauty took the stage in one of her customary outrageous costumes, but spiced it up even more for the sake of the holiday. This time around she donned an oversized yet glitzy witch's attire with a strategically placed spider!

"When I saw this on," she said, "I thought this is so much more over the top than my normal opening outfit!"

Cher also said she was still performing because she was still more than capable of putting on a phenomenal show. "I feel that right now I can still do a really good show ... my spirit is good and my energy is good. I'm still funny, and I can still sing well!"

Although this will be the end of her musical journey, the 57-year-old Oscar winner plans to continue her movie and television work. In fact, fans can see her this December in PETER and BOBBY FARRELLY's 'Stuck on You' with fellow Oscar winner MATT DAMON and GREG KINNEAR.

Cojo's final question for the energetic diva? "Do the words Cher and mellow go together?" "Once in a while," she smiled.

Screen shots brought to you by everythingcher.

STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN

Great news for Jack on "Will & Grace": His idol, Cher, is still hot. For real. The diva's "Living Proof Farewell Tour" has, to date, grossed $130 million, says the Hollywood Reporter -- and after more than 140 shows, Cher, 57, does not appear to be losing any of her drawing power. She'll continue the tour this summer.

"It's been beyond our wildest dreams," says Brad Wavra, vice-president of touring at Clear Channel, promoter of the Cher tour. "We've done Omaha (Neb.) three times, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., three times, Cleveland three times, Topeka (Kan.) twice, Wichita (Kan.) twice, Oklahoma City twice. We've done six shows at Madison Square Garden, plus Nassau and New Jersey -- that's 15 in (the) New York (area) alone."

Furthermore, her new greatest-hits CD, "The Very Best of Cher," confounded industry experts by selling more than 1 million copies and spending two months in Billboard's Top 10.

But, wait, there's more: On July 6, NBC will rebroadcast her top-rated concert special; ABC's "Prime Time Live" has just updated a 2002 interview for the third time with new footage; her concert DVD is due to be released in August; and Warner Strategic Marketing (which, like PEOPLE, is part of AOL Time Warner) is also preparing a long-awaited music DVD package to be released Oct. 28.

"Hundred-million-dollar tours don't come along every day," Billboard senior writer Ray Waddell tells the Reporter. "Last year, she was the second-highest-grossing tour in the world, behind Paul McCartney."

As for the success of "The Very Best of Cher," Waddell says, "Sometimes the public just rediscovers (the music). She's riding that wave right now."

By Deborah Wilker

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - During one of the more playful moments in Cher's long-running farewell concert tour, the redoubtable Oscar winner cracks a ringmaster's whip and issues a stern warning to would-be successors "J. Lo, Britney and Christina," challenging them to "top this, you bitches."

Turns out she needn't have given those ladies a second thought.

While formerly hot sellers like Mariah Carey (news) have scaled down this summer because of poor sales, and others such as Christina Aguilera (news) and Justin Timberlake (news) aren't doing quite the hoped-for business, promoters continue to wring far more out of Cher's farewell than they -- or she -- ever could have imagined.

After more than 140 shows, Cher's Living Proof Farewell Tour has grossed $130 million and enters its second summer as one of the season's strongest draws; her new greatest-hits CD, "The Very Best of Cher," just hit 1 million in sales and spent two improbable months in Billboard's Top 10; on July 6, NBC will rebroadcast the concert special that was a ratings-grabber in April; ABC's "Prime Time Live" just refreshed a 2002 interview for the third time with new footage; there's a concert DVD due in August; and Warner Strategic Marketing is also readying a long-awaited music video package on DVD for Oct. 28.

"Hundred-million-dollar tours don't come along every day," says Ray Waddell, a senior writer at Billboard who tracks the touring industry. "Last year, she was the second-highest-grossing tour in the world, behind Paul McCartney (news)." As for the hot album, Waddell says, "Sometimes the public just rediscovers (the music). She's riding that wave right now."

Yet there was little fanfare or media coverage when the 57-year-old singer slipped quietly (for her) into New York's Madison Square Garden last week to celebrate the tour's one-year anniversary with two lively sell-outs. While she has pared at least four songs since the tour premiered, jettisoning a low-key segment that used to be a highlight, ovations from the all-ages crowd were as passionate as ever. Fans are rightly sensing her contentment onstage, a relaxed confidence that has often eluded her over her wide-ranging 40-year career.

And so, what was originally slated to be a 50-date tour scheduled to wrap last year has now extended three times and will extend once more when promoters next month announce nine September dates. From there, the trek could go even longer.

"I wouldn't rule it out," says Liz Rosenberg, senior vp at Warner Bros. Records, where Cher has been recording since 1995. "As I say to people all the time, it's a long goodbye. If she's not going to do (arena concerts) anymore on this scale and the show is such a success, she must feel that as long as she can keep doing it, she's going to."

In fact, there has been no drop-off in ticket sales, even as the show returns to some cities two or more times, competing for leisure dollars with such top sellers as Dixie Chicks (news - web sites), the Dave Matthews Band and the Aerosmith (news - web sites)/KISS double bill, says Brad Wavra, vp touring at Clear Channel, promoter of the Cher tour.

"It's been beyond our wildest dreams," Wavra says. "We've done Omaha (Neb.) three times, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., three times, Cleveland three times, Topeka (Kan.) twice, Wichita (Kan.) twice, Oklahoma City twice. We've done six shows at Madison Square Garden, plus Nassau and New Jersey -- that's 15 in (the) New York (area) alone."

The strong box office is clearly due in part to some fans attending more than once, the result of modestly priced tickets ranging from $32-$75 in the majority of markets. (Only in a few big cities do tickets exceed $75.) While some icons routinely charge prices of $200 and up, Cher and others like Bruce Springsteen (news) -- also capped at about $75 -- are relative bargains.

"Price does make a huge difference," Wavra says. "It's the difference between this success and other tours in the marketplace. This is a show that doesn't reach beyond the financial means of her core audience."

Meanwhile, the best-of CD, at No. 15 next week, also continues to sell briskly, while her 2002 set "Living Proof" is still sending hits to the dance charts.

"We didn't expect this," Rosenberg says. "Cher certainly didn't. The other day she looked at me and said, 'How did this happen?"'

Theories abound about strong Mother's Day sales, a slew of upbeat prerelease TV commercials, the reminder power of a network special (and VH1's May replays), increased hits play on adult contemporary radio and fans yearning for the familiar in troubled times.

Yet even Cher's own manager, Lindsay Scott, who acknowledges that his client "has had a career of confounding people," says he's surprised. "Every night she goes out there expecting to see an empty seat, and she never does," he says.

Still that doesn't mean the show will go on indefinitely.

"What we don't want," Scott says, "is to become cartoonish -- for people to say, when is she finally going to go away? The fact is she will go away, she's ready to go away, she's very serious about (leaving the road).

"The impression I don't want fans to have -- and I think some of them do -- is that she's planning to drop out of sight completely. She's still young by modern standards and certainly very young-thinking and incredibly fit. There's still a lot she wants to do," Scott says. (Cher's film career adds another chapter with a role in the Farrelly brothers' December release "Stuck On You.")

While the star and her handlers may be happily startled by this latest peak, there's at least one industry observer who isn't.

"You can never be entirely certain about how the public's going to react," says Billboard's Mayfield. "It also speaks to who's buying records. It's an older audience that has not been as diluted by peer-to-peer file-sharing and CD burning. You're talking about a consumer who doesn't mind going out and buying a CD. That Cher would be successful with a hits package that gets different corners of a career represented in one house, that's not a shocker."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

The base material is black nylon. I took the photos that were sent to me and printed them to transfers. They were then placed on small pieces of material, which was handstitched onto the nylon forming a collage of fans. Each photo has been labeled with the name, age, and location of the fan it represents.The center piece is white nylon and the words that are in the center say..'United Fans of Cher'. On each side of the word Cher, is a star. The star is composed of small photos of Cher's career.

The really impressive part is that this gift represents 202 fans from 44 States and 25 different Countries. Cher will truely know how much she is respected, admired, and loved."

Caryn was able to present the gift to Cher in New York City before the concert. It was reported that Cher really liked the gift and had it in her hotel room on her bed. Wow...we are laying on Cher's bed! Thanks Caryn for all your hard work and for allowing so many fans to participate in your gift for Cher.

by Rob Evans, Live Daily Editor

After more than a year of nearly non-stop touring, the end of Cher's farewell tour is finally in sight.

Promoter Clear Channel Entertainment unveiled the final batch of dates for the singer's outing--which she claims will be her last--on Monday (6/9). The itinerary concludes with an Aug. 31 show at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Dubbed "Living Proof --The Farewell Tour," Cher's outing backs her February release, "Living Proof," which spawned the hit single "A Song for the Lonely."

Throughout the tour, Cher's set lists have spanned her four-decade-long career. The show features a seven-piece band and several dancers, as well as video clips highlighting the greatest moments of her music, film and TV careers.

According to Clear Channel, costume changes come with almost every song. The two-tiered set includes a mechanical elephant, acrobats on rings and ropes and colorfully clad dancers.

In March, Warner Bros. issued "The Very Best of Cher," a career-spanning set that includes the tracks "I Got You Babe," "The Beat Goes On," "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed," "Song for the Lonely," "Believe" and many others.

Cher, 57, first rose to fame with partner and then-spouse Sonny Bono. During her subsequent solo career, she has enjoyed several cycles of prominent commercial success, the most recent of which occurred in 1998. It was during that year that her single "Believe," featured on the album of the same name, hit No. 1.

The song went on to garner Cher the 1999 GRAMMY® award for Best Dance Recording.

[Note: The following tour itinerary has been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of 09-Jun-2003. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist web sites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]

June 2003
11, 12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
15 - Moline, IL - Mark of the Quad Cities
17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
18 - Billings, MT - MetraPark Arena
20 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center
21 - Yakima, WA - Yakima Valley SunDome

July 2003
8 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center
9 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
11 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
12 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre
14 - Portland, ME - Cumberland Civic Center
16 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
18 - Wilkes Barre, PA - First Union Arena
19 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
21 - Dayton, OH - Ervin J. Nutter Center
23 - Albany, NY - Mellon Arena
25 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
26 - Hershey, PA - Giant Center
28 - Rockford, IL - Rockford MetroCentre
30 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena

August 2003
1 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
2 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
4 - Evansville, IN - Roberts Stadium
6 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Allen City War Memorial
7 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center
9 - St. Louis, MO - Savvis Center
11 - Peoria, IL - Civic Center Arena
13 - Des Moines, IA - Veterans Memorial Auditorium
15 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
16 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
22 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
23 - Vancouver, British Columbia - GM Place
25 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
27 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Saskatchewan Place
30 - Devore, CA - Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen
31 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena

by Jon Zahlaway, LiveDaily Staff Writer

Cher, currently in the midst of a lengthy farewell tour, has postponed several shows while she battles throat problems.

The singer, who recently added a string of dates that extends her U.S. run into August, postponed her Tuesday (5/20) show in Rockford, Ill.; her Thursday (5/22) show in Milwaukee; and her Friday (5/23) show in Ft. Wayne, Ind.; in order to recover from a "severe throat infection," according to her official website. Those shows are now scheduled to take place on July 28, Aug. 6 and Aug. 16, respectively.

She has also bumped her June 8 concert at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa., back to July 8.

Cher, who turned 57 on Tuesday (5/20), last June launched what she said will be her final tour, and has been on the road almost non-stop ever since. Her set list encompasses material from throughout her nearly 40-year career.

In March, Warner Bros. issued "The Very Best of Cher," a career-spanning set that includes the tracks "I Got You Babe," "The Beat Goes On," "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed," "Song for the Lonely," "Believe," and many others.

Cher's recording career began in 1965, and she released her most recent studio album, "Living Proof," last February. It spawned the hit "Song for the Lonely."

Cher first rose to fame with partner and then-spouse Sonny Bono. During her subsequent solo career, she has enjoyed several cycles of prominent commercial success, the most recent of which occurred in 1998. It was during that year that her single "Believe," featured on the album of the same name, hit No. 1.

The song went on to garner Cher the 1999 GRAMMY® award for Best Dance Recording.

[Note: The following tour itinerary has been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of 23-May-2003. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist web sites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]

May 2003
20 - Rockford, IL - MetroCentre - POSTPONED
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center - POSTPONED
23 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Allen County Memorial Coliseum - POSTPONED
25 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino
28 - Charleston, WV - Civic Coliseum
30 - Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena
31 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - First Union Arena

June 2003
2, 3 - Trenton, NJ - Sovereign Bank Arena
5 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum
7 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
11, 12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
15 - Moline, IL - Mark of the Quad Cities
17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
18 - Billings, MT - MetraPark Arena
20 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center
21 - Yakima, WA - Yakima Valley SunDome

July 2003
8 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center
12 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre
14 - Portland, ME - Cumberland Civic Center
16 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
19 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
21 - Dayton, OH - Ervin J. Nutter Center
26 - Hershey, PA - Giant Center
28 - Rockford, IL - Rockford MetroCentre

August 2003
4 - Evansville, IN - Roberts Stadium
6 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Allen City War Memorial
11 - Peoria, IL - Civic Center Arena
16 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center

Since Cher became a star by crooning on TV, what's her take on the young upstarts hoping to do the same on American Idol? "You know what, I've never seen it," the 56-year-old icon tells TV Guide Online. "I don't really watch TV. Sorry, I've heard that some guy is really mean on it. That's about all I know."

"Well, I'm not leaving the planet!" she cracks. "This is the best show I've ever done. Physically, I'm doing a tour that could kill girls less than half my age. But I don't like being on the road travelling from place to place, being in a different hotel room every night and getting no sleep. The road is very demanding."

If she'll tour no more after this, would Cher consider hanging up a shingle in Vegas like Celine Dion? Let the fans come to her! "It's never occurred to me," she considers. "This thing that Celine's doing, I don't think anyone's ever done it before. It's not a bad idea, but I couldn't do it too long. Celine's doing it for three years. I could never do that."

But fear not, Cher isn't ready for full retirement yet. Her Very Best of Cher CD was just released, and she'll make another electronica album soon. She also plays "a bitch" in the Farrelly brothers comedy Stuck on You this December. Plus, Will & Grace fans can see reruns of both her guest episodes just before tonight's concert.

No word yet on whether she'll visit her fave sitcom again, but she sounds open to it. "I had a great time, and I love Sean Hayes," Cher says. "I'd never seen Will & Grace when Sean asked me if I would do it, but I love him so much that I did it. Those people are so much fun, and they make me laugh so much. It wasn't even work. It was fun." — Daniel R. Coleridge

by Christine Champagne

Cher's current "Living Proof" concert tour will be her last, although she admits (with a laugh), "It's like I said farewell, but I didn't say when. [This tour] keeps extending and extending. I think I've played the Chicago area five times."

Her family -- including out lesbian daughter Chastity -- visits her on the road frequently. When alone, she blows off steam on the road with her new hobby: painting pottery. "It's relaxing, and it's fun," Cher says.

What else would fans be surprised to know about her? Well, Cher swears she doesn't like to dress up or wear makeup at home. "I just like going around bummy, in sweatpants and jeans. Some of my favorite T-shirts are really old, really terrible, funky," she says, "and I won't give them up until they bite the dust."

While she doesn't wear them to run out to the grocery store, Cher does still own many of the classic costumes designed by Bob Mackie. She keeps them in storage, and may send them to a museum one day. Her all-time favorite? "There was an Indian costume that Bob had made for me. It was slit all the way up. I just remember thinking it was so racy. I didn't think Sonny was going to let me wear it, but he did."

Cher has never had an issue with showing skin. But she insists that she is reserved by nature. "I'm really shy. As a person, I'm so different. I could do something in front of 100,000 people that I couldn't do in front of five."

She certainly isn't shy about expressing her opinions. Cher is one of the few stars to openly criticize Michael Jackson, for example. "I feel it's not right," she says of his strange behavior. "A good parent wouldn't do some of the things he's done."

She doesn't hold back her opposition to the war in Iraq, either -- though her heart goes out to American troops there. "I feel for the service people. It's a terrible environment that they're not used to. They're having to do things that they probably don't want to do, but it's their duty," Cher says. Of protestors not supporting the troops, she stresses, "We made a huge mistake back in the Vietnam war. I can only pray no one does that again, and I'm sure people won't."

Is it hard to go on stage these days, given the current state of world affairs? "One of the things I see from the stage is that people really like being taken out of their lives, out of the war for two hours," she says. "I think that's important. People can just kind of exhale and laugh."

Once her "Living Proof" tour wraps up (according to her Web site, she'll be saying farewell through December of 2003), Cher plans to focus on acting. But she can't wait that long: In between shows, she's shooting a film with the Farrelly Brothers (of "There's Something About Mary" fame). The oddball comedy, about a pair of conjoined twins, finds Cher playing herself "as the most unbelievable, narcissistic bitch that you can possibly imagine."

Cher also reveals that she and out gay director Rob Marshall ("Chicago") planned to do a television version of "Mame" (the musical version of the campy classic "Auntie Mame"). "But I can imagine now that he's a big deal -- an Academy Award winner -- he's probably got his eyes on bigger things," Cher says.

As for her personal life, Cher is single at the moment. Yes, she'd love to meet someone. "I think it's something everybody aspires to," she says. "I couldn't imagine anyone would respond, 'No, I don't like that idea. It's not anything I'd be interested in.'"

But it isn't exactly easy to meet men when you're a superstar. "I think it's much more difficult. I remember once Michelle Pfeiffer and I were at a club. We wanted to go dancing, and no one asked us to dance. It was so stupid! ... It takes a certain kind of man to come up and start talking to you."

For now, Cher spends most of her time making each concert one to remember. "I'm being dead honest: This is the best show I've ever done," she says.

Have you ordered your CD yet!

Check out the end of the new TV commercial for ordering details which includes for a short time, a bonus limited lithograph poster. Also you can order the CD online at many other sites or purchase in your favorite store.

Want to see the whole commercial? EverythingCher has created a Windows Media file for your viewing pleasure.

Right click this link and save to your computer.
Download WMV file by right clicking here. [3.4Mb]

Oh babe, we can hardly wait!

Check out this link: http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Cher for all the information.

Oh babe, your doing good this year!.

Entertainment Tonight reported that Cher is rated #6 of the richest pop stars, earning a cool $26.7 million dollars.

Way to go Cher! You make us proud.

We got you back, babe. Cher's wig has been returned.

Cher's black and teal, $10,000 wig was returned to Richmond Police last night. The wig was discovered missing on Feb. 26, before the singer's concert in Baltimore. Richmond Police spokesperson Christie Collins says an investigation is underway.

"The wig was turned in last night and we have two suspects who currently are not in custody," Collins said.

According to a press statement from the Richmond Police, a male was overheard bragging about having Cher's wig yesterday afternoon. After the tip was given to police, the suspect was questioned and he stated that he gave the wig to a female friend. The female turned in the wig later that evening.

As the investigation continues, Collins says indications are that the two suspects were concertgoers or fans rather than Richmond Coliseum employees.

"All evidence points to (the suspects) being fans," Collins said.

Currently, the wig is being held as evidence but Collins said Cher's camp was "glad to have the wig back."

article by Robb Crocker, Richmond.com
Wednesday March 5, 2003

That's an amazing mix!

Pop-star and actress Cher has added another large batch of dates to her ongoing farewell tour, which got underway last June and is set to conclude this summer.

During the tour's current leg, she will squeeze in a co-starring role opposite Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon in a Farrelly Brothers movie titled "Stuck on You." In the film, Damon and Kinnear play conjoined twins, one of whom wants to be an actor, according to Cher's official website. Cher's character is cast in a TV show with the twins.

Warner Bros. will release a compilation album dubbed "The Very Best of Cher" on March 18. The career-spanning set will include "I Got You Babe," "The Beat Goes On," "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed," "Song for the Lonely," "Believe," and many others.

Cher has put together a setlist for the tour--which she claims will be her last--that includes material from throughout her nearly 40-year career.

Cher's recording career began in 1965, and she released her most recent album, "Living Proof," last February. It spawned the hit "Song for the Lonely."

Cher first rose to fame in the mid-'60s with partner and then-spouse Sonny Bono. During her subsequent solo career, she has enjoyed several cycles of prominent commercial success, the most recent of which occurred in 1998. It was during that year that her single "Believe," featured on the album of the same name, hit No. 1.

The song went on to garner Cher the 1999 Grammy award for Best Dance Recording.

Hurray, another Cher movie. We can hardly wait to see it!

Cher, who hit the road last June for what she says will be her final tour, heads out later this month for another round of dates.

For her farewell outing, Cher has put together a setlist that includes material from throughout her nearly 40-year career, according to organizers.

The singer-actress, whose recording career began in 1965, released her most recent album, "Living Proof," last February. The collection features the hit single "A Song for the Lonely."

Cher first rose to fame in the mid-'60s with partner and then-spouse Sonny Bono. During her subsequent solo career, she has enjoyed several cycles of prominent commercial success, the most recent of which occurred in 1998. It was during that year that her single "Believe," featured on the album of the same name, hit No. 1.

The song went on to garner Cher the 1999 Grammy award for Best Dance Recording.