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1. Your
Farewell tour seems to be the longest farewell tour ever, and it last
for 3 years. How come?
„Well
you know when we first started, we were gotta do 60 dates, and then we
would play a place and then they would oversell. And then we played
Madison Square Garden six different times and went back and played six
different times and then we played in Chicago six times and then we
played in Miami five times, you know. It’s not like I am printing the
tickets and buying them myself. So we ended up playing over 200 shows
and they could have done more, but I said I can’t do it, I need a
break. And plus we wanted to go to Europe last year and then we invaded
Iraque and we thought it’s not a good time to go. I’m not sure that
our timing is any better now, but now we’re going. Also, it’s the
last one, so for the last 200 and more shows, it’s the last I’m ever
doing.“
2. Never
say never, and you might be going on tour again...
„No,
absolutely not. I mean, you don’t know me: this is it.“
3. What's
so special about your show?
„It’s
really good you know. It’s really good. I mean if somebody else was in
it, it would be fine, but the people in the show are really talented,
it’s really funny, it’s really silly, it’s more like a Circus kind
of a thing than a show. You know, it’s more… it’s just so
whimsikle, and so not reality, and I think that’s maybe one thing,
that people loved about it now. You know, there’s such big doses of
reality going around, and this is so fun and a lot of people loved
coming back and back, like Rocky Horror Show. You know, they would come
in costumes and things like that. After I have been in some places like
four times, I’d be embarrased and say “How many people have seen the
show before?” and everybody would applause and I would say “Well,
you will see the same show again!” It really became more of like a
Rocky Horror Show: when you come to town, people would have allready
seen it. And then it was on TV once and I thought, OK, now nobody will
want to see it now, cause they’ve all seen it. But the ticket just
started to sell twice as fast as before! And instead of three shows in
one place we played five shows in an area.“
4. What
can fans, who know you from your concerts before, expect on this tour?
„If
you’ve seen my shows before, you know what kind of a show I do. It’s
kind of a show I like to do. And this one, I think, is just the best
version of all of them. I think it’s just the best one we’ve ever
done. It’s the kind of show I like doing, it’s the kind of show…
The director would write it, we make it up, we sit around and we go
“That’ll be good, and how about this”… and so... I mean it’s
very unscientific, it’s just a couple of girls having dreams about
what would be fun to do. But his one, we just thought of all these
millions of things to do, we thought “Oh, it would be fun to come out
of the cealing, forty feet from the cealing.” And then, when I got
there, I thought. “Amn’t I afraid of hights?“ You know, we
didn’t plan anything and the first time I got up in it, I just thought:
“ooooohkay, here we goooo!” So we just pushed everything to the
wall, in our minds, to our capability.“
5. In
these concerts you let your life take a reprospective. How do you feel
then? are there some sentimental moments on stage?
„The
sentimental moments really came, when we were making it. When we were
thinking it up and looking at it and putting it together, the pieces.
Now, when I do it, I really do it, I’m all in the performance really,
I’m all in having a great time. What I am trying to do is, have people
have sentimental moments, have fun and think “Oh, I remember, where it
was, or I wasn’t born when she did that...” Cause it’s a very
strange age group that come to see me.“
6. Is
there a part of the show, you do like exspecially?
„No…,
I mean if you see the show, each section is so different. Some nights
are like some parts…, well, there’s a couple of new things we’re
doing for Europe, and I’m pretty excited about those, maybe it’s
because they’re brand new. It’s like a Broadway-Show, you know, when
we move that many people every night, and it’s just now, I mean I’ve
done it 200 times, it’s just staying in the moment and beeing excited
and connecting with the people. I know it sounds very corny, but I think
I can connect with everybody in the place. I don’t know how you do it,
but I know I do it. It doesn’t really make sense to be able to do it,
but I know I do it.“
7. Is
it possibel to transfer this show to Europe? In America they know you
for 40 years so far.
„Yes,
everybody, I mean there are things I am able to do here, that I can’t
do over there, because everybody has known me since I was 18 and they
have seen shows and movies and know me a lot more…, know my sense of
humor. There’s things that I can say here, that a really funny to
Americans and that wouldn’t translate. So I’m putting in extra songs,
that are very… you know, I have a very strange sense of humor, but
people understand it here and they wouldn’t like it somewhere else.
You know, I was doing this interview with an english paper and they said
“You say horrible things about Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and
Christina Aguilera” and I said “Yaeh, I do, but I talk about drag
queens, I just go off, you know, my mind really goes off and I just talk
about whatever, and in America, people went really hysterical and this
won’t translate over in Europe, but still, the rest of the show
will.“
8. What
are the reasons for this farewell tour. Do you feel too old, or don't
you just want anymore?
„Well
I have this theory, it’s kind of the Michael Jordan theory (lacht). At
a certain point, when you think you’re doing really well, like in this
concert I thought this is the best I could ever do, and if I would tour
again, it would be three years down the line, and I don’t want…, I
wanna go with something really great, I don’t wanna come back with
something, when people said it’s good, it’s great, but it’s not as
good as the last one. So, it’s really important. It’s not like I’m
gonna live in a cave. There are still things I want to do.“
9. This
tour is the most successful one, what a female artist ever has done.
Does this mean something special to you?
„I
don’t think about that much. I don’t really ever think about it. As
a statistik, it sounds cool, and than you just forget.“
10. Is
success somehow a drug for you?
„Well
I’m not so sure it’s a drug. But it’s a great… when everything
going right, when everything is happening right, it’s really like a
huge party. And you are one of the like party-goers. When it’s really
working right, it’s less about the work, it becomes not about the work,
the work kind of just flows out of you and it’s like the audience and
you, or it’s like tennis: they give, you give back and they give and
you give back, and it just get’s bigger and bigger. So, yeah, it’s
fun! In my life, I haven’t been this kind of a crazy person, who tours
constantly. I mean I have done it but it’s hard work, you have to be
really tough to do this. I have not toured as much in my life as other
people have. Not, that I haven’t done my share of it, but it’s not
something I go into lightly, because it’s hard. Sure, the show is most
fun, but going night after night, in some strange place, not getting
enough sleep… That‘s the difficult part.“
11. You've
got so many fans behind you. How come?
Are you better than others?
„Absolutely
not. I have no…, I haven’t got a clue. People ask me all the time
what’s the secret of my success. It’s luck, you know, it’s just
luck! I guess, too, I do a lot of different things. When I fail in one
thing, instead of stopping, I go and do something else. I try everything,
I don’t care. It’s all art to me.“
12. Many
fans of you are homosexual. Is there an explanation for that?
„You
know I’ve always had, there’s always been an affinity with us. I
have a million gay friends, but that has no baring on it. I think,
especially gay men: they either like you, or love you or have no use for
you whatsoever! I think, because gay men are very flambouyand and really
looking to enjoy their life in a big way and it seems that there are
certain women, that they gravity to and I am really happy to be one of
them, because they are very loyal fans. When a lot of people desert you
and think that you are over, they stick.“
13. Within
your show there in one or the other peak, like: „Try to top this“ or “Follow this you bitches“. Is
this kinda message to all Britneys and
Jennifer Lopez in this
world?
„Well
you know it started with me saying it… When I was putting together
this show I was really nervous. Because I am the oldest one touring I
think right now. So I was really nervous and I wanted to make it really
great and this is going to be my last show! So when I said that, the
audience was going “Waaay” or “Buuh” or whatever, and I said,
come on, there’s all these girls coming up, you know, Britney, JLo,
and everybody said “Buuuh” so it became a fun thing we were doing
all together. And then I said, OK, you know, that’s not right, this is
really beneath you and blablablabla, but then I go, OK, I don’t like
them either. So just rediculous things, and then at the end of the show
I say: “Welcome to the CHERest show on earth, and I really got one
thing to say…” and I turn to the audience and I say “Follow this
you bitches!” and then I walk off! But this is so funny for people in
America, the whole thing, I mean I talk about drag queens, peniodis, I
talk about all kinds of stuff. Because my mind goes in really wired
places, but I can talk on stage and say anything and people will give me
a chance and know, that I’m so tongue and cheek. Even if there’s a
grain of truth in it, it may be something, everybody would like to say,
but noone’s going near it, because it’s not politically correct.“
14.
Have
you received reactions from the other side as well so far?
„No,
I’m not even sure they know I’m doing it. Well, somebody must have
guessed by now, but it’s not that they call me up or say “Oh CHER is
such a bitch”, but... I wouldn’t care.“
15. What
you think about music from Britney or J.Lo?
„Well
I think that certainly, to become famous, you have to have some talent,
wether it’s just the talent to be current and to be fashionable or to
be ahead of the curve. I think, that’s what Madonna does great!
Madonna is five steps ahead of everybody when it comes to what the
newest style is, she’s got unbelieveable style. Well, they are all
creative in their own way. But they make easy targets, because they’re
so young, so I can get away with that.“
16.
And
what do you think about
J.Lo’s movies?
JLo
is doing really good, what she does, she does well! Her movies are big!
Britney I don’t think has done movies, oh, no, I think she’s done
one movie, but I don’t think much happened with it.
17.
What
you think about Pink. Is she different than the others?
„P!NK has
style, and her music is very interesting, it’s not formulaic. P!NK is
on a formula, P!NK doesn’t look like she was made up in a dance
studio, with stylists every where around her, polishing off her edges
and I think that, when I started, that was the way it was, too, you had
some sort of an idea and your own style. But you rug it and you’re
rough. We weren’t diamonds, we didn’t start off as diamonds. I think
that might be a problem for some of the entertainers today. Cause there
is this gigantic group of people, that come around them and give them
everything, so they’re right there, a package, completely perfect. And
that’s one thing I like about P!NK, that she’s her own thing, not
completely perfect, very rough edges.
18.
Sometime
there will be your real last show coming up. Will you be upset at this
point?
You
know what: I’ll sure be sad, but I never think about the last show.
Because that will happen when it happens and I will figure out how it
feels at the moment. I can’t look into the future ever, I only see how
it feels at the moment. I don’t ever plan my career, even this tour
wasn’t planned. It was 59 shows that turned into 202 shows!
19.
You'll
be coming to Europe now. What happens afterwards?
Well,
then I come back here and work my way back across America, to Australia.
And after that, I think, that’s about it!
20.
Are
you concentrate on filming more?
Yeah, you
know, while I did this tour, I also did a movie with the Fairly brothers
and Matt Damon called “Stuck on you”. So, yes, I would like to do
more movies, I’d like to do Broadway, there’s lot’s of things I
would like to do! I would like to go to Africa, and there’s a lot of
Charity things, that I am really connected to that I want to do. I would
like to have some fun as well. Like just being frivolis and go to France
… just be a bum.
21.
Are
you planning a new album?
I am supposed
to record, and that is one thing I’m spite. Contractually I am
supposed to do a record, and that should be fun, because I will do
something completely different, so that’ll be interesting.
22.
You
wanna do musically something different. Can you lift the secret?
Oh, that’s not a secret. I just go back and do more of what I used to
do, more Rock’n’Roll, you know? Like “Turn back time” kind of
stuff.
23.
You
are not only a singer, you are also an actress. What do you prefer?
They’re
just really different. Acting is kind of introspectiv, more low key in a
way, it’s not about big moves, it’s about small moves, it’s about
small face, you know. It’s about small actions. Music and concerts are
exactly the opposite! It couldn’t be more different. It’s about BIG
faces, BIG wardrobe, it’s about BIG movements. So I like both of those
things. I can’t express myself just through one thing, it just
doesn’t work. I like to do lots of different things.
24.
You
received Grammys and Oscars. What is more worth for you?
The
Oscar! Because I think for someone, who’s been a singer to go and win
an Oscar…! For someone who’s a singer and win a Grammy, well,
that’s fabulous, but it’s their work! For someone who’s a singer
to win an Oscar is a bit harder.
25.
You
have had an incredible successful carriere. Which goals are left to
reach?
You
know what, I never really have goals. I don’t set out to do THIS, like
“Climb mountain Kilimanjaro!” I just set out to DO stuff. And this
is how I always get myself in trouble. I always start by going: “Oh
that sounds like it could be fun!” and then I take the thing and then
I get totally nervous and then I’m thrust into it. And every time I am
about to do something, right before I’m about to do it, I wanna quit.
I totally panic. It always starts with “Oh that sounds like it’s
going to be fun!” Like going to Europe – oh that sounds like it’s
going to be fun! Starting the tour – Oh, that sounds like it’s going
to be fun. Making the movie in the middle of the tour – oh that’ll
be hard but it sounds like it’s going to be fun. I just should never
say those words!
26.
You
are opening a show always with U2's song„I
still haven’t found what I’m looking for“. Is
there a deeper meaning to it?
And
I always start with that song. It’s just that I am very supersticious
about it. That’s true, I am it. It’s just that, that song is more
meaningfull to me like any song. Because, it’s not my song, but it
means it is still in my mind, is to what my life is.
27.
What
is the shade of your carriere. which price did you have to pay?
There are
lots of prices, you don’t get privacy; when you make mistakes, it’s
in front of everybody; people say things about you that are ridiculous,
you have to defend yourself, you have to defend your boyfriend or your
husband, and people just say mean, irritating things for no particular
reason except that you’re too high, so you need to come down. People
build you up for no parent reason and then they tear you down for no
parent reason either. But, look, I wanted to do this work! When I was
young I had no idea what the life would be, I just wanted to do the work!
So, there’s penalties, things that are good and bad about every job.
There’s great things: I met people and I made fabulous things. But
every once in a while, the lack of privacy is very agrovating. You know,
to have people crawling into your backyard to get pictures of you in
your bedroom or going through all your garbage or jumping out of the
bushes to terrify you just to get a picture. But that’s that, that’s
one of the prices…
28. Is
it difficult for someone like you to find the right partner?
It
takes a really special person, it takes someone, who’s not afraid to
be Mr. CHER. And most men are not, you know, it’s just few men, that
have egos that don’t get frightened by not necessarily me as the
person, but what I bring with me, as the lifestyle. I had a boyfriend
who I loved dearly and he was the sweetest person in the world, and the
press, for some reason, just decided to rip him apart! He wasn’t
famous, he worked in a Bagel-Factory! He and I had a fabulous
relationship, but it was really hard for us to maintain this
relationship with all the outside terrible influences, of people that
didn’t even know him. He just made a good copy.
29.
Does
it make you sad?
Well, it
makes it much more difficult, to have a relationship when it’s
constantly screwtenized, and then people are tiered of you but it’s
screwtenized in a way like you go to everyone every day and say OK, this
is what I did today, and then they go: we’re just tiered of them.
It’s a real Catch 22. I mean I have had great relationships, and I
have had fabulous times. It just narrows the field of men, that have the
courage to do it.
30. Do
you think, men are scared in front of selfconfident women like you?
„Well
I guess if they don’t have any of their own confidence... I mean, I
can stand in front of a famous man and not fall to pieces! But a lot
more women are willing and wanting to be Mrs. Somebody. It’s an easier
role for women to become Mrs. Somebody. I don’t think men really deal
well, that some women are really self-sufficient. But I think it’s
really positive, because, in the time of my mother, women were really
bullshitting all of you guys so much. Stroking your egos was dishonest.
I think it’s so much better to know, if a person wants to be with you,
it’s not because they need you to take care of them or anything. I
don’t need anything from men at all. It’s the realtionship I want,
there’s nobody who can do anything for me,
I have what I have.“
31. You've
got 2 kids. One son, one daughter. Do you think, you are a better artist,
or a better mother?
„Oh
I’m a better artist . I mean, I’m not a bad mother, I think I’m a
good mother, but it’s very difficult to be an artist and to be a
fulltime mother. But also, I’m not so sure anymore, that if I worked
in a bank all day long, and I came home to be with my children… I mean,
almost every parent is working all day long in our country. Both parents
work, or if it’s just one parent, they work. So, I think that I
actually had a lot of time to spend with my children and still, we’re
together a lot. So in one way, it balanced out, but it wasn’t a normal
childhood, that’s for sure.“
32. In
the year 2006 you become 60. Is it different, as beeing 50?
„You
know what I am allready so sold, it doesn’t make any difference. I
passed my sell-by date so long ago. I don’t like it, but that’s all
there is. I mean, I’m allready so old, that sixty is not gonna mean
much.“
33. If
you could choose. What age would you like to be again?
„I
liked forty. Forty was a great time. If I went back, I’d go to forty,
because it was fabulous. It was a fabulous year. It was the best time.
It was my best year ever.“
34.
Why was 40 the best
age?
„Oh
my children were still living at home, I had this unbelievable boyfriend,
I made three movies that year, I made an album, I did a tour, I won the
Academy Awards, it was a really good time.“
35. You're
still known as a sexsymbol, even now for the older generations of us.
Are you proud about that?
„Well
I mean it doesn’t suck. I mean, how bad can it be? (lacht) It’s
better then “Oh she’s such an old, poor dear, she’s so craped. Who
would want to have sex with her for a fistfull of hundreds…?”
(lacht) So, you got the answer to your own question.“
36.
Wenn du auf Tour bist, hast du dann ein spezielles Fitnessprogramm um
dich fitt zu halten?
„No,
I try to work out on tour as well, just to keep strong. Because the show
is hard, but it’s also the lifestyle, it’s having odd hours and that
kind of turns your clock upside down. When I am at home, I have my
workout stuff I do, I really like it, I have been doing it for such a
long time, it kind of starts my day.“
37. Are
you careful about your diet?
„Yeah,
I actually happen to like good food. I mean, I don’t like crap, I
don’t like meat that much, I like chicken OK, I like fish OK, but I
don’t care about bread, the only thing I really like is sweets, I
don’t stay away from them completely, I fact I hardly stay away from
them at all, but that’s my only virus. I don‘t drink, I don‘t
smoke so…“
38. In
the past you have changed your look several time. Why?
„I
get, I just get bored. Cause it’s just, one thing I like about doing
movies, is that you are a different person, a different charakter, and
then, when you have done it, it’s over. You don’t have to do it
again. But if you gotta do albums, or if you gotta do concerts, I need
to make myself interested in me, you know? And if I just look the same,
it’s boring. I am so uninterested.“
39. Are
you a Fashion-Junkie?
„Actually,
to tell you the truth, I go around mostly in sweat-pants, old boots and
old T-Shirts. I mean, it works great for my work, but I don’t care
about it so much. Every once in a while, yes, but for most of the time I
couldn’t care less.“
40. You
now come to Germany. Have you got any memories about Germany from the
past?
„I
have lots of interesting memories, First on is from 1966: Sonny and I
where stying in Hamburg, in this fabulous hotel, at the seaside. But
there were to many fans and they made us go. So they sent us to this
place called the “Schlosshotel”, and it was in the country, and it
was so beautifull and so much more fun than we could have ever had
imagined. And then, doing “Wetten, dass…?“, I did it a million
times… Just you know, silly things, kind of fun things… I remember
once, when I was doing “Wetten, dass…?”, they almost drove a
Volkswagen Beetle of off stage and we were standing backstage just
laughing hysterically. You know, just stupid things, that happen, that
you remember.“
41. You
also come to Austria. Any memories about Austria as well?
„The
only thing that I can remember about Austria was, that me, my sister and
my manager ended up in a wedding party of people they had no idea, who
they were. So we were in that wedding party, people didn’t know who we
were, and we were holding thos things, you know, those things that the
bride and groom run through, and we were laughing so hard. And nobody
knew, which side we belong, on the bride or the groom. And then we just
walked away hysterical.“
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