Cher arrives at the "Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion": A Legendary Evening With Bob Mackie, Carol Burnett, RuPaul Charles, Cher & Friends at Directors Guild Of America on May 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.© Getty Images

Cher turns 78! Here's why the singer will be 'screaming' on her big day

The "Dark Lady" singer celebrates her 78th birthday on May 20

May 20, 2024

Happy birthday Cher! The legendary performer is officially 78, and it looks like she's spending her big birthday in more unconventional ways.

The singer attended the premiere of the documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion at the Paley Center in Los Angeles over the weekend, celebrating her dear friend and forever collaborator.

At the premiere, she spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her coming birthday (the premiere took place on May 13), and it doesn't seem like she was particularly enthused.

As opposed to a big celebration, Cher joked that her plan was simply "putting my pillow over my head and screaming," and honestly, it's not unheard of. In fact, when E! News asked the same question, she added that she would be putting her head "under my bed."

However, the star did take some time to gush about Bob, crediting him for the influence her larger than life style had for decades, with his opulent sparkling creations, from the very beginnings of The Sonny and Cher Show.

"I'm excited to be here because he's been such a gigantic part of my life," she told ET. "[He's] responsible for some of my success, I would say he really started me on a road that at that point nobody was doing it."

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Cher showed up to support Bob Mackie at the world premiere of "Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion"

"And he always just gave me the confidence…I never felt naked the whole time I was working [with him]," she added.

But a big milestone coming up for Cher this year is her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (after joking about not even being considered in the past), and she did share that she intended to attend the ceremony this October.

MORE: Cher reveals rock and roll icon she turned down a date with and why she prefers younger men

"I can thank David Geffen, my friend and most wonderful person ever, and John Sykes," she said of the honor, but quipped that her speech might be on the spicier side. "I'm going to have some words to say. I'm going to accept it as me."

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"[Bob's] responsible for some of my success, I would say he really started me on a road that at that point nobody was doing it."

After kickstarting her superstar career in the '60s, Cher will finally join an elite group of performers in the Hall of Fame this year, which also includes Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, the late Jimmy Buffett, and Dionne Warwick across performers, execs, and the Musical Excellence Award.

SEE: Cher looks incredible with boyfriend Alexander Edward

John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, shared in a statement when the inductees were announced: "Rock & Roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations."

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Cher will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year

"This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps."

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The ceremony will take place at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame itself in Cleveland, Ohio on October 19. When Cher was announced as an inductee, the blurb alongside read: "An artist so iconic she needs only one name, Cher has used her distinctive voice, stage presence, and avant-garde fashion to achieve unprecedented success while blazing a trail for women performers."

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"Cher is the only woman to have a Number One hit on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades."

"A musician who personifies female creative freedom in a male-dominated industry, Cher is the only woman to have a Number One hit on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades."