Sonny & Cher – Wow, What A Team!
Where does one start? Well, let’s go to the beginning. Cherilyn Sarkisian first met Salvatore Bono in a Los Angeles coffee shop in November 1962, when she was sixteen. A team was born! What would we do without coffee shops?
In September 1964, they released “Baby Don’t Go” under the name of Sonny & Cher, which became their first regional hit. The song was later included on the 1965 compilation album, “Baby Don’t Go, Sonny & Cher And Friends,” which also included songs from artists such as Bill Medley, The Lettermen, and The Blendells.
They released their first album “Look at Us” in the summer of 1965. The album contained the number one single “I Got You Babe.” The hit, “Look at Us,” peaked at number two on the American Billboard Chart for eight weeks in the later part of 1965.
The couple appeared on many of the top television shows of the era including The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand, Where The Action Is, Hollywood A Go-Go, Hollywood Palace, Hullabaloo, Beat Club, Shindig!, Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops. They also appeared as themselves in the film Wild on the Beach, singing “It’s Gonna Rain.” On their first album, Sonny also displayed his political interest long before running for Congress, in the lyrics of the song, “The Revolution Kind.” They attracted attention early on and we have never forgotten those moments to this day.
Look at all these songs they created!
- I Got You Babe
- The Beat Goes On
- All I Ever Need Is You
- Sing C’est la vie
- A Beautiful Story
- Have I Stayed Too Long
- Good Combination
- Plastic Man
- The Letter
- Then He Kissed Me
- Cheryl’s Goin’ Home
- What Now My Love
This along with another 20+ more songs that I haven’t even listed! Which one is your favourite?
Sonny & Cher’s career had stalled by 1968 as album sales quickly dried up. Their gentle, easy-listening, pop sound and drug-free lifestyle had become unpopular in an era increasingly consumed with the psychedelic drugs of the evolving landscape of American pop culture during the late 1960’s.
Sonny decided to change their operating basis and worked out a new career for the duo in Las Vegas resorts, where they re-branded their public persona with Cher as the wise-cracking, glamorous singer, and Sonny as the good-natured recipient of her insults. In reality, Sonny controlled every aspect of their act, from the musical arrangements to the joke-writing.
Sonny & Cher also welcomed their first child, Chastity (named after Cher’s movie), born on March 4, 1969.
When they were a team, they were quite a team, dominating the 70’s with their “Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and then their TV show in 1975-1976,” The Sonny and Cher Show.” Eventually, they parted as a performing team and divorced. Both went on to act and Sonny entered the political arena. They were always asked for guest appearances – who didn’t want to see Sonny & Cher again?! Being an 80’s kid, I watched their final appearance on David Letterman in 1987. This would be the last time the two performed together.
Fast Forward to 1998 when they received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the same year Sonny passed. Cher is now 75 years young and we salute her and Sonny for their great entertainment achievements!
What can we learn and apply from this dynamic duo?
- Create a solid partnership and create and market your brand.
- Get on TV and radio – get your business out there to make yourself known.
- Keep promoting. Everyone we have featured doesn’t stop promoting. I still hear the song, “I Got You Babe” on the radio.
- Be funny; people like to laugh.
- Use your real-life experiences and tell your story. Cher’s “Believe” song is a great example of this.
At DIT Web Solutions Inc we are one big family of well trained Developers, Executives, and Marketing Professionals ready to help you. In addition to digitally marketing you, we can set your business up on radio stations as well as sourcing out TV options.
Keep promoting.
Some businesses stop their Google Ads after a few short months, or stop their SEO altogether. This is not a best practice. Thousands and thousands of companies have built their online business for years through SEO plus Google Ads together, and later adding Social Media into the mix.
SEO has a build-up effect that keeps growing. Once stopped or restarted by someone else, it loses a lot of the rankings and actions done. Worse, actions can be undone by the new provider and reduce your rankings even further. Keep it growing.
Same with Google Ads. Your prospects see your ads, they see you on the maps, and they see you in the top 10 spots organically, that’s how you build online power.
We can design uplifting, even funny ads, and home pages to keep things light; most people love that approach. I have never seen anyone laugh at TV commercials like my wife does. It has given me a different perspective on commercials over the years and shows they can have entertainment value as well as bringing your message or brand to mind for the consumer.
And finally, give us your story and we’ll market it on your website and in social media. The Beat Goes On!
Louie Pateropoulos
louie@ditcanada.com
Book your complimentary Strategy Chat with a Senior Partner,
Louie Pateropoulos.
