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Quick Facts
- NAME: Sonny Bono
- OCCUPATION: Singer, U.S. Representative
- BIRTH DATE: February 16, 1935
- DEATH DATE: January 05, 1998
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Detriot, Michigan
- PLACE OF DEATH: Stateline, near South Lake Tahoe, California
- Originally: Salvatore Phillip Bono
- AKA: Sonny Bono
- AKA: Salvatore Bono
Best Known For
Musician and politician Sonny Bono was once wed to singer Cher and in 1994 was elected to U.S. Congress as a representative from California.
Videos see all videos
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Actors Turned Politicians (2:48)
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Cher - The Road to Stardom (2:56)
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Actors Turned Politicians
As Ronald Reagan asked, "How can a President NOT be an actor?" Since Reagan, Celebrities such as Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger have entered the political arena and run for elected office.
Cher - The Road to Stardom
Learn how Cher became the international superstar she is today.
Phil Spector - Sonny Bono's Boss
Sonny Bono got his start in the music industry as Phil Spector's right hand man in the studio.
Quiz
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Play NowSonny Bono. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 07:48, May 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076.
Sonny Bono. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076 [Accessed 19 May 2013].
"Sonny Bono." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 19 2013, 07:48 http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076.
"Sonny Bono," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076 [accessed May 19, 2013].
"Sonny Bono," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076 (accessed May 19, 2013).
Sonny Bono [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076.
Sonny Bono, http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076 (last visited May 19, 2013).
Sonny Bono. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/sonny-bono-9542076. Accessed May 19, 2013.
Synopsis
Born in Detriot, Michigan, in 1935, Sonny Bono started his career as a singer in the mid-1960s with then-girlfriend Cher. Their biggest hit was "I Got You Babe." Bono's singing career waned, but he stepped back into the public eye when he became mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988. In 1994, he was elected to Congress as a representative from California's 44th Congressional District. He unexpectedly died in a skiing accident in 1998.
Commercial Success
Born Salvatore Phillip Bono on February 16, 1935, in Detriot, Michigan, Sonny Bono began his music career as a songwriter and singer for Johnny Otis's Dig Records label in the early 1960s.
In 1964, he recorded his first song with then-girlfriend Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian), which was soon followed by a number of hits including, "I Got You Babe." Sonny and Cher performed in nightclubs and their act, which combined singing with comedy and featured Sonny as the straight man to Cher's light-hearted jibes, was picked up by CBS in 1971, where it remained a top-rated show until it's run ended in 1974.
Political Career and Later Years
Bono's career then waned, but he stepped back into the public eye when he became mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988. In 1994, Bono was elected to Congress as a Representative from California's 44th Congressional District. When he died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998, his congressional seat was filled by his widow, Mary Whitaker Bono.
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Included In These Groups
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- In this group:
- Cher
- Sonny Bono
Sonny and Cher
View groupCher met Sonny Bono when she was 16 and he was 27. The two began dating, and Sonny got his girlfriend gigs as a backup singer on songs like the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and Darlene Love's "A Fine, Fine Boy." The two formed their own musical duo, and in 1965 they released their biggest hit, "I Got You Babe." The couple had their only child, Chaz Bono, in 1969. In 1971 Sonny and Cher launched their own TV show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. The variety show was a success, but the couple's marriage fell apart, ending in a bitter 1975 divorce. When Bono died in a ski accident in 1998, Cher delivered a tearful eulogy.
Sonny and Cher 2 people in this group
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Actors Turned Politicians
View groupLot of actors play politicians on the big and small screens, but few have made the transition in real life. At every level of government, there are actors who have used their charisma, good looks, and personalities to get the policies they support enacted. Though Hollywood has a reputation as a city of liberals, many conservative actors have been members of the Republican party. From Ronald Reagan to Sonny Bono, here's a look at famous actors who went on to careers in politics.
Actors Turned Politicians 19 people in this group
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Numerous Nuptials
View groupLife imitates art in Hollywood, where passionate romances turn into short-lived marriages and quickie divorces. Numerous nuptials are one of the hallmarks of the celebrity lifestyle. Hollywood royalty Elizabeth Taylor married eight times—even more than real royalty King Henry VIII, who married six times. Here's a look at the famous individuals who tied the knot—and then tied it again, and again, and again.
Numerous Nuptials 37 people in this group
