Cher

Cher published her first memoir in late 1998, titled The First Time. Rather than a tell-all, the book was a collection of Cher's most significant "first-time" memories from her childhood, life and Hollywood career. In January 1999, Cher performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of the Super Bowl XXXIII television audience. Cher also performed on the highly rated television special VH1 Divas Live 2, performing alongside contemporaries Tina Turner, Elton John, Chaka Khan, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, LeAnn Rimes, Diana Ross, Brandy and Whitney Houston. Later in 1999, Cher co-starred in the well-received Franco Zeffirelli film Tea With Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Lily Tomlin. Her successful worldwide Do You Believe? Tour travelled throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, with the Emmy-nominated television special Cher: Live at the MGM Grand In Las Vegas airing by year's end. On November 30, 1999, she released a compilation album The Greatest Hits that continued to build upon her huge popularity in Europe. The album entered the German Charts at #1 (her second consecutive German No. 1 album) and peaked at #7 on the official UK Albums Chart. This compilation was released only outside the United States, due to the release of the North American only compilation, If I Could Turn Back Time: Cher's Greatest Hits which was released that same year. In Germany she became again best selling female artist of the year and was receiving her second ECHO Award (she and Madonna are the only female artists to do so). The Do You Believe? Tour continued throughout 2000 and became her most successful tour to that time.
2000–2002: Legacy of achievement
In May 2000, Cher was presented with the Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award, at the World Music Awards. She released an independent alternative-rock album titled Not.com.mercial ("not-dot-com-mercial"). This album was written mostly by Cher after attending a songwriting retreat in France in 1994. The album was quickly rejected by record labels for being "not commercial." Cher chose instead to sell the recording exclusively through her website. This marked the first time that Cher had written a majority of the material for one of her albums. In an online review, Rolling Stone described "Fit To Fly", a Cher-penned track from the album, as "the best Cher song ever." The tune was Cher's tribute to American veterans of war. On November 16, 2000, Cher also made a guest star appearance in the hit NBC TV series Will & Grace in the episode "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" (Named after Cher's hit Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves).