The layered life of John Paul Sarkisian: the blue-collar father behind a superstar

Basic Information

Early life and family roots

John Paul “Johnnie” Sarkisian entered the world on March 23, 1926, in California’s East Bay, amid a tight-knit Armenian-American community. His parents—Ghiragos (“George”) Sarkisian and Siranousch “Blanche” Dilkian—carried forward a lineage marked by migration, resilience, and the ceaseless work of building a life in a new country. The surname itself, Sarkisian, is a flag of Armenian heritage that echoes through extended family trees and community records.

The Bay Area of the 1920s and 1930s offered both promise and precarity. Children of immigrants often stood with one foot in tradition and the other in America’s churn of change. That duality would shadow Sarkisian’s life: a private man, working with his hands, whose legacy would be broadcast far beyond his own intentions through the life of his daughter.

Marriage, Georgia Holt, and the arrival of Cher

In the mid-20th century, Sarkisian married Jackie Jean Crouch, who would become known to the world as Georgia Holt—a singer, actress, and model with her own place in the constellation of American entertainment. Their daughter, Cher (born May 20, 1946), altered the course of pop culture in the decades that followed. The marriage did not last; the couple later divorced. In family accounts, Georgia’s steadfastness and Cher’s rise are recurring motifs, while Johnnie remains a figure seen in glimpses—present at the edges of their story, sometimes near, often distant.

Though he is primarily remembered as Cher’s biological father, that connection sits within a more complicated family tapestry that includes Cher’s half-sister, Georganne LaPiere (Georgia’s other daughter), and two grandchildren—Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman—who each built public lives of their own.

Work, money, and the unglamorous ledger of daily life

Sarkisian worked predominantly in blue-collar jobs, with “truck driver” the most consistently cited occupation. Reports mention a spread of other odd jobs over the years—a patchwork many families would recognize from America’s working-class playbook. He did not accumulate public accolades, and there are no trustworthy records of a sizable estate or notable business holdings. Financial details are sparse, and the public record offers no reliable “net worth” figure. In a culture that tallies lives with headlines and awards, his ledger reads differently: miles logged, bills paid, habit and hustle—quiet measures of a life largely lived offstage.

The 1970s lawsuit and a fraught public moment

The most visible public flare of Sarkisian’s life came in the 1970s when he sued his daughter, Cher. Contemporary reports described it as a multi-million-dollar claim, a startling family dispute that drew national notice. It punctuated an already strained relationship, one in which appearances were sporadic and reconciliation elusive. That lawsuit reverberated through later profiles and memoir material, a reminder that fame shines light on even the most private fractures.

Later years, passing, and how he is remembered

John Paul Sarkisian died on January 28, 1985, in Fresno, California. He left behind more questions than definitive narratives—no memoir, no extensive interviews, no long paper trail of professional accolades. Instead, his silhouette appears in the stories of others: in Georgia Holt’s reminiscences, in Cher’s memories of a complicated childhood, and in the occasional resurfacing of archival mentions.

Decades after his passing, he reenters public conversation whenever Cher revisits her beginnings. As new readers encounter memoir chapters or watch fresh retrospectives, his name returns as a supporting character in a much larger saga—one that blends glamour with grit, fame with family fissures.

Family at a glance

Timeline highlights

Public presence and the echo of fame

Sarkisian’s public footprint is mostly a reflection—less a portrait of him than a shadow cast by Cher’s dazzling career. Social media threads, genealogy posts, and entertainment write-ups bring his name back into circulation when people explore the origin story behind one of the most recognizable stars in modern music. In this retelling, he’s often depicted as elusive, a sometimes-absent figure whose choices and circumstances shaped the edges of Cher’s early life.

There’s a universal thread in that portrayal. Many families—famous or otherwise—are quilts of contradiction: pride, pain, love, distance. Sarkisian’s narrative carries those textures. He was not a headline-chasing personality or a mogul with a public ledger; he lived mostly in the margins. And yet the margins matter. They frame the page.

FAQ

Who was John Paul Sarkisian?

He was an Armenian-American man born in 1926, best known as the biological father of the entertainer Cher.

What did he do for a living?

He worked primarily as a truck driver, with other blue-collar and odd jobs reported over the years.

Was he married to Georgia Holt?

Yes, he married Georgia Holt, a singer and actress; they later divorced.

Did he have children?

Yes—his daughter is Cher (born May 20, 1946).

Did he have a public career or major awards?

No; there are no widely documented public honors or major business holdings associated with him.

Why was he in the news in the 1970s?

He filed a lawsuit against Cher that was reported as a multi-million-dollar claim, drawing attention to their strained relationship.

What is known about his finances?

There are no reliable public records documenting his personal wealth or a notable estate.

When and where did he die?

He died on January 28, 1985, in Fresno, California.

What is his heritage?

He was of Armenian descent, the son of Ghiragos (“George”) Sarkisian and Siranousch “Blanche” Dilkian.

How is he discussed today?

He appears mostly in biographies and family retrospectives about Cher, where his complex relationship with his daughter is often revisited.