Georgia Holt, Singer & Mother of Cher, Dies at 96

Georgia Holt, Singer & Mother of Cher, Dies at 96

Georgia Holt, the mother of singer Cher and dancer Georganne LaPiere, died Saturday at 96. The news was confirmed by daughter Georganne LaPiere on Saturday. Holt was born Jackie Jean Crouch on Sept. 18, 1926, in a log cabin in Checotah, Okla., to Wesley Crouch and his wife Opal (Moore) Crouch who had three other children. The family moved to California when she was a child where they settled in El Centro (near San Diego), where they picked cotton until gaining foothold in restaurant business with one of first drive-in eateries there).

Georgia Holt, who became a singer in her 30s as her daughters, Cher and Georganne LaPiere, took their first steps toward fame, died on Thursday in Los Angeles. She was 96.

Georgia Holt, mother of Cher and Georganne LaPiere, died on Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 96.

She was born Jackie Jean Crouch on September 18, 1926 in Checotah, Oklahoma. Her parents were Wesley and Opal Crouch. The family moved to California when Georgia was 12 years old and she graduated from high school there before attending college at USC where she majored in music education with a minor in drama arts.

Her death was confirmed on Sunday by Ms. LaPiere, her daughter.

• The cause of death was not yet known.
• Ms. Holt lived until Sunday, December 11th, 2022.
• She had been working in the music industry since she was 19 years old and became one of the most popular singers in America during that time period; her hits include “The Shoop Shoop Song” (1958) and “Ain’t That a Shame” (1960).

In her heyday as a nightclub act, Ms. Holt sang both country music and pop hits like “I’ll String Along With You” and “Basin Street Blues,” often in sequined gowns and heavy makeup.

In her heyday as a nightclub act, Ms. Holt sang both country music and pop hits like “I’ll String Along With You” and “Basin Street Blues,” often in sequined gowns and heavy makeup.

She also made several appearances on the TV show The Lawrence Welk Show in the 1960s, where she performed with Johnny Cash (who was then known as John R. Cash).

Ms. Holt was born Jackie Jean Crouch on Sept. 18, 1926, in a log cabin in Checotah, Okla., to Wesley Crouch and his wife, Opal (Moore) Crouch, who had three other children. The family moved to California when she was a child and settled in El Centro (near San Diego), where they picked cotton until gaining a foothold in the restaurant business with one of the first drive-in eateries in that part of the state.

Ms. Holt was also a talented singer in her own right and made regular appearances on Los Angeles television shows in the 1950s and 1960s, when she adopted the nickname “The Queen of Swing.” She recorded more than 300 songs, but her biggest hits were from 1957 to 1964: “Till You Say You Love Me,” “I’ll String Along With You,” “Take Good Care Of My Baby (For I Am Going To Miss You)” and “If I Were A Bell.”