The Real Story Behind Cher’s Butterfly Look at the 1974 Grammys

Cher, walking the red carpet at the 1974 Grammys, dazzled photographers on both sides of the velvet rope with her sheer, flowing white gown, lilac nails and enormous butterfly clip on her head. Not only was it a memorable look, but she also turned heads with hernew relationship.

The ceremony was the first big event she attended with her new beau, record executive David Geffen. Only a month prior, Sonny Bono filed for divorce from the “Believe” singer after an 11-year marriage and iconic career partnership. Sonny and Cher wereofficially over. The pair hadn’t been getting along since 1972, but they kept up appearances until the separation filing to maintain career momentum.

The butterfly metaphor was not lost on Grammys attendees, as it was Cher’s first public appearance after filming the last episode of the Sonny & Cher show. Geffen’s relationship with Cher helped launch him to the upper rungs of fame.

Geffen, 31, and Cher, 27, had a bit of a meet-cute in 1973 at L.A.’s Roxy nightclub and then later fell in love. The 1974 Grammys was their big public debut. As soon as they went public, the media went wild. They became “the industry’s hot couple,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, and it all kicked off at the awards show.

Geffen’s first order of business was to get Cher out of a business arrangement with her ex, which Cher described as “slave labor.” He succeeded and took her to Warner Bros. Records, where she secured a $2.5 million deal. “I was the first person to share his bed and to share his life. We were really crazy about each other,” Cher later admitted. Though Geffen is now openly gay, their relationship was just what Cher needed to get back on her feet.