Cher has claimed that the late music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector once solicited her for sex when she was a teenager.
The “Believe” singer began working with Spector in the Sixties, when she was just 17. At the time, the producer was enjoying a growing reputation in the music industry, due to his work with groups such as The Ronettes and The Crystals.
In 2009, he was convicted of murdering actor Lana Clarkson in 2003, and died in prison in 2021. During the trial, the court heard from four women who claimed that Spector had previously threatened them with a gun when they had rejected his advances.
In a new interview withThe Guardian, Cher, 77, opened up about her experience working with Spector. She explained that she initially met him while singing backing vocals for Darlene Love on “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”. The song featured on Spector’s 1963 festive album A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector.
Cher recalled that she’d been “working like crazy” on the album, saying: “I kept thinking, I’m only 17 and I’m exhausted, what are these other people doing?’ What I didn’t realise then was they were all doing drugs!”
Spector continued to work with Cher on a number of recordings, with her sometimes providing the sole female backing vocal. She was still a teenager at the time.
Once, she recalled, “Phil asked me, in French, if I would have sex with him.’ And I said, in French, ‘Yes - for money.’ He almost fell off his chair. He didn’t expect that from anyone.”
Cher with husband Sonny Bono in 1965— (Getty Images)
Cher said that Spector subsequently learnt to watch himself around her, but would still make questionable requests of her, including that she spy on The Ronettes.
“I was supposed to watch Ronnie, Nedra and Estelle and report back to him,” she said. “I said, ‘No f***ing way!’ I wasn’t going to nark on these girls. They were my friends.”
Spector was married to Ronnie Bennett of the band from 1968 until 1974. In her 1990 memoir, the “Be My Baby” singer claimed that Spector sabotaged her career and subjected her to years of psychological torment throughout their marriage, including imprisoning her in his California mansion.
In the interview, Cher said that Spector was “eccentric”, but not “full-on nuts”. However, she stressed that Bennett had it worst of all the Ronettes, saying: “Phil was a pig when it came to her.” Cher ended up working with Spector on her first solo song.
