John Paul Sarkisian was the biological father of Cher, one of the most famous singers and actresses in American entertainment. Yet his place in her life was never simple. He spent long periods away from his daughter, struggled with heroin addiction and gambling, and had a difficult relationship with Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt.

Cher later described her father as highly charming. She also spoke openly about his problems with drugs, crime, and unstable behavior. Their relationship carried both curiosity and pain.

His Armenian American background also gave Cher an important link to her family history. When she later spent time with his relatives in Fresno, she found people who shared her dark hair, features, and Armenian roots.

Quick Bio Table

Armenian Roots and Family Background

John Paul Sarkisian was born on March 23, 1926, in Oakland, California. His parents were Ghiragos “George” Sarkisian and Siranoush “Blanche” Dilkian.

Both sides of his family had strong Armenian roots. Cher’s paternal grandparents came from Armenian families connected to the Ottoman Empire. They are widely described as survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

The Sarkisian family later became closely linked to Fresno, California, a city with a large Armenian community. George Sarkisian came to Fresno from Turkey in the early 1900s, and Blanche also came from Turkey.

The family kept close ties to Armenian food, customs, and relatives. These roots later became important to Cher.

When Cher visited members of her father’s family, she noticed something she had rarely seen while growing up. Many relatives looked like her. They had similar dark hair and facial features.

That experience helped Cher understand part of her identity. She had grown up mainly around her mother’s family, so her father’s Armenian side gave her a different sense of where she came from.

How Did John Paul Sarkisian Meet Georgia Holt?

Cher’s mother was born Jackie Jean Crouch. She later became known as Georgia Holt and worked as a singer, model, and actress.

She met Johnnie Sarkisian at a Harry James big band dance in Fresno during the 1940s. Cher later described her father as confident, stylish, and persuasive.

The relationship moved quickly. John Paul Sarkisian and Georgia married in Reno, Nevada, on June 22, 1945.

Their marriage became troubled almost at once. Georgia later said she left him the day after their wedding. The couple reunited several times, but the relationship remained unstable.

Their daughter, Cherilyn Sarkisian, was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California. She later became known around the world simply as Cher.

The marriage ended in 1947. Cher was still a baby when her parents divorced.

His Working Life

Sarkisian worked mainly as a truck driver. Major biographies of Cher regularly identify trucking as his main occupation.

He was also involved in horse breeding. Some later accounts list other jobs, but trucking remains the best documented part of his working life.

His father reportedly tried to help him establish a produce trucking business. The plan involved several trucks and gave him a chance to build stable work.

Gambling caused serious problems. Family accounts connect his financial losses to his gambling habits, which made it difficult for him to keep money and maintain steady work.

His life remained far removed from the entertainment world that later made Cher famous.

What Happened During Cher’s Early Childhood?

Cher’s early years were marked by money problems and family instability.

After her parents separated, Georgia struggled to support herself and her daughter. During one difficult period, Cher spent time in a religious children’s home or Catholic orphanage.

Accounts differ on exactly who arranged the placement. Some biographies say John Paul Sarkisian placed her there, while other accounts say Georgia arranged temporary care because she could not afford to support Cher while working.

Cher later spoke about the experience as painful. She was very young, but the story became part of the larger pattern of uncertainty that shaped her childhood.

Her father did not remain a steady presence after the divorce.

When Did Cher Meet Her Father?

Cher has said she did not truly get to know her father until she was about 11 years old.

By then, she had grown up mostly with her mother and other family members. Her mother married several times, and John Southall, one of Georgia’s husbands, became an important father figure in Cher’s childhood.

Meeting John Paul Sarkisian gave Cher a different view of herself.

She later said her father was extremely charming. She also noticed traits in him that reminded her of herself.

The meeting helped her understand parts of her personality that seemed different from those around her.

But the reunion did not create a stable father daughter bond.

His addiction, gambling, criminal problems, and long absences continued to affect their relationship.

John Paul Sarkisian’s Drug Addiction

Cher has spoken openly about her father’s heroin addiction.

She once stated directly that her father was a heroin addict. Other major profiles also described his drug use and gambling problems.

Heroin addiction affected his personal life, work, and family relationships. It added to the instability that had already damaged his marriage to Georgia Holt.

Cher did not hide this part of her family history.

Her comments about him often mixed affection with criticism. She remembered his charm, but she also recognized the harm caused by his addiction.

That contrast defined much of their relationship.

Why Did John Paul Sarkisian and Georgia Holt Remarry?

Nearly two decades after their first divorce, John Paul Sarkisian and Georgia Holt married each other again.

Their second wedding took place on December 15, 1965.

The reunion did not last.

They divorced again in September 1966, less than a year later.

The second marriage came after years of separation, family contact, and attempts to reconnect. By this time, Cher was already an adult and building her career in entertainment.

Her parents could not create lasting stability even after giving their relationship another chance.

His Relationship With Cher

Cher’s relationship with her father remained difficult for much of her life.

She has described him as funny, charming, and magnetic. At the same time, she spoke about his drug addiction, gambling, criminal history, and unreliable behavior.

These two sides of his personality existed together.

Cher could see qualities she liked in him while still recognizing the damage he caused.

Her feelings became even more complicated because she had missed so many years with him.

He was her biological father, but he had not been the person raising her day by day.

That gap never fully disappeared.

The Lawsuit Between Father and Daughter

Their strained relationship eventually became a legal matter.

Reports state that Sarkisian sued Cher and two publications for about $4 million over statements about his criminal background and drug history.

He argued that some reports had harmed his reputation.

During the dispute, information about his past convictions and personal problems became public.

The lawsuit showed how badly the relationship between father and daughter had broken down.

Private family pain had become a public argument.

Cher continued to speak about her father’s addiction and behavior in later interviews and memoirs.

John Paul Sarkisian and Cher’s Armenian Identity

One of the strongest links between Cher and her father was their Armenian heritage.

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian, carrying her father’s surname from birth.

Her Armenian background came through his family.

As she spent time with relatives on her father’s side, she became more aware of that part of her identity.

The physical resemblance stood out to her. Seeing relatives who looked like her helped explain features that had made her feel different while growing up.

Her Armenian roots later became one of the most widely discussed parts of her family background.

The connection remained meaningful even though her relationship with her father was unstable.

Georgia Holt’s Role in Cher’s Life

Georgia Holt became the main parent in Cher’s childhood.

She raised Cher through periods of financial hardship and repeated changes in family life. Holt pursued music and acting while trying to support her children.

Cher often spoke about her mother with both affection and honesty.

Georgia’s relationship with John Paul Sarkisian remained complicated long after their first divorce.

They separated, reunited, remarried, and divorced again.

Still, Georgia remained the more constant parent in Cher’s life.

That difference shaped how Cher viewed both of them.

How Did John Paul Sarkisian Affect Cher?

His strongest influence may have come through identity rather than daily parenting.

Cher inherited his Armenian surname, part of his appearance, and a link to a large Armenian family.

She also found personality traits in him that felt familiar.

At the same time, his absence and addiction exposed her to instability at a young age.

Cher later became known for independence, toughness, and a willingness to speak openly about difficult subjects.

Her father was part of that personal history, though not in a simple or positive way.

Their relationship showed how a parent can influence a child even without being present every day.

John Paul Sarkisian’s Final Years

John Paul Sarkisian spent his later years in California.

By then, Cher had become an international star with hit records, television success, and a major acting career.

Father and daughter never developed a simple public relationship.

Their history remained tied to old family wounds, addiction, and legal conflict.

Still, Cher continued to discuss him years later. Her memories were not entirely negative.

She remembered his charm and the family resemblance she discovered through his Armenian relatives.

Death of John Paul Sarkisian

John Paul Sarkisian died on January 28, 1985, in Fresno, California.

He was 58 years old.

Public records support the date and place of his death.

Fresno was also closely connected to his Armenian family and to several important moments in Cher’s early contact with that side of her relatives.

His daughter was already one of the best known entertainers in the United States when he died.

The complicated father daughter relationship ended without becoming an easy family story.

But his surname, Armenian roots, and personal traits remained part of Cher’s identity long after his death.

Facts About John Paul Sarkisian

• March 23, 1926 was his date of birth.
• Oakland, California was his birthplace.
• Ghiragos “George” Sarkisian was his father.
• Siranoush “Blanche” Dilkian was his mother.
• Armenian American heritage came from both sides of his family.
• June 22, 1945 was the date of his first marriage to Georgia Holt.
• Cher was born on May 20, 1946.
• 1947 marked the end of his first marriage.
• Truck driving was his main documented occupation.
• Horse breeding was another reported line of work.
• Heroin addiction affected much of his adult life.
• December 15, 1965 was the date of his second marriage to Georgia Holt.
• September 1966 marked their second divorce.
• January 28, 1985 was the date of his death.

FAQs

Who was John Paul Sarkisian?

John Paul Sarkisian was an Armenian American truck driver best known as the biological father of Cher. He was born in California in 1926 and died in Fresno in 1985.

Was John Paul Sarkisian close to Cher?

Cher did not grow up with a close or steady relationship with him. She said she did not truly meet him until she was about 11 years old, and their bond remained complicated because of his addiction, gambling, absence, and legal problems.

Who was John Paul Sarkisian married to?

He married Georgia Holt, Cher’s mother, twice. Their first marriage lasted from 1945 to 1947. They remarried in December 1965 and divorced again in September 1966.

What did Cher say about her father?

Cher described her father as very charming but also spoke openly about his heroin addiction, gambling, and criminal history. She also said meeting him helped her understand parts of her own personality and Armenian identity.

What was John Paul Sarkisian’s Armenian background?

His parents, Ghiragos “George” Sarkisian and Siranoush “Blanche” Dilkian, came from Armenian families with roots in the Ottoman Empire. Cher’s paternal family is widely linked to survivors of the Armenian Genocide.