Cher Recalls a Magical Evening with Jackie Kennedy at 19

Cher recounts a magical evening spent with Jacqueline Kennedy when she was just 19. This experience is detailed in her new memoir titled Cher: The Memoir, Part One. This is prepared by SSP.

In late 1965, she and her husband, Sonny Bono, attended an upscale soirée at the Waldorf Astoria Towers. The former first lady was the guest of honor at this New York social event. When hosts Charles Engelhard and his wife Jane asked who she wanted as guests, Kennedy surprised them by requesting, "I’d really like it if Sonny and Cher would come and perform," as Cher describes. Cher and Sonny’s agent accepted the invitation, but they had only one rehearsal with their band before performing. That evening, they arrived to find a small audience of just 20 guests. "We’d never played a house before; we were used to arenas, not living rooms with low ceilings," Cher, now 78, writes.

Although they were not invited to dinner, Cher noted she felt too nervous about meeting JFK’s widow to eat. After finishing their set, they were ushered out, disappointing Kennedy, who wished to chat after dessert. The pair returned to the party, where men smoked cigars while the women elegantly exited together. Following them, Cher entered a large bedroom and had an unusual moment with an older woman, who commented on her "pointed head." Eventually, Cher found herself sitting on a bed with Kennedy, who was 36 at the time. Cher, being the youngest at 19, felt slightly out of place.

"Jackie sat next to me with such elegance she reminded me of my mom," Cher reflects. She felt tongue-tied, only managing to inquire about Kennedy’s children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. "They are very well, thank you," Kennedy responded. She added, "'I Got You Babe' is one of our favorite songs, and the children love to sing along."

Cher describes Kennedy as "so sweet and kind." When they returned to the dining room, Jackie immediately sat them to her left, putting them at ease. Sonny presented her with small Catholic saint medals for the children, which she appreciated as a woman of faith. Kennedy complimented Sonny on his pageboy haircut, stating he looked "almost Shakespearean." From that moment, Cher noted, Sonny was like putty in her hands—though he might have already been charmed.

Cher: The Memoir, Part One was released on November 19. A second part is anticipated later this year.

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