Even after all these years, it’s not difficult believe What a force Cher is in the music industry.

The 77-year-old pop star received the acclaimed Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night. She also performed on stage at the awards ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, where she received a special tribute.

Before Cher performed her musical performance, Meryl Streep, who co-starred with Cher in the 1984 film Silkwood, paid tribute to her friend.

“You know Cher has had a No. 1 record every single time for the past seventy years, and she’s the only woman in American history to do it. What does it take to have legs like that, right? We all want to know.” This is no longer 15 minutes of fame. You’re lucky to get seven seconds of someone’s distraction – let alone seventy years,” she told the audience.

Streep, 74, continued: “It takes a small town, but more than anything. I think it takes courage. When I think of Cher, I think of her huge heart. How open it is, it’s How broken it is, how strong it is,”

“But it also inspired her to work for our veterans, LGBTQ rights and many other causes when I first met her 40 years ago when we made a film about a man named [Karen] Silk wood. In the movie, we really held onto each other—one October night, we were rocking on the porch swing in this little house in Sherman, Texas, and I sang her a lullaby, but when As we went back and forth, that was all I could think about. [was] “Baby, I got you,” she concluded.

tribute on screen strong enough Artist Jennifer Hudson performs on stage If I could turn back time.Afterwards, Cher came on stage and started performing believe That was until the 42-year-old Dreamgirls star joined her for a duet in the middle.

After the performance, Cher took the stage to deliver a speech.

“First of all, I feel very blessed and lucky to receive this award, and I’m blessed to have people who have been with me all these years. Most of you haven’t been born yet, but many of you have,” she said.

Cher spoke to the crowd about her early ambitions, then discussed how difficult it was for her to succeed as a musician.

“I don’t usually talk about it, but I’ve been down and out so many times you wouldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was dumped by the record company and couldn’t find a job. I went to Las Vegas, which they called the Elephant’s Graveyard – I had a big show, lots of people, bungee jumping, all this stuff they Just saying, ‘Oh my God, she’s done.’ But I never gave up on my dream to be on this stage.”

She continued: “From my experience, have a dream and then don’t give up on it no matter what happens. Because I know from my own experience that if you have a dream and stick to it, you will have wonderful things. Life it’s probably going to happen. That’s what it is for me.”