Sonny Bono Went From Pop Hits to Politics
Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono (1935 – 1998) was the male part of the singing duo Sonny & Cher, and is best remembered today as Cher’s bell bottom-wearing other half. Their most famous hits were I Got You Babe and Baby Don’t Go. After the duo divorced, Cher went on to greater success, while Sonny’s musical career languished, sputtered, and eventually died. He eventually pursued new careers in business and politics.
As a songwriter, Sonny co-wrote “Needles and Pins“, which became a number 1 hit in the UK, and rose to #13 on the US Billboard in 1964 when performed by the Searchers. It returned to international fame in the 1970s, when performed by Smokie in 1977, and by the Ramones in 1978. It was also sung by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, among others, and became a #1 hit in when France when Petula Clark did a version with French lyrics.
However, his greatest commercial success came as part of the duo Sonny & Cher with his then-wife. They started as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector, before achieving fame in 1965 with two hit songs, Baby Don’t Go and I Got You Babe. In the 1970s, Sonny and his wife turned to television, and enhanced their fame with a pair of top ten TV shows, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, and The Sonny and Cher Show. They divorced in 1975, but during their decade together, they had sold over 40 million records.
After his musical career came to an end, Sonny drifted for a while, before turning to the world of business. However, he got into politics in the 1980s after becoming infuriated with local governmental red tape regarding his house and an Italian restaurant he owned in Palm Springs, CA. So he registered to vote for the first time in his life in 1988, ran for mayor of Palm Springs that year, and won. He served for four years, until 1992.
He took a stab at the US Senate in 1992, entering the Republican primaries. However, the party went with a more conservative candidate, who went on to lose to Democrat Barbara Boxer. In 1994, he ran for and was elected to the US House of Representatives. He went on to serve two terms in Congress, where he was well-liked for his self-deprecating humor. His political career, as well as life, were cut short in 1998, when he was killed in a skiing accident after running headfirst into a tree. He remains the only member of Congress to have ever scored a #1 hit on the US Billboard Top 100.