Cher admitted she lost her entire fortune in the ’80s and had to make dramatic changes to get back on top of her game.
The iconic singer candidly spoke about her financial struggles during the May 1 episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
“I lost all the money I had worked for at some point,” Cher told Hudson. “So I had to start at ground zero, and I didn’t know what I was gonna actually do to make a living for my kids.”
Cher went on to say that her financial situation became dire and she had to try something different to keep the money flowing. She decided to go against the grain, in a last-ditch effort to keep her head above water.
“I decided to go to Caesar’s Palace, which was — you know, people didn’t go there,” she said.
“I was like, ‘What’s Elvis [Presley] doing here?’ But people didn’t go to Las Vegas. It really was the elephant’s graveyard.”
Cher took residency at the Circus Maximus Showroom at Caesars Palace and performed songs like “Lookin’ for Love,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Out Here on My Own,” as part of her setlist. While taking on a residency is now the ‘it’ thing to do in the entertainment industry, such was not the case in the ’80s, and Cher touched on how taboo it was at the time.
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U.S. singer Cher arrives for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala 2015 celebrating the opening of “China: Through the Looking Glass,” in Manhattan, New York May 4, 2015. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The legendary singer spoke about how she had to overcome obstacles to remain on the stage and took the plunge on a residency in an effort to maintain her place in music. She knew it wasn’t a popular decision to make at the time.
“There was one writer who kept saying every year, ‘This is her last year. This is finally her last year. She is so over,'” Cher told Hudson.
“And I said, ‘You know what buddy, I’ll be here when you’re gone.’ And I think I am,” she said.
“But I tried to be cool with everybody because why not?” she said.
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Cher also noted that in addition to her tenacity, and her willingness to try anything to stay relevant in the industry, luck played a part in the success of her career.
“I’m lucky. I’m really lucky because I think to be in our business, it’s not enough to be talented, you’ve gotta have some luck,” she said.
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“Because I know people who can sing rings around me, you know? But they weren’t as lucky. Like I’m a vessel. It goes through me.” (RELATED: Britney Spears Going On Spending Rampage After End Of Conservatorship: REPORT)
Cher’s talents have been recognized. She is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.