Sonny Bono

American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician who came to fame in the 1960s in partnership with his second wife Cher, as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. He was mayor of Palm Springs, California from 1988 to 1992, and the Republican congressman for California's 44th district from 1995 until his death in 1998.

Sonny & Cher's first smash hit came out in June 1965, "I Got You, Babe." They were the trend setters of the hippie culture in their cool bell-bottom pants and vests. In early 1968, they produced a film, "Chastity," a financial blunder in which they lost a half million dollars. Not only that, but the following year the IRS hit them with a bill for $200,000 in back taxes. To get their finances in order, they put together a nightclub routine and made their debut as Pat Boone's opening act at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. The public loved their act which featured biting repartee, mostly at Sonny's expense.

When their daughter was born on 4 March 1969, they named her Chastity. When she became a young adult, Sonny had a difficult time with her announcement that she was lesbian.

Their TV series, "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour," was a great hit from its debut on 1 August 1971 until it closed with their separation in 1974. Their relationship had begun to unravel with the pressure of touring. In mid-November 1972, Cher told Sonny that she was in love with Bill Hamm, the guitarist in their band. For the sake of their careers, they maintained appearances. By August 1973, Connie Foreman, a cigarette girl at a nightclub, had moved in with Sonny. They were sharing the same roof but with different - and changing - lovers. Their divorce was final on 26 June 1975.

The son of Italian immigrants, a truck driver dad and beautician mom, Bono tried to break into show business after graduating from high school in Inglewood, California in 1952. Working as a delivery man, he ducked into record-company offices between stops to peddle his songs.