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Actor And Singer Georgia Holt—Cher’s Mom—Has Died At 96

Actor And Singer Georgia Holt—Cher’s Mom—Has Died At 96
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Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, has died. On Saturday, Cher shared the news with her over 4 million followers, posting simply, “Mom is gone.”

Holt was 96 years old, and in recent months, Cher said her mother was dealing with health problems, including pneumonia.

Cher instantly began receiving condolences after she posted about her mother’s passing on Twitter. Even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached out to express her sorrow, tweeting: “So sorry for your loss, my friend. Sending you all the 💚 in the world.”

Although best known for her role as the mother of the Goddess of Pop, Georgia Holt was a star in her own right. She was a model and beauty pageant winner, as well as an actress and singer. Beginning in the 1950s, Holt had roles in popular movies including “A Life of Her Own,” “Father’s Little Dividend,” “Watch the Birdie” and “Grounds for Marriage.” She went on to find more success on television, securing parts on shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Ozzie & Harriet.”

A Twitter follower named @MaryKatharine found an image of Holt appearing in “I Love Lucy” as a model, and she quickly shared her find with Cher:

Like her daughter, Holt was also a singer. She recorded her album “Honky Tonk Woman” decades ago, but it wasn’t released until 2013.

Watch Cher and her mom sing a song from “Honky Tonk Woman” on “Ellen” below:

In 2013, Cher produced a Lifetime movie about her mother, called “Dear Mom, Love Cher.” The hour-long documentary — which includes interviews with Holt’s daughters Cher and Georganne LaPiere — tells the extraordinary story of Georgia’s life and how this poor girl from rural Arkansas went on to make a name for herself in Hollywood against all odds.

“This project started as a gift for my mom’s 86th birthday,” Cher said in a press release about the movie in 2013. “My sister and I are proud of our mom and we want to share her with the world. My mom is EXACTLY like ‘Rocky.’ She NEVER gives up!”

To learn more about Cher’s amazing mother, you can rent or buy the documentary on Amazon. You can also watch clips of it on the movie’s YouTube channel here.

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