When people think of Cher, they picture the superstar who has ruled music and film for decades. But behind her success is a family story filled with twists, broken relationships, and hidden truths.

One key figure in this story is her father, John Paul Sarkisian. Though he lived away from fame, his background, marriage to Georgia Holt, and complicated relationship with Cher shaped part of her journey.

Many still ask: Where was Cher’s dad from? What was his life like? In this article, we uncover the most important facts about Sarkisian’s life, death, and legacy. Keep reading; you’ll see there’s more to him than just being “Cher’s father.”

Who Was John Paul Sarkisian?

John Paul Sarkisian is best known as Cher’s father and the one-time husband of Georgia Holt. But behind that simple label is a life with many parts: heritage, struggle, distance, and mystery.

Where was Cher’s dad from? What is John Paul Sarkisian known for beyond being a parent? Here you will read about his background, his death, and Georgia Holt’s multiple marriages.

When & Where Was John Paul Sarkisian Born?

John Paul Sarkisian was born in the year 1926 on the 23rd of March in Alameda County in Oakland, California. He was an American who had an Armenian background. His ethnicity reveals the immigrant status of his parents.

His parents were Siranousch “Blanche” Dilkian and Ghiragos “George” Sarkisian, Armenian immigrants who settled in America before his birth. He grew up in a family that valued both Armenian traditions and life in a new country.

How Did John Paul Sarkisian & Georgia Holt Meet?

John Paul Sarkisian married Georgia Holt (born Jackie Jean Crouch) officially in 1946. They had a turbulent relationship. They divorced a year later, but then remarried in 1965, only to divorce again in 1966. 

Georgia Holt’s Marriages & Divorces

Georgia Holt’s marital history was complex. She was married seven times to six different men. 

Here’s a simplified list:

John Paul Sarkisian: first married in 1946, divorced in 1947; remarried in 1965, divorced again in 1966. 

  1. Chris Alcaide: Another early marriage. 
  2. John Southall: with whom she had her daughter, Georganne, in 1951. 
  3. Joseph Harper Collins: This was her fourth husband. Cher later revealed one reason for this divorce was his being “too wild in the bedroom.” 
  4. Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere: Who legally adopted Cher and Georganne, changing their last name to LaPiere. 
  5. Hamilton T. Holt: Her final marriage ended in 1974. 

In total, she divorced seven times (which includes her two divorces from Sarkisian) across those six men. 

Each of these relationships shaped her life, her children’s upbringing, and the narratives around their family.

How Was John Paul Sarkisian As A Father To Cher?

The relations between Cher and her father were remote and strained. Cher did not have much contact as a child. With time, that emotional distance became wider.

He was not an object of permanence in her life, and Cher has said about the difficulties of being abandoned, disappointed and the influence it had had on her perception of relationships.

What Did John Paul Sarkisian Do For A Living?

John Paul Sarkisian had several employment opportunities throughout his life. He made an attempt to make his living in a working-class manner. He worked as an auto mechanic, bartender, truck driver, and got himself odd jobs.

His professional career is a sign of a man who was not stable but was ready to continue trying. It also highlights the fact that he did not belong to the glamorous world that his daughter would otherwise live in.

How Did John Paul Sarkisian Die?

Sarkisian died on 28  January 1985, in Fresno, California, at the age of 58. He was laid to rest at Fresno Memorial Gardens. His death was not publicly announced, tand he true cause of his death remained unknown. His final days are encircling secrecy since the former led a relatively private life.

Legacy Of John Paul Sarkisian

The legacy of John Paul Sarkisian is complicated by fame, absence, and silence. On one hand, he is forever tied to Cher as her biological father. But on the other hand, his life remained mostly hidden; very little is known to the public beyond what Cher and Georgia shared.

His ethnicity and family origins give Cher part of her identity rooted in Armenian heritage. His absence and mystery also became part of Cher’s emotional narrative.

Wrap Up

So who was John Paul Sarkisian? He was born in California, of Armenian descent, married Georgia Holt, and fathered Cher. He held diverse professions, had led a life that was largely unnoticed and passed away in 1985 without much publicity.

The numerous marriages and divorces of Georgia Holt make the story even more complex: six men, seven divorces, two short-lived marriages with Sarkisian. Cher has a family story that is more human, more complex through volatility, silence and emotional gaps.