Sonny Bono | |
|---|---|
 Bono in 1966 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's44th district | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 5, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Al McCandless |
| Succeeded by | Mary Bono |
| 16th Mayor of Palm Springs | |
| In office April 1988 – April 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Bogert |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd Maryanov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Salvatore Phillip Bono (1935-02-16)February 16, 1935 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 5, 1998(1998-01-05) (aged 62) |
| Cause of death | Blunt trauma as a result of askiing accident. |
| Resting place | Desert Memorial Park,Cathedral City, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingChaz |
| Residence(s) | Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1963–1998 |
| Formerly of | Sonny & Cher |
Musical artist | |
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny"Bono (/ˈboʊnoʊ/BOH-noh; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife,Cher, he formed the singing duoSonny & Cher. A member of theRepublican Party, Bono served as the 16thmayor of Palm Springs, California, from 1988 to 1992, and served as theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 44th district from 1995 until his death in 1998.[1]
The United StatesCopyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which extended the term of copyright by 20 years, was named in honor of Bono when it was passed by Congress nine months after his death.Mary Bono (his widow and successor in Congress) had been one of the original sponsors of the legislation, commonly known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.[2]
Bono was born inDetroit, the son of Zena "Jean" (née DiMercurio) and Santo Bono.[3] His father was born inMontelepre,Palermo, Italy; his mother was also of Italian descent. His mother called him "Sono" as a term of endearment, which evolved over time into "Sonny".[4][5] Sonny was the youngest of three siblings; he had two sisters, Fran and Betty.[3] The family moved toInglewood, California, when he was seven, and his parents divorced soon afterwards.[3] Bono decided early in life to become part of the music business, and began writing songs as a teenager.[6] "Koko Joe", a song he wrote at age 16, was recorded byDon and Dewey in 1958, and later covered by several other artists, includingthe Righteous Brothers.[7] Bono attendedInglewood High School, but did not graduate, opting to drop out so he could begin to pursue a career as a songwriter and performer.[3][8] He worked at a variety of jobs while trying to break into the music business, including waiter, truck driver, construction laborer, and butcher's helper.[9]
Bono began his music career as a songwriter atSpecialty Records, where his song "Things You Do to Me" was recorded bySam Cooke, and went on to work for record producerPhil Spector in the early 1960s as a promotion man, percussionist and "gofer". One of his earliest songwriting efforts, "Needles and Pins", was co-written withJack Nitzsche, another member of Spector's production team. In 1965, he achieved commercial success with his wifeCher in the singing duoSonny & Cher. Bono wrote, arranged and produced a number of hit records including the singles "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On", although Cher received more attention as a performer.[10] He played a major part in Cher's early solo recording career, writing and producing singles including "Bang Bang" and "You Better Sit Down Kids".
Under a pseudonym, Bono co-wrote "She Said Yeah",[11] covered bythe Rolling Stones on their 1965 LPOut of Our Heads. His lone hit single as a solo artist, "Laugh at Me", was released in 1965 and peaked at No. 10 on theBillboard Hot 100. In live concerts, Bono introduced the song by saying "I'd like to sing a medley of my hit". "Laugh at Me" was also covered by Mott The Hoople on their first album, released in 1969. His only other single as a solo artist, "The Revolution Kind", reached No. 70 on theBillboard Hot 100 later that year. His solo album,Inner Views, was released in 1967.[12]
Bono continued to work with Cher through the early and mid-1970s, starring in a popular television variety show,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which ran onCBS from 1971 to 1974. Around the time thatThe Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was in development, Bono grew his now famous mustache, which he would continue to wear for the rest of his life. In 1974, his solo variety show,The Sonny Comedy Revue, ran onABC for one season. From 1976 to 1977, the duo, since divorced, returned to perform together onThe Sonny and Cher Show. Their last appearance together was onLate Night with David Letterman on November 13, 1987, on which they sang "I Got You Babe".[13][14]
"What we call ahook hits you, ... then you're almost not writing, lyrics come to you, a sort of magic takes over, and it's not like work at all."
In 2011, Sonny Bono was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[15]
Bono's acting career included bit parts as a guest performer in such television series asThe Man From U.N.C.L.E. (appearing with Cher in "The Hot Number Affair"),Fantasy Island,Charlie's Angels,The Love Boat,The Six Million Dollar Man andCHiPs. In the 1975 TV movieMurder on Flight 502, he played the role of rock star Jack Marshall. He appeared in the 1980 miniseriesTop of the Hill. He played the role of mad bomber Joe Selucci inAirplane II: The Sequel (1982) and played the role of Peter Dickinson in the 1986 horror filmTroll. He portrayed racist entrepreneur Franklin Von Tussle in theJohn Waters filmHairspray (1988). He appeared as the Mayor of Palm Springs (which he was at the time) in several episodes ofP.S. I Luv U during the 1991–92 TV season, and onLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (in season 1, episode 9 "The Man of Steel Bars", which aired November 21, 1993), he played Mayor Frank Berkowitz. He made a minor appearance as himself in the comedy filmFirst Kid (1996). A portrait of Bono appeared in theVeggieTales episode "Dave and the Giant Pickle", in the Silly Songs with Larry segmentI Love My Lips (original version).
Bono guest-starred as himself onThe Golden Girls episode "Mrs. George Devereaux" (originally broadcast November 17, 1990), in which he vied withLyle Waggoner for Dorothy's (Bea Arthur) affection in a dream sequence. In Blanche's (Rue McClanahan) dream, her husband is still alive, and Bono uses his power as Mayor of Palm Springs to have Waggoner falsely arrested so he can have Dorothy to himself. Sophia (Estelle Getty) had been hoping for Sonny and Dorothy to get together and actively supported Sonny.
Bono entered politics after experiencing frustration with local government bureaucracy while trying to open a restaurant inPalm Springs, California. He made a successful bid for mayor and served from 1988 to 1992.[16] As mayor, Bono spearheaded the creation of thePalm Springs International Film Festival, which is held each year in his memory.
Bono ran for theRepublican nomination forUnited States Senate in 1992, but lost to the more conservativeBruce Herschensohn, who lost the general election to DemocratBarbara Boxer. Bono and Herschensohn became close friends after the campaign. In 1994, Bono planned to run for lieutenant governor, but decided to run for Congress when RepublicanAl McCandless announced his retirement. Bono won the Republican nomination and the general election to representCalifornia's 44th congressional district. He was reelected in 1996 and served from January 1995 until his death.
In the House, Bono was one of 12 co-sponsors of a House bill extending thelength of terms forcopyright protection.[17] Although that bill was never voted on in the Senate, a similar Senate bill was passed after his death and named theSonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act in his memory. It is also known (derisively) as theMickey Mouse Protection Act.[18]
He championed the restoration of theSalton Sea,[19] bringing the giant lake's plight to national attention. In 1998, thenSpeaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich made a public appearance and speech at the shore of the lake on Bono's behalf.
In their bookTell Newt to Shut Up,David Maraniss andMichael Weisskopf credit Bono with being the first person to recognize Gingrich's public relations problems in 1995. Drawing on his long experience as a celebrity and entertainment producer, Bono (according to Maraniss and Weisskopf) recognized that Gingrich's status had changed from politician to celebrity and that he was not making allowances for that change:
You're a celebrity now... The rules are different for celebrities. I know it. I've been there. I've been a celebrity. I used to be a bigger celebrity. But let me tell you, you're not being handled right. This is not political news coverage. This is celebrity status. You need handlers. You need to understand what you're doing. You need to understand the attitude of the media toward celebrities.
Bono remains the only member of Congress to have scored a number-one pop single on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.[20]
Bono was a godparent ofAnthony Kiedis of the bandRed Hot Chili Peppers; he was a close friend of Kiedis's father, Blackie Dammett.[21][22]
Bono was married four times. He married his first wife, Donna Rankin, on November 3, 1954. Their daughter Christine ("Christy") was born on June 24, 1958. They divorced in 1962.
In 1964, Bono and Cheryl Sarkisian, later known as singer and actressCher, had an unofficial wedding.[23] The couple legally married in 1969 after the birth of their daughter, Chastity Sun Bono, who later, as atrans man legally changed his name toChaz Salvatore Bono.[24] Bono and Cher ended their romantic relationship in 1972 but remained married to maintain their public image. Their marriage had deteriorated due to Sonny's infidelity and controlling behavior.[25] By 1973, they were still sharing a home but were dating other people.[26] After competing legal filings in 1974 and a bitter custody battle, they finalized their divorce in 1975.[23] Despite the turmoil, they eventually co-parented amicably, and Bono later apologized to Cher for how he treated her.[23]
On New Year's Eve 1981, Bono married actress-modelSusie Coelho.[27] They divorced in 1984.[28]
In 1986, he marriedMary Whitaker. The couple had two children: son Chesare Elan in 1988 and daughter Chianna Maria in 1991. Mary was widowed by Sonny's death.[8]
Bono was a champion of theSalton Sea in southeastern California, where apark was named in his honor. The 2005 documentary filmPlagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea[29] (narrated byJohn Waters) features Bono and documented the lives of the inhabitants ofBombay Beach,Niland andSalton City, as well as the ecological issues associated with the Sea.
He became interested inScientology and took Scientology courses partly because of the influence ofMimi Rogers, but stated that he was aRoman Catholic on all official documents, campaign materials and websites.[30] His wifeMary also took Scientology courses.[31][32] However, after his death, Mary Bono stated that "Sonny did try to break away [from the Church of Scientology] at one point, and they made it very difficult for him." The Church of Scientology said there was no estrangement from Bono.[33]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Memorial Service, U.S. Capitol, January 28, 1998,C-SPAN |
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Bono died on January 5, 1998, of injuries incurred when he hit a tree while skiing atHeavenly Mountain Resort inSouth Lake Tahoe, California.[34][35]
Sonny's funeral was held a few days later.[36][37] He was buried atDesert Memorial Park inCathedral City, California.[38][39] The epitaph on Bono's headstone reads "AND THE BEAT GOES ON".[40]
Mary Bono was elected to fill the remainder of her husband's congressional term. She was elected in her own right seven subsequent times before being defeated in the 2012 election.[41]
Sonny Bono has been honored and memorialized with:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sonny Bono | 4,842 | 44.29 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lloyd Maryanov | 2,498 | 22.85 | |
| Nonpartisan | Deyna Hodges | 1,934 | 17.69 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eli Birer | 1,140 | 10.43 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ray Patencio | 462 | 4.23 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lewis Friedman | 27 | 0.25 | |
| Nonpartisan | Neil Beatty | 21 | 0.19 | |
| Total votes | 10,924 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Herschensohn | 956,146 | 38.80 | |
| Republican | Tom Campbell | 859,970 | 34.90 | |
| Republican | Sonny Bono | 417,848 | 16.96 | |
| Republican | Isaac Park Yonker | 94,623 | 3.84 | |
| Republican | Alexander Swift Justice | 60,104 | 2.44 | |
| Republican | John W. Spring | 54,941 | 2.23 | |
| Republican | John M. Brown | 20,810 | 0.84 | |
| Total votes | 2,464,442 | 100.00 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Sonny Bono | 25,709 | 48.63 | |
| Republican | Patricia "Corky" Larson | 14,897 | 28.18 | |
| Republican | Kent DeLong | 5,746 | 10.87 | |
| Republican | Phil Bretz | 2,883 | 5.45 | |
| Republican | A.J. "Bud" Mathewson | 2,256 | 4.27 | |
| Republican | Lewis A. Silva | 1,378 | 2.61 | |
| Total votes | 52,869 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Sonny Bono | 95,521 | 55.61 | |
| Democratic | Steve Clute | 65,370 | 38.06 | |
| American Independent | Donald Cochran | 10,885 | 6.34 | |
| Total votes | 171,776 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sonny Bono (incumbent) | 110,643 | 57.74 | |
| Democratic | Anita Rufus | 73,844 | 38.54 | |
| American Independent | Donald Cochran | 3,888 | 2.03 | |
| Natural Law | Karen Blasdell-Wilkinson | 3,143 | 1.64 | |
| Write-In | A.J. "Bud" Mathewson | 110 | 0.06 | |
| Total votes | 191,628 | 100.00 | ||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Palm Springs, California April 1988 – April 1992 | Succeeded by Lloyd Maryanov |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 44th congressional district January 3, 1995 – January 5, 1998 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
