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What injuries did Sonny Bono have?
He was reported missing several hours later, and his body was found that evening. Police said Bono had skied into a wooded area and hit a tree; the cause of death was massive head injuries.
How fast was Sonny Bono going when he died?
between 20 and 30 miles per hourPierini said officials estimated that Bono was going between 20 and 30 miles per hour when he hit the tree. He said the autopsy by the Douglas County coroner showed "no indication of any substances or alcohol." Bono's body was flown to Palm Springs today, where a funeral is planned for Friday.
Who inherited Sonny Bono's money?
Bono's estate was eventually divided between his surviving spouse and his two children, Chastity (now Chaz) Bono and Christy Bono Fasce (a child from his first marriage).
Did Cher go to Sonny's funeral?
Sonny Bono's funeral in January 1998 included celebrities and politicians such as Cher, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt Newt Gingrich, Former President Gerald Ford, California Gov. Pete Wilson and others.
What famous person died in a skiing accident?
ListNameAgeLocationMichael Kennedy39Aspen, ColoradoSonny Bono62Heavenly, NevadaDoak Walker71Steamboat, ColoradoMichel Trudeau23Kokanee Glacier Park, British Columbia42 more rows
Who died at Heavenly Ski Resort?
The most notable death at a Tahoe ski resort occurred 22 years ago today when Sonny Bono tragically died at Heavenly Mountain ski resort in Lake Tahoe.
What is Cher's net worth 2022?
As of October 2022, Cher's net worth is estimated to be roughly $360 Million. What is this? Cher is an American singer and actress from El Centro, California.
How much is Cher's son worth?
Chaz Bono Net WorthNet Worth:$800 ThousandDate of Birth:Mar 4, 1969 (53 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)Profession:Writer, Author, Musician1 more row
What tree did Sonny Bono hit?
"He apparently was skiing down the Orion and struck a tree," Douglas County, Nevada, Sheriff Ron Pierini told reporters. He said Bono was pronounced dead at the scene....'Struck a tree'Watch the noon news conference10:30 VXtreme streaming videoSonny and Cher's biggest hit, "I Got You Babe"2:45 VXtreme streaming audio1 more row•Jan 6, 1998
What is the most famous eulogy?
Famous Eulogies from HistoryOprah Winfrey's eulogy for Rosa Parks. If Oprah is involved, you know it has to be amazing. ... Mona Simpson's eulogy for Steve Jobs. Mona Simpson is the late Steve Jobs' sister. ... Frank Oz's eulogy for Jim Henson. ... Earl Spencer's eulogy for Princess Diana. ... John Cleese's eulogy of Graham Chapman.
How much is Cher worth and how old is she?
Cher Net WorthNet Worth:$360 MillionDate of Birth:May 20, 1946 (76 years old)Gender:FemaleHeight:5 ft 8 in (1.74 m)Profession:Record producer, Singer, Actor, Songwriter, Entrepreneur, Fashion designer, Model, Dancer, Film director, Comedian1 more row
What was the age difference between Sonny and Cher?
Sonny and Cher met in 1962. She was a 16-year-old high-school dropout who wanted to be a star and he was 28 and an assistant to record producer Phil Spector.
What tree did Sonny Bono hit?
"He apparently was skiing down the Orion and struck a tree," Douglas County, Nevada, Sheriff Ron Pierini told reporters. He said Bono was pronounced dead at the scene....'Struck a tree'Watch the noon news conference10:30 VXtreme streaming videoSonny and Cher's biggest hit, "I Got You Babe"2:45 VXtreme streaming audio1 more row•Jan 6, 1998
Was Sonny married to Cher when he died?
“When he died, everything changed. All of a sudden, he was gone, and it was a big loss. Our marriage was the least important thing that we did together,” the music icon told Vegas Magazine in a new interview. Cher and Sonny were married from 1964 until 1975 and were most known as power music duo Sonny & Cher.
How long were Sonny and Cher together?
After 13 years together as a couple and six years of marriage—the last three for the cameras—Sonny and Cher were legally divorced on June 26, 1975.
Why did Sonny and Cher break up?
Cher filed for divorce in 1974, citing “involuntary servitude” as the reason for the split. The divorce proceedings were ugly; she accused Sonny of withholding her fair share of earnings and he took her to court for custody of Chastity.
How did Sonny Bono die?
Bono died on January 5, 1998, of injuries incurred when he hit a tree while skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California. After Bono's death, Mary Bono said that Sonny had been addicted to prescription drugs (mainly Vicodin and Valium) and that she believed her husband's drug use caused the accident. No drugs or alcohol were found in his body.
Where was Sonny Bono born?
Bono was born in Detroit to Santo Bono (born in Montelepre, Palermo, Italy) and Zena "Jean" Bono (née DiMercurio). His mother called him "Sono" as a term of endearment, which evolved over time into "Sonny". Sonny was the youngest of three siblings; he had two sisters, Fran and Betty. The family moved to Inglewood, California, when he was seven, and his parents divorced soon afterwards. Bono decided early in life to become part of the music business, and began writing songs as a teenager. "Koko Joe", a song he wrote at age 16, was recorded by Don and Dewey in 1958, and later covered by several other artists including The Righteous Brothers. Bono attended Inglewood High School, but did not graduate, opting to drop out so he could begin to pursue a career as a songwriter and performer. He worked at a variety of jobs while trying to break into the music business, including waiter, truck driver, construction laborer, and butcher's helper.
What was Bono's first career?
Entertainment career. See also: Sonny & Cher. Sonny and Cher, 1976. Bono began his music career as a songwriter at Specialty Records, where his song "Things You Do to Me" was recorded by Sam Cooke, and went on to work for record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s as a promotion man, percussionist and " gofer ".
How many sisters did Sonny Bono have?
Sonny was the youngest of three siblings; he had two sisters, Fran and Betty. The family moved to Inglewood, California, when he was seven, and his parents divorced soon afterwards. Bono decided early in life to become part of the music business, and began writing songs as a teenager.
What was Sonny Bono's only solo album?
His only other single as a solo artist, "The Revolution Kind", reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year. His solo album, Inner Views, was released in 1967. Sonny Bono in 1966 during a performance.
How long did Bono serve as mayor of Palm Springs?
Bono made a successful bid to become the new mayor of Palm Springs. He served four years, from 1988 to 1992.
Where is Bono's Salton Sea?
Bono was a champion of the Salton Sea in southeastern California, where a park was named in his honor. The 2005 documentary film Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (narrated by John Waters) features Bono and documented the lives of the inhabitants of Bombay Beach, Niland and Salton City, as well as the ecological issues associated with the Sea.
How did Sonny Bono die?
Sonny Bono collided with a tree and died instantly in a tragic 1998 accident at Heavenly Mountain ski resort. An avid skier for more than 20 years, Bono was tempting fate when he left his wife and two children and sped off the Upper Orion main trail to do some “tree skiing.”.
How did Bono die?
Local officials said he died instantly of massive head and neck injuries.
What run did the Bonos ski on?
Pierini said the Bonos were skiing on the Upper Orion run when Chianna took a fall and Mary stopped to assist her. Sonny continued ahead, leaving the main trail to ski through a thin band of trees that separate Orion from a parallel run called Aries.
What was Sonny Bono's job?
After being half of a 1960s’ husband-and-wife singing and acting sensations, he surprisingly found a home in politics, becoming mayor of Palm Springs and later a respected U.S. Congressman from California’s 44th district from 1995 until his death.
How old was Bono when he smashed a pine tree?
On Jan. 5, 1998, the 62-year-old Bono veered into the trees off a wide-open, well-groomed intermediate run at Heavenly. Reports say he apparently navigated through a narrow grove of trees and smashed face-first into a lodgepole pine on a Monday afternoon.
Where is Bono's body?
Officials reported that the Heavenly resort ski patrol found Bono’s bloody body partially obscured by a thick grove of trees about 150 feet off Upper Orion on the Nevada side of Heavenly at approximately 6:45 p.m., following a search of the mountain that evening. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office positively identified Bono as ...
Where did Bono meet his wife?
Reports said that Bono had skied ahead and had planned to meet up with his wife at the bottom of the Upper Orion slope, an intermediate trail he had skied numerous times.
Who Was Sonny Bono?
Sonny Bono started his career as a singer in the mid-1960s with then-girlfriend Cher. Their biggest hit was "I Got You Babe." Bono's singing career waned, but he stepped back into the public eye when he became mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988. In 1994, he was elected to Congress as a representative from California's 44th Congressional District. He unexpectedly died in a skiing accident in 1998.
How did Bono die?
In 1994, he was elected to Congress as a representative from California's 44th Congressional District. He unexpectedly died in a skiing accident in 1998.
What songs did Sonny and Cher sing?
More hits followed over the next few years with such songs as "Baby Don't Go" and "The Beat Goes On.". Sonny and Cher also became a popular nightclub act. Their shows combined singing with comedy and featured Sonny as the straight man to Cher's light-hearted jibes.
What happened to Bono?
The family was spending the day skiing when he suffered a terrible accident. Bono had skied into a wooden area and collided with a tree. The crash caused extensive head trauma, which resulted in Bono's death.
What party is Bono in?
He became a popular figure within the Republican Party, known for his wit and his deeply conservative views.
When did the Sonny and Cher comedy come out?
The duo took their entertaining stage personas to the small screen, appearing in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour beginning during the summer of 1971 . Sometimes the couple's young daughter, Chastity (now known as Chaz Bono), would appear on the show.
What high school did Bono go to?
Bono attended Inglewood High School, but he dropped out. After leaving school, he took on a number of jobs while trying to make it as a songwriter. He worked as a waiter, a truck driver and a construction worker before making it in the music business. Bono's career eventually took off and he worked with the likes of Sam Cooke and Phil Spector.
Sonny Bono died without a will
Unfortunately, Sonny Bono's career in politics would be short. On January 5, 1998, while vacationing with wife Mary Whitaker Bono and their two children, Bono crashed into a tree while skiing down a slope. He would die as a result of the accident at only 52 years old.
Cher is fighting to receive music royalties
The two former spouses battled in court for years, and didn't stop, even with Mary Bono being named the executor of her husband's estate. Yet, Cher didn't just fight Bono's widow over child support — she also fought to get her music royalties.
Sonny Bono's supposed 'love child' made a claim
During the legal battle for Sonny Bono's estate, it turned into an episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" for a time when a man named Sean Machu made his own claim, stating to be the illegitimate child of Sonny Bono, as told by the McKenzie Law Firm.
How did Sonny Bono die?
Tragic rocker Sonny Bono was clubbed to death by hired hitmen, according to a stunning new tabloid expose. An investigator who has been researching Bono's 1998 fatal skiing accident for the past decade claims top officials linked to an international drug and weapons ring feared the singer-turned-politician was about to expose their criminal acts - and so they had him killed on the slopes. Cher's ex-husband Bono's death was listed as a "skiing accident" with family and friends satisfied he died after colliding with a tree on the piste in Nevada in January 1998. But former FBI agent Ted Gunderson tells America's Globe that there's more to the tragedy than meets the eye, after studying the autopsy reports and other evidence. He says, "It's nonsense for anyone to now try to suggest that Bono died after crashing into a tree. There's zero evidence in this autopsy report... to show such an accident happened. Instead, there's powerful proof he (Bono) was assassinated. "This was an evil plot that was carried out to almost perfection by ruthless assassins." Gunderson tells the Globe Bono, an experienced skiier, was ambushed on the slopes by hired hitmen, who beat him to death and then staged a tree collision. The retired FBI agent is now calling for the authorities to dig up Bono's remains and open a homicide investigation. Gunderson's efforts have been backed by top forensics experts, who fear Nevada authorities were too quick to mark the tragedy as a skiing accident, and investigator Bob Fletcher, who has confessed he sent evidence of a 10-year study that linked top U.S. government officials to arms and weapons dealers to Bono less than a month before his death. Fletcher says, "He was going to make it his number one priority... There's no doubt in my mind Sony was murdered by someone who needed him silenced."
How did Cher's ex-husband Bono die?
Cher's ex-husband Bono's death was listed as a "skiing accident" with family and friends satisfied he died after colliding with a tree on the piste in Nevada in January 1998. But former FBI agent Ted Gunderson tells America's Globe that there's more to the tragedy than meets the eye, after studying the autopsy reports and other evidence.
Who is the FBI agent who is digging up Bono's body?
The retired FBI agent is now calling for the authorities to dig up Bono's remains and open a homicide investigation. Gunderson's efforts have been backed by top forensics experts, who fear Nevada authorities were too quick to mark the tragedy as a skiing accident, and investigator Bob Fletcher, who has confessed he sent evidence ...
Was Bono assassinated?
Instead, there's powerful proof he (Bono) was assassinated. "This was an evil plot that was carried out to almost perfection by ruthless assassins.". Gunderson tells the Globe Bono, an experienced skiier, was ambushed on the slopes by hired hitmen, who beat him to death and then staged a tree collision. The retired FBI agent is now calling ...
Where did Bono and Sonny live in 1970?
Sonny and Bono looking happy in love in 1970 at their house in Beverly Hills.
When did Cher and Sonny get married?
Cher and Sonny were married from 1964 until 1975 and were most known as power music duo Sonny & Cher. After their divorce in the mid-70s, Cher continued with her successful career as a solo artist while Sonny got into politics.
Who is Cher's daughter?
Sonny and Cher with their daughter Chastity, who later became their son Chaz.
Overview
Death
Bono died on January 5, 1998, of injuries incurred when he hit a tree while skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California.
At Mary's request, Cher gave a eulogy at Sonny's funeral. He was buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. The epitaph on Bono's headstone reads "AND THE BEAT GOES ON".
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 also of Italian descent. His mother called him "Sono" as a term of endearment, which evolved over time into "Sonny". Sonny was the youngest of three siblings; he had two sisters, Fran and Betty. The family moved to Inglewood, California, wh…
Career
Bono began his music career as a songwriter at Specialty Records, where his song "Things You Do to Me" was recorded by Sam Cooke, and went on to work for record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s as a promotion man, percussionist and "gofer". One of his earliest songwriting efforts, "Needles and Pins" was co-written with Jack Nitzsche, another member of Spector's producti…
Personal life
Bono was married four times. He married his first wife, Donna Rankin, on November 3, 1954. Their daughter Christine ("Christy") was born on June 24, 1958. They divorced in 1962.
In 1964, Bono married singer and actress Cher. The couple had one child, Chaz Bono, born March 4, 1969. The couple divorced in 1975.
Bono married actress-model Susie Coelho on New Year's Eve 1981; they divorced in 1984.
Honors and tributes
Sonny Bono has been honored and memorialized with:
• A Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars: dedicated to him in 1996.
• Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act: Extended copyright protections effective October 27, 1998.
See also
• List of actor–politicians
• List of famous skiing deaths
• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)
Further reading
• Sonny Bono: And the Beat Goes On. New York: Pocket Books 1991. ISBN 0-671-69366-2
• Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 12th edition. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, 2009. ISBN 978-0-89820-180-2.
• Bono vs. Bono: A Battle Royal , Bobby Soxers, 2013. ISBN 978-1492349976.