Musicians Who Wowed Us Onstage—Then Won Our Votes

Sonny Bono with Cher in 1966 and in 1995: With his (considerably younger) wife Cher, Sonny Bono became a pop star thanks to the 1965 success of “I Got You Babe” and later with “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.” Certainly one of the most well known musicians to become a politician, Sonny Bono was also one of the most successful. In 1988, frustrated with the limitations of local politics, the Republican Bono became mayor of Palm Springs, California;... more 

Sonny Bono with Cher in 1966 and in 1995: With his (considerably younger) wife Cher, Sonny Bono became a pop star thanks to the 1965 success of “I Got You Babe” and later with “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.” Certainly one of the most well known musicians to become a politician, Sonny Bono was also one of the most successful. In 1988, frustrated with the limitations of local politics, the Republican Bono became mayor of Palm Springs, California; in 1994, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for four years. Bono died tragically in 1998 after sustaining injuries from a skiing accident; he was 62. Click here to see the entire gallery at Snakkle.com less