Who was Cher's mother Georgia Holt? Actor's husbands, children and more facts revealed

28 March 2022, 16:10 | Updated: 22 February 2023, 16:14

Cher is one of the world's greatest entertainers, but her mother was also a hugely celebrated star.

Georgia Holt was the mother of Cher, and was also a very popular actor and singer back in the 1970s and 1980s, following the success of her internationally famous daughter.

But what is she best known for?

What was Georgia Holt's real name and when was she born?

Cher with Georgia Holt in 2010. Picture: Getty

Georgia Holt was born on June 9, 1926. She marked her 96th birthday in 2022.
Her birth name was Jackie Jean Crouch, and she was born in Kensett, Arkansas.
Her mother Lynda Inez Gulley was only 13 years old when she gave birth to Georgia. She died in 2009, aged 96.
Her father Roy Malloy Crouch, was a 21-year-old baker.
How many husbands and children did Georgia Holt have?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cher (@cher)

Georgia Holt was married and divorced six times.
Her first husband, Armenian-American John Sarkisian, is the father of Cher, and they were married from 1946 to 1947, and then remarried 19 years later in 1965. However, the marriage again only lasted a year.
She later married actor John Southall, with whom she had her other child, actress Georganne LaPiere, from 1951 to 1955.
In 1961, Georgia married Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere, a bank manager, who legally adopted Cher and Georganne. They were married from 1961 to 1964.
Her other marriages were to Joseph Harper Collins from 1957 to 1961, and Hamilton T Holt from 1970 to 1974.
Since 1976, Georgia was in a relationship with partner Craig Spencer, but they never married.
What was Georgia Holt best known for?

Cher & Georgia Holt -I'm Just Your Yesterday in Ellen

Georgia Holt sang on an Oklahoma City radio station when she was just six years old, and by 10 she sang with bandleader Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
After winning several talent and beauty competitions, she had a number of small TV and film roles in the 1950s.
It wasn't until the late 1970s that she became a star in her own right, over a decade after her daughter Cher had found fame.
After performing in a singers' workshop - Phil Moore's Get Your Act Together - in July 1978 - she began to appear in various TV talk shows hosted by Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore.
In 2013, she was the subject of the 2013 Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, which was executive produced by her daughter.
That same year, she released her album Honky Tonk Woman, which was recorded back in 1982. The album included a duet with Cher titled 'I'm Just Your Yesterday'.
In 2014, Holt and her grandson Chaz Bono appeared in an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.
What has Cher said about her mother?

Cher and her sister Georganne with mother Georgia. Picture: Getty

Speaking to People in 2013, Cher said on whether they were always close: "Yes, but we fought a lot when I was young. I was really strong-headed, even then."
She added: “She never gave me and my sister advice because, truthfully, she knew we’d never take it.
“Instead, we learned about life by listening to her talk about the things she did wrong and the things she did right.”
When did Georgia Holt die?

Cher announced on Twitter that Holt had died on December 10, 2022, aged 96.
She was survived by her partner Craig Spencer, her daughters, and her grandsons.