The Backpages Interview: Cher

SHE IS ONE of the supreme pop divas, the half-native-American goddess formerly known as Cherilyn Sarkarsian LaPier. Her rollercoaster ride of a career has taken her from Phil Spector backing vocals to 'I Got You, Babe'; from 'Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves' to '80s power ballads and Eurocheese megahits like 'Believe'.

Now Cher has a new album, Living Proof, trailered by the neo-'Believe' single 'The Music's No Good Without You'. When she came to London last month, RBP's Melody Nelson inveigled her way into the singer's hotel suite and pressed the record button...