And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story

The true story of one of the most unlikely love stories and show biz successes of the '60s is reenacted in this made-for-cable comedy drama. Sonny Bono (Jay Underwood) is a guy determined to get his foot in the door of the Los Angeles music business; he pitches his songs to artists and producers when he's not busy with his day job, and will do nearly anything to climb the ladder of success. In time, Bono makes his way into the session band for famous record producer Phil Spector (Christian Leffler) and gets a job signing acts and producing sessions for a small independent label. But Bono gets his biggest break when he's fixed up on a date with one Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre (Renee Faia), who, as it turns out, is a singer struggling to make it in Hollywood. Sonny sees talent in the girl called Cher for short, and he puts his money and career on the line to make a duet record with her. The two also fall in love and are happily married by the time "I Got You Babe" makes them pop stars. But as their career goes through peaks and valleys, so does their relationship, and as their act reaches a crossroads they divorce, forcing both to reestablish themselves on their own. And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny & Cher Story was first broadcast on February 22, 1999.