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From the Archives: Fashion designer Bob Mackie on set of ‘The Cher Show’

January 1975: Four luminaries wearing designs by Bob Mackie take a break with the designer during taping of "The Cher Show." From left: Bette Midler, Elton John, Cher, Bob Mackie and Flip Wilson.
January 1975: Four luminaries wearing designs by Bob Mackie take a break with the designer during taping of “The Cher Show.” From left: Bette Midler, Elton John, Cher, Bob Mackie and Flip Wilson.
(Larry Bessel / Los Angeles Times Archive/UCLA)
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Six thousand white helium balloons were used for “The Cher Show’s” rock medley finale. During a break, Times staff photographer Larry Bessel took this image of Bob Mackie, the show’s stars and some of the balloons.

This image accompanied a Jan. 19, 1975, profile of Mackie. Writer Blair Sabol reported that, “Mackie is as much a showbiz luminary now as the talent he designs for. Some fashion-ables credit him as most responsible for making Cher the TV fashion spectacular of today.”

“Others say it was Mackie who made a normally nondescript-looking Carol Burnett actually look enticing week after week. He’s considered the master at Cinderella makeovers. Best known as the other half of the successful (non-radio) “Bob and Ray” team, Mackie has been the co-creator, with Ray Aghayan, of a ready-to-wear line, plus stage wardrobes for Carol Channing, Diana Ross, Dinah Shore, Barbra Streisand and Mitzi Gaynor. And last year they out-Vegased Vegas by designing the Grand Hotel’s ‘Hallelujah Hollywood’ production.”

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In 2002, Mackie was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here

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