Sonny Bono

Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (February 16, 1935 - January 5, 1998) was an American record producer, singer, actor, and politician, whose career spanned over three decades. In each of those incarnations, he was underrated by the media, though more widely admired by the public.

Bono began his music career working for the legendary record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s. Later in the same decade, he achieved commercial success, along with his wife Cher, as part of the singing duo Sonny and Cher.

Bono wrote, arranged and produced a number of hit records with singles like "I Got You, Babe" and "The Beat Goes On" though few people knew he did more than sing. Cher got more attention as a musical talent.

Sonny and Cher starred in a popular television variety show[?]. But there again, Cher seemed lively and funny, and Sonny a bit slow.

They divorced in 1974. Sonny continued his acting career, doing bit roles in such shows as Fantasy Island[?] and The Love Boat[?]. Bono married Susie Coelho and divorced her in 1984. He married again in 1986 to Mary Whitaker[?]. He became a practicing Scientologist. The couple had two children, Chesare Elan Bono and Chianna Marie Bono.

Sonny Bono entered politics after experiencing great frustration with local government bureaucracy in trying to open a restaurant in Palm Springs, California. After unsuccesfully running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 1992, Bono was elected to the United States Congress in 1994 to represent the 44th congressional district of California. He introduced the controversial Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act during his tenure to benefit the music industry.

He died after skiing into a tree at the Heavenly Ski Resort near South Lake Tahoe, California. His widow Mary was elected to fill his unexpired Congressional term, and then was re-elected in 1998 on her own right.