Cher, Nick Cave, and the Stress of Greatness

  

Even if you can't name her songs, you most likely know her name. Cher is an American musician and actress known worldwide for her influence on pop culture and for being one of the best-selling music artists ever. Rising to fame in the 1960s as part of the duo Sonny & Cher, she had several top-charting solo songs throughout the 1970s, like "Dark Lady" and "Gypsy's, Tramps & Thieves." She made her acting debut in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, her solo TV show, Cher, and on Broadway. 

Since then, Cher has had seven number-one singles on the US Billboard Charts for seven consecutive decades, with her highest charting albums, Closer to the Truth and Dancing Queen, in the 2010s. Now almost 80 years old, Cher is a Grammy Award winner, Academy Award winner, Emmy Award winner, three-time Golden Globe recipient, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, with a long-lasting status as a cultural icon. 

To my surprise, Cher reports having intense stage fright every time she performs, ever since the 1960s. When interviewing with NPR, Cher spoke on her anxiety, noting that she always does a prayer before performing and that it's right before she starts that she thinks, "I can't do this." It's interesting to hear how an artist like Cher, known for her bold fashion, humor, and overall persona, still feels deeply upset when performing.

Cher also notes that there have been times when her stage fright has gone away, "but then it always comes back." Looking at Cher's chronic anxiety when performing demonstrates the link between great creative icons and potential issues with mental illness, as her creative outputs have intertwined with years of immense stress and feelings of not being good enough. 

Interestingly, Australian rock music icon Nick Cave discusses similar feelings of negativity throughout his creative process in his book, "Faith, Hope, and Carnage." Nick Cage identifies similar anxiety around music, though rooted in writing lyrics rather than performing them. He sheds light on his writing process, saying how they feel like "evidence of [his] failure as a songwriter," leading him into "a really unhappy, even depressed state." Much like Cher struggling with negative self-talk, Cave recalls repetitive self-doubt when writing songs, thinking, "Nothing is coming. Nothing is coming."

Furthermore, Cave reveals anxiety mirrors Cher's constant mental health struggles when creating. Cave explains that "the chain of events has been repeating itself for thirty years or more - maybe even forty!". Regardless of his years of experience creating music, Cave's lifelong battles with anxiety and depression impact his creative process. 

I find the parallels between Cher and Nick Cave compelling, as they reveal how some great, creative entertainers cope with mental health issues throughout their careers. Even while loving what they do, creating and performing music, both artists recognize deep feelings of fear and stress in their work.

The complex experiences of these musicians show that regardless of how much fame or experience creative icons gain throughout their careers, they can still struggle with bouts of mental illness. As Cher and Cave prove, creativity often comes hand-in-hand with anxiety and self-doubt. After learning more about these entertainers' struggles, I feel I better understand that even well-known, influential musicians face hardship in their creative processes. 

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/04/1210645286/cher-releases-her-first-christmas-album