Cher the Armenian

Frank dialogue with one of the brightest stars in entertainment

The secrets of her success, her visit to Armenia, her childhood, and her new gig

by Paul Chaderjian

Published: Saturday February 16, 2008

Cher, the world's number-one pop icon. Michael Lavine

Seven nights before the giant presses in Gardena, California, or Westwood, New Jersey, printed these black letters on the paper that is in your hands now, the writer of this article had writer's block.

After all, how does one come up with the perfect opening sentence of an Armenian Reporter cover story about Cher, a modern-day legend?

She's a superstar with more than four decades of staying power. She has sold more than 100 million albums and is an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning performer. She has starred in movies and on television and has directed; she has been known for her tastes in fashion and men. Her life and her loves have been chronicled by media around the world. And now, entering her sixth decade of life, she is making a comeback with a 60-million-dollar paycheck.

Cher. One name. One word. Thousands of looks. Scantily-clad, Bob Mackie-wearing sex symbol with billions of fans. Cher. One of a handful of one-name stars that people know from Yerevan to Australia, from Japan to South Africa. There is Madonna. Sting. Prince. But the biggest name for the longest time is none other than Cherilyn Sarkisian.

Arranging for an interview

Having written and deleted at least a dozen opening sentences for this article, I figured I'd start by saying I couldn't think of a more proper way to introduce this story than by thanking Cher's manager, Lindsay Scott for being gracious enough to allot 15 minutes during Cher's back-to-back, one-day media day on Thursday, February 7.

Cher was giving interviews to the likes of ABC's Good Morning America, The Associated Press, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, Reuters, and us - the Armenian Reporter and Armenia TV (Dish Network channel 905).

The big headline in the entertainment news world on the 7th was that Cher was to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The world's number-one pop icon had signed a three-year deal to perform 200 shows in Vegas starting May 6. The news had surfaced on ABC early in the morning, and Cher was doing interviews all day on Thursday.

"Paul, this is Lindsay Scott," had said the voice with a British accent shortly after 5:30 P.M., on Thursday, January 31. I was in the car heading to Hollywood to interview Melineh Kurdian, who was performing at the Hotel Cafe down the street from the Kodak, where Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were debating in front of an audience of eight million television viewers. The phone call I had been waiting for since January 2 had finally come.

The month preceding the call had included a dozen calls from and to one of Cher's assistants, Jennifer Ruiz. How we had found our way to Jennifer's cell phone was thanks in part to Armenia TV's Armine Amiryan, who had applied for a U.S. State Department program to report about Armenian-Americans. Her stateside producer, a veteran diplomat, broadcaster, and one-time Voice of America Russian-language anchor, Bill McGuire, had used his vast resources to request an interview with Cher.

My first call to Jennifer led to an e-mail explaining CS Media (with which the Armenian Reporter and Armenia TV are affiliated.) Having learned about our audience, intentions, interest, and the themes about which we would want to interview Cher, Jennifer had put us on Cher's schedule on Super Bowl Sunday.

Armine had long since returned to Yerevan, our camera operator Gev Sarkisian (no relation to Cher) was off shooting a comedy feature film, and the only Armenia TV personality stateside was Lusine Shahbazyan-Sargsyan (no relation to Cher), the host of the documentary series Discovery. She would have to be the face that presented Cher to our audience, but we would need a real-time interpreter during the two-camera interview that we would set up to shoot Lusine and Cher at the same time.

"It's Super Bowl Sunday, and that's okay with Cher?" I had asked Jennifer when she set up our first appointment.

"We work every day," was Jennifer's response. Cher was going to be in hair and make-up on Super Sunday, ahead of Super Tuesday, to give an exclusive interview to ABC's Good Morning America. The GMA crew would leave up the lights, and we would slide in and do our interview.

Phone calls were made. Gev had to find a second camera operator. Lusine was ready. We had formulated our questions. We had plenty of blank tapes, backup batteries for the microphones, our own backup lighting kit, a still photographer, and directions to the Four Seasons Hotel on Wilshire.

When Cher's manager called on the 31st, he said the Sunday interview was off, and could we do it the following Thursday, February 7? That was perfectly fine, I said, and made phone calls to the dozen colleagues who were ready for our meeting with Cher. Though many were disappointed, some were excited that they would get to watch the big game.

Thursday, February 7

Four hours before our 15-minute appointment at 7:30 P.M. in the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, our team from various parts of Southern California had to start their trek to the hotel.

Going anywhere in Southern California that's beyond ten miles from your office or home requires at least four hours out of your schedule. That may be overcautious, but you can't take chances and show up late for an interview with Cher.

"The Four Seasons is on Third and Doheney," said camera operator Armen Alexanyan when I arrived to pick up Gev and the rental gear from Studio City. I had looked up the hotel on Google and had told everyone it was at 9500 Wilshire.

Turns out the former Beverly Wilshire had now been acquired by Four Seasons, but quick calls to both Four Seasons locations determined there was no Lindsay Scott in the Presidential Suite on Wilshire. More quick calls rerouted Lusine and the others to the Doheney property. Armen had saved the day and lots of frustration.

Lusine and Arman, our still photographer, were to drive down from the San Fernando Valley. Nyree Derderian, the Armenian Reporter's Operations Manager, who would be the interpreter for Lusine, was at the Reporter office in Atwater Village, south of Glendale. Gev was in Studio City, and I would pick them both up and drive over the hill via Laurel Canyon to the hotel.