How Cher Inspired the Chauffeur to the Stars to Give Back to Kids with Craniofacial Conditions (Exclusive)
Harry Bird, 82, tells PEOPLE how the "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer helped him find his life's purpose
Courtesy Harry Bird
Harry Bird with Cher in 2004.A former chauffeur who drove some of the world’s biggest celebrities is sharing how one music legend truly changed his life.
Harry Bird, 82, spent his career getting to know many big-time stars personally, including the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Freddie Mercury, Richie Sambora and Barbra Streisand.
Bird was with Olivia Newton-John, whom he spent “many years” with, when she first discovered the cancer that took her life in 2022.
“I was with her in the Dorchester hotel and she said to me, 'I’ve got to go back. I’ve got a lump in my breast,'” Bird tells PEOPLE. “Oh, I loved Olivia … I was very upset when she died because she was genuinely a beautiful person.”
While he had many impactful moments in his career, it was during his 18 years driving Cher that Bird says he found his life’s purpose.
“In 1998, I had to pick some children up for Cher’s show in London and bring them backstage, but when I got on the bus, I was shocked,” he shares. “They were all craniofacial children, and I had never seen so many children with disfigurements. I froze, and it upset me to think that they saw me freeze like that."
After the concert, Bird discussed his “embarrassment” with the "Believe" singer, who at the time was the spokesperson for the Children’s Craniofacial Association following her role in Mask.
The 1985 movie was based on the life of Rocky L. Dennis, who was born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia — a rare condition caused by bone overgrowth in the head, according to the United States National Library of Medicine.
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Cher eventually encouraged Bird to come to Dallas for a CCA retreat, and after learning more about the cause and being “blown away by the ignorance” of strangers calling the kids hurtful names, the chauffeur decided to “do something to help."
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With a helping hand from Cher, who had a prototype made up for him, Bird created a bunny-duck hybrid plushie — inspired by his granddaughter Jessica — to teach people “that you can be different and still be beautiful.”
The plushie toy has since inspired a book series, Jessica BunnyDuck, with the first including a foreword written by the Academy Award winner herself.
Courtesy Harry Bird
Harry Bird with Michael Bublé and his BunnyDuck plushie on Dec. 5, 2023.Related: 3-Year-Old Girl Born with Rare Brittle Bone Condition Can't Stop Dancing and Smiling
“She’s the most wonderful person I’ve worked with,” Bird says of the 77-year-old performer. “There’s something about her … I thought she was fabulous.”
He shares that the CCA will receive 100% of the book's proceeds and a large portion of the plush toy profits, with the hopes of “making [the kids] lives better.”
“I just want people to realize that, though they are different, these kids are human,” Bird explains. “They should be treated like it.”
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