Cher was rejected by radio DJs who thought she sounded like a man, lost her fortune to a husband who secretly owned 95 percent of her career, and later sold hair products on infomercials while battling a debilitating virus. Yet she became the only solo artist in history with a number one hit in seven consecutive decades.

This deep dive traces the reinvention of a shy, dyslexic kid named Cheryl Sarkisian into a pop culture titan, from the Sonny and Cher heckling act that saved their careers to her Oscar win for Moonstruck and the autotune-pioneering global smash Believe at 52. It is a blueprint for the modern celebrity comeback and radical self-authorship.

• Her traumatic early poverty and the stage fright she overcame to perform
• The London Hilton eviction that made Sonny and Cher overnight sensations
• Discovering she ...