From chart-topping singer and TV icon to restaurant owner and Palm Springs mayor, Sonny Bono made a career out of defying expectations.
Few pop culture figures have ever navigated so many radical career shifts with as much humor and determination. But even after decades in the spotlight, Bono’s final chapter proved to be his most unexpected.
At 59, when most people in entertainment start slowing down, Bono pulled off the ultimate third-act twist by winning a seat in the United States House of Representatives, proving that his talent for surprising the world was far from over. Trading his stage lights for the halls of Congress, the former pop star proved he could command a political room just as easily as a crowd of paying ticket holders.
Bono’s pivot to public office began in 1987 when he ran into frustrating local zoning and red-tape issues while trying to open his restaurant, Bono’s, in Palm Springs, California. History reported that he only registered to vote one year prior to his run.
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Bono’s win followed a failed run in the California Republican Senatorial primary in 1992. He then turned his attention to the 44th District’s Congressional seat on November 8, 1994.
Rather than acting like a traditional career politician, Bono leaned into his celebrity past (as one half of Sonny & Cher) and humor. He was known to defuse tense committee meetings and build a more collaborative environment with colleagues across the aisle by cracking a joke. Bono famously championed environmental issues, and was instrumental in passing notable copyright legislation, according to EBSCO.
Bono was born on February 16, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan, to Italian immigrant parents Zena and Santo Bono. His mother gave him the nickname “Sono,” which evolved into “Sonny”. His family moved to Inglewood, California, when he was seven.
Before politics, Bono was determined to break into the music business. He dropped out of Inglewood High School to pursue songwriting. He started writing songs for Specialty Records and eventually became an A&R man and an assistant to legendary producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s.
Bono met his future wife, Cher, in 1964. They became global superstars with hits written and produced by Bono, including “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” Following a dip in their music popularity in the late 1960s, they reinvented themselves on television with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in the early 1970s, which became a massive ratings success. The couple divorced in 1975 and had one child, Chaz Bono.
Bono was an avid sportsman. He died while skiing in January 1988, running headfirst into a tree.
The Washington Post quoted former United States President Bill Clinton after Bono’s death, who said the congressman “made us laugh even as he brought his own astute perspective to the work of Congress.”
Clinton added, “His joyful entertainment of millions earned him celebrity, but in Washington he earned respect by being a witty and wise participant in policymaking processes that often seem ponderous to the American people.”
Sonny Bono married Mary in 1986, and together they had two children, Chesare and Chianna. He was married three times prior: to Donna Rankin, with whom he had a daughter, Christy; to Cher; and to Susie Coelho.
Related: Cher Scored Her Biggest No. 1 Hit 33 Years After Her First—But One Major Regret Left Her Paying the Price
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