Additional Coverage:
- Sonny & Cher Ended Their Variety Show 49 Years Ago Today, Saying Goodbye With Their No. 1 Hit Duet (parade.com)
It has been nearly five decades since Sonny and Cher wrapped up their iconic variety television journey. On August 29, 1977, the pair bid farewell to their CBS series, The Sonny & Cher Show, marking the end of the show’s second run.
The program was known for its lively mix of sketches, musical performances, and a steady stream of guest stars. The final episode featured a playful look back at the season, including a spoof awards segment where Sonny Bono and Cher presented tongue-in-cheek honors. The duo performed several memorable songs, including “The Beat Goes On,” “All I Really Want To Do,” and “Laugh At Me,” closing out with their classic hit “I Got You Babe,” which originally topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1965.
In a nostalgic nod to the past, the pair appeared in 1960s-inspired costumes complete with bellbottoms, fur boots, and signature hairstyles. During the performance of “I Got You Babe,” Sonny joked about Cher’s hair flipping, to which she responded by calling him “still a clown.” This marked the final time they would perform the song together on their own television show.
The 1976 revival of The Sonny & Cher Show came two years after the original Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour concluded in 1974. The first series ended amid their real-life divorce and separate attempts at solo variety shows, which saw limited success. The renewed show, debuting shortly after Cher’s marriage to Greg Allman, failed to capture the same spark and lasted only two seasons.
Looking back, Cher has expressed fondness for those early variety shows. She described them as funny, family-friendly entertainment that offered something for everyone. She also credited Sonny’s spontaneous ad-libs as some of the funniest moments on the show.
A decade after their final episode, Sonny and Cher surprised fans with a reunion performance of “I Got You Babe” on Late Night With David Letterman in 1987, marking their last public rendition of the song together. Sonny Bono passed away in 1998 at the age of 62, but the legacy of their groundbreaking variety show endures as a memorable chapter in television history.