Cher had the crowd at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre buzzing with excitement on Thursday night at the 9th annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert. In a show-stopping moment, the legendary pop star took to the stage dressed as Elvis Presley, sending fans into a frenzy.
“One of the great thrills of my life is knowing our next performer,” said Whoopi Goldberg as she introduced Cher. “I’m not going to go into all the details, I’m just going to stand here and say, Cher.”
And with that, Cher – born Cherilyn Sarkisian – stepped onto the stage, opening with the iconic “Walking in Memphis,” a 1995 cover of Marc Cohn’s hit. As the song began, a video of Cher in dual roles—both as herself and in drag as the King—played on the big screen behind her. Cher then emerged, dressed in a pinstriped suit and slicked-back hair, completing her Elvis look.
The 78-year-old star performed three songs during her set, starting with the Elvis-inspired “Walking in Memphis.” She then switched outfits for a powerful rendition of “(This Is) A Song for the Lonely” from 2001, and finally wrapped up with her timeless dance anthem, “Believe.”
The Love Rocks NYC concert primarily supports God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit organization founded during the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1985. The group provides medically tailored meals and nutritional services to over 14,000 New Yorkers battling various health challenges. The event also supported Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles-based organization that helps those affected by the recent wildfires.
The star-studded night was hosted by Alex Edelman, Amy Schumer, Susie Essman, and Tracy Morgan, with performances by Alicia Keys, Michael McDonald, Peter Frampton, Beck, Mavis Staples, Trey Anastasio of Phish, Kate Hudson, Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Grace Bowers, Jesse Malin, and Luke Spiller.
Alicia Keys kicked off the evening with a heartfelt rendition of Roberta Flack’s classic, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” honoring the legendary singer, who passed away on February 24 at the age of 88 following an ALS diagnosis. The grand finale featured a star-studded sing-along to Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” with nearly all the performers returning to the stage to close out the night.
Although Cher and Elvis Presley never shared a stage or collaborated, their paths did cross in the music world. In a recent interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Cher revealed that she once turned down a date request from Elvis. “I was just nervous,” she confessed. “I knew the people around him, and it wasn’t that they were bad people, I was just shy, especially around men.”
Cher may not have dated the King, but her performance on Thursday night was a fitting tribute to one of music’s greatest icons.
Read more:
