Bono, Sonny (1935-1998)

US pop singer and Republican politician. He was the male half of the popular 1960s musical duo Sonny and Cher, who rose to fame with the 1965 hit record ‘I Got You Babe’. Bono's latter-day involvement in politics led to his 1988 election as mayor of Palm Springs, California. In 1994 he became the city's elected representative in the US Congress.

Sonny Bono began writing and recording songs in the late 1950s. His first hit was ‘Needles and Pins’ in 1964, which he co-wrote with Jackie de Shannon. It had not originally been Bono's intention to form a double act with Cher, whom he married in 1964. However, as one of pop music's more exotic couples, Sonny and Cher held a unique slot in the business with a number of hit records, including ‘What Now My Love?’ and ‘Little Man’, both in 1966, as well as hosting their own show on primetime TV.