Late Saturday evening, Cher announced that her mother, actress and singer Georgia Holt, passed away. She was 96.
The Grammy winner broke the sad news on Twitter: “Mom is gone,” with a sad face emoji.
Mom is gone😔
— Cher (@cher) December 11, 2022
A cause of death has not been given, but Cher shared back in September that her mother was hospitalized for pneumonia, but was getting better.
‘Sorry I’ve Been Mia. Mom’s been sick off & on. She Just Got Out Of Hosp. She had pneumonia. She’s Getting Better,” she wrote at the time.
Born on June 9, 1926 in Kensett, Arkansas, Holt was an actress, singer, and model, who landed roles in film and television after moving to Los Angeles. Her career began in the 1950s, where she had uncredited roles in the films A Life of Her Own, Watch the Birdie, Grounds for Marriage, Father’s Little Dividend, and Lovely to Look At. She then forayed into TV and made appearance in I Love Lucy, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Merv Griffin Show.
Her last on-screen appearance was guest judging a 2014 episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race alongside her grandson, Chaz Bono.
In 2013, Holt released her debut album, Honky Tonk Woman, which she recorded while in her 80s. She was also the subject of documentary that year called Dear Mom, Love Cher, which was produced by her daughter and chronicled the matriarch’s childhood in rural Arkansas and her six tumultuous marriages while she helped Cher pursue a music career. It also featured a duet between Holt and Cher and explored Holt’s own career in entertainment.
“She never gave me and my sister advice because, truthfully, she knew we’d never take it,” Cher said of her mother in an interview with People. “Instead, we learned about life by listening to her talk about the things she did wrong and the things she did right.”
Soon after Holt’s death was confirmed, tributes started to pour in.
So sorry for your loss, my friend. Sending you all the 💚 in the world.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 11, 2022
We all send you love and comfort with our deepest condolences.
— Cameron Silver (@CameronDecades) December 11, 2022
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) December 11, 2022
Sending so much love my dear. She had an amazing life, gave the world so much, she gave us you! Thinking of you and all your family today xxxxx
— TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) December 11, 2022
Words are inadequate,
all our love❤️🕊️— Chad Michaels🌈 (@ChadMichaels1) December 11, 2022
Love you, Cher. So sorry for your loss. My mother was the reason I found you and your music. Something we bonded over. It’s never easy to lose someone you love. Thinking of you and your family. Sending love ❤️
— Raleigh (@RaleighBowman) December 11, 2022
