"If you knew me, you would know that I just wrote my speech while I was getting my eyelashes on," she quipped before declaring that she was wearing pants that she has had "for 40 years."
The "Strong Enough" singer went on to say she felt "blessed and lucky" to receive the Icon Award and to have " that have stayed with me for all these years," although she joked that "most of you" in the room weren't born when she started. She also reflected on "so many times" in her career when she felt she was "down and out," but she "never gave up" on her dream.
Cherhas choice words for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after snub
"Have a dream and then don't give it up, no matter what happens," she concluded. "Because I know from my own experience that if you have a dream and you stick with it, you will have a wonderful life and it probably will come true."
Past recipients of the iHeartRadio Icon Award include Pink, Jennifer Lopez and Elton John.
While introducing Cher, Meryl Streep reflected on the longevity of the singer's career, noting she is the "only woman in U.S. history" to have a No. 1 record in every one of the last seven decades.
