Nashville, Nov 01:Her Farewell tour may have been a long goodbye, but parting has been a sweet sorrow for Cher, who will rank among the top touring acts for the second consecutive year. With 200 concerts that grossed $145 million and drew 2.2 million people, an Emmy Award-winning TV special and a new record deal with Warner Bros., Cher continues to break down barriers.
"This is the biggest tour in history by a female artist," says Brad Wavra, VP of touring for Clear Channel Entertainment, producer of the tour. "She crushed any other female artist."
Numbers back the claim -- a testament to Cher's stamina and box-office clout. Top female touring artists Tina Turner ($108 million in 2000), Madonna ($74 million, 2001), Janet Jackson ($41 million, 2001) and Britney Spears ($43.7 million, 2002) did not scale such financial heights as Cher's.
The success of the tour even caught Cher's handlers off guard.
"No question that everyone is surprised at how well it's done," says Lindsay Scott, who co-manages Cher with Roger Davies. "It's sort of like 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' -- not stylistically, but in that it's taking on a cult status. People keep coming back."

The North American trek -- which was to conclude Halloween night for 25,000 people at the Sky Tent in Toronto -- was marked by repeat plays, multi-night stands, tour extensions and financial successes in markets of all sizes, from New York to Billings, Mont.