Georgia Holt

Holt was born Jackie Jean Crouch in Kensett, Arkansas in 1926[1][2][3] to Lynda Inez Gulley,[4] aged 13, and Roy Malloy Crouch, a 21-year-old baker. Holt is of English, German, Irish, French, and Dutch descent. She frequently moved back and forth between her separated parents. Holt has estimated that she attended 17 junior high schools. Her father taught her how to sing and play guitar.[3]

Holt married five men; one of them twice. She and her first husband, Armenian-American John Sarkisian (whom she later divorced, remarried and divorced again), had daughter Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian).[3] She later married actor John Southall, by whom she had her other child, actress Georganne LaPiere (born Georganne Elizabeth Southall).[5] In 1961, Holt married Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere, a bank manager, who legally adopted Cher and Georganne, changing their last names to LaPiere. Through Cher, Holt has two grandchildren, Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman.[6]

Since 1976, Holt has been in a relationship with partner Craig Spencer.[7]

Holt sang on an Oklahoma City radio station when she was six years old, and by age 10 sang with bandleader Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. She won several talent and beauty competitions.[3] She had several minor television and film roles in the 1950s. After performing in a singers' workshop (Phil Moore's "Get Your Act Together") in July 1978 at Studio One in Los Angeles, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore booked Holt to appear on their television talk shows.[3]

Holt also appeared as an audience polling member as part of a group of ten mothers of famous celebrities on the U.S. game show Card Sharks from July 4–8, 1988.

Holt was the subject of the 2013 Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, which was executive produced by her daughter, Cher. Holt also released her album Honky Tonk Woman, which was recorded in 1982, in 2013. The album includes a duet with Cher titled "I'm Just Your Yesterday".[6]

In 2013, Holt and Cher appeared together on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[8][9] and The Ellen DeGeneres Show[2] to promote the documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher and Holt's album Honky Tonk Woman.[2]

In 2014, Holt and her grandson Chaz Bono appeared in episode 9 of the sixth season of Rupaul's Drag Race for a talk show themed challenge.

• Holt, Georgia; Quinn, Phyllis; Russell, Sue (1989). Star Mothers – The Moms Behind the Celebrities. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-91540-3.

• Georgia Holt at IMDb