Sonny Bono

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Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician who came to prominence in his relationship with his second wife Cher as the popular singing pair Sonny & Cher.

He served as mayor of Palm Springs, California, from 1988 to 1992, and was the Republican congressman for California's 44th district from 1995 to 1998. When it was passed by Congress nine months after Bono's death, the United States Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which extended the life of copyright by 20 years, was named in honor of him.

Mary Bono (Sonny Bono's last wife) was one of the original promoters of the bill, commonly known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.

Early life

Bono was born in Detroit, the son of Zena "Jean" (née DiMercurio) and Santo Bono. His father was born in Montelepre, Palermo, Italy, and his mother was of Italian descent. He was nicknamed "Sono" by his mother as a mark of death, which later became "Sonny" in time. Sonny was the youngest of three siblings; he had two sisters, Fran and Betty. When he was seven years old, the family moved to Inglewood, California, and his parents were divorced soon after. Bono decided to become a member of the music industry early in life and began writing songs as a child. Don and Dewey recorded "Koko Joe," a song he wrote at age 16, and later covered by a number of other artists, including The Righteous Brothers. Bono attended Inglewood High School but did not graduate, choosing to leave early in order to pursue a career as a writer and performer. He worked in a variety of capacities aspirations to break into music, including waiter, truck driver, construction labourer, and butcher's helper.

Personal life

Bono has been married four times. Donna Rankin, his first wife, married him on November 3, 1954. Christine ("Christy") was born on June 24, 1958, and they have a daughter. They divorced in 1962.

In 1964, Bono married singer and actress Cher Cher. Chaz Bono, the couple's one child, was born on March 4, 1969. In 1975, the couple wed a divorce.

On New Year's Eve 1981, Bono married actress-model Susie Coelho; the pair divorced in 1984.

He and Mary Whitaker married in 1986, and the two children, Chesare Elan in 1988 and daughter Chianna Maria in 1991, were married in 1991.

Bono was named a godparent by Anthony Kiedis, who formed his band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, in Los Angeles. Sonny, a close friend of Kiedis' father, Blackie Dammett, used to take young Kiedis on weekend trips.

Bono was a promoter of the Salton Sea in southeastern California, where a park was named in his honor. Bono and documentary the lives of the people of Bombay Beach, Niland, and Salton City, as well as the environmental issues inherent with the Sea in 2005, are included in the 2005 documentary film Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (narrated by John Waters).

He became interested in Scientology and attended Scientology courses partly due to Mimi Rogers' fame, but also said he was a Roman Catholic on all official papers, campaign materials, and websites. Mary, his wife, also took Scientology courses. However, Mary Bono reported after his death that "Sonny did attempt to break away [from Scientology] at one time, but they made it difficult for him." Bono had no estrangement from the Church of Scientology, according to the Church of Scientology.

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Career

Bono began his musical career as a songwriter on Specialty Records, where his song "Things You Do to Me" was recorded by Sam Cooke, and then went on to work with record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s as a promotion man, percussionist, and "gofer." "Needles and Pins," one of Spector's early songwriting attempts, was co-written with Jack Nitzsche, another member of Spector's production staff. In 1965, he and his wife Cherry formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher in the commercial success. Although Cher was more popular as a performer, Bono wrote, arranged, and released a number of hit records, including the singles "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On." He was instrumental in Cher's early solo recording career, composing and directing singles including "Bang Bang" and "You Better Sit Down Kids."

Bono co-wrote "She Said Yeah," which was also covered by the Rolling Stones on their 1965 LP December's Children. In 1965, his lone hit single as a solo artist, "Laugh at Me," was released and peaked at No. 1 in the United States. Billboard Hot 100 is at number ten. "I'd like to sing a medley of my hits" in live performances. "The Revolution Kind," his only other single as a solo artist, reached No. 1. Later this year, Billboard Hot 100 reached its 70th birthday. In 1967, his solo album, Inner Views, was released.

Sonny continued to work with Cher during the 1970s and 1980s, starring in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, a CBS television variety show from 1971 to 1974. The Sonny Comedy Revue, his solo variety series, debuted on ABC for one season in 1974. The pair have appeared on The Sonny and Cher Show from 1976 to 1977, since being divorced. Their last appearance together on Late Night with David Letterman on November 13, 1987, on which they sang "I Got You Babe."

In 2011, Sonny Bono was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

Bono's acting career included bits as a guest star in such television series as Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, The Six Million Dollar Man, and CHiPs. He appeared in the 1975 TV film Murder on Flight 502. In the 1980 miniseries Top of the Hill, he appeared. In Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Joe Selucci played mad bomber Joe Selucci, and he appeared in the horror film Troll (1986). In the John Waters film Hairspray (1988), he also depicted racial entrepreneur Franklin von Tussle. Bono is one of several strangeball celebrities seen on a wall of video screens observing extraterrestrials among us in Men in Black (1997). In several episodes of P.S., he also appeared as the Mayor of Palm Springs (which he actually was at the time) and in several episodes of P.S. I Luvu from 1991-92, as well as Lois & Clark's New Adventures of Superman (in season 1, episode 9 "The Man of Steel Bars," in which he played Mayor Frank Berkowitz, aired on November 21, 1993). He made a minor role in the 1996 comedy film First Kid (1996).

In a dream sequence, Bono appeared as himself on the Golden Girls episode "Mrs. George Devereaux" (originally broadcast on November 17, 1990), in which he fought with Lyle Waggoner for Dorothy's (Bea Arthur) love in a dream sequence. Dorothy is still alive in Blanche's (Rue McClanahan) fantasies, and Bono has used his position as Mayor of Palm Springs to have Waggoner incorrectly arrested so he can have Dorothy to himself. Sophia (Estelle Getty) had been waiting for Sonny and Dorothy to get together and help Sonny and Dorothy.

Since being so dissatisfied with local government bureaucracy in attempting to open a restaurant in Palm Springs, California, Bono returned to politics. Bono made a fruitful attempt to become Palm Springs' new mayor. He served for four years, from 1988 to 1992. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which takes place every year in Bono's honor.

In 1992, Bono ran for the Republican nomination for the Senate Senate, but the more conservative Bruce Herschensohn was nominated and the election went to Democrat Barbara Boxer. After the campaign, Bono and Herschensohn became close friends. In 1994, Bono was elected to represent California's 44th congressional district. He was one of twelve co-sponsors of a House bill extending copyright to the United States. Despite the fact that the bill was never passed in the Senate, a companion bill was introduced after his death, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act in his honor. It is also known (derisively) as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act.

He fought for the revival of the Salton Sea, bringing the lake's plight to national notice. In 1998, then Speaker of the House of Representatives John Gingrich made a public appearance and address on Bono's behalf.

David Maraniss and Michael Weisskopf's book Tell Newt to Shut Up, they mention Bono as the first one to recognize Gingrich's public relations difficulties in 1995. Bono, a veteran and entertainment producer, understood that Gingrich's fame had changed from politician to celebrity, but that he was not making provisions for this change: he figured out that.

Bono is the only member of Congress to have scored a number one pop single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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