Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, Sonny Bono (1935-1998) made a career out of reinventing himself. He played the straight man to his then-wife Cher on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour in the 1970s and later served as mayor of Palm Springs, California. On Capitol Hill, he quickly established himself as a hard worker and a popular fundraiser for the Republican party.

Even though he was a dedicated congressman, a popular mayor, and a successful restauranteur, pop icon Sonny Bono will probably first and foremost be remembered, as the "shorter" half of "Sonny and Cher." From 1971 until mid-1974, this husband and wife team was one of the hottest acts on television. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour presented elaborate song numbers, comedy skits, and lots of banter between the two stars. Sonny usually got the short end of the deal, with Cher making comments...