Mourners gather in town Bono helped promote

Bono's body arrives in Palm Springs

January 7, 1998
Web posted at: 8:22 a.m. EST (1322 GMT)

PALM SPRINGS, California (CNN) -- Friends and family members who once watched Sonny Bono transform himself from an entertainment industry transplant into a popular politician in this posh desert resort town are now gathering here to mourn his death.

The body of the 62-year old congressman, who was killed in a skiing accident near Lake Tahoe Monday, arrived at a Palm Springs funeral home late Tuesday as mourners, including Bono's ex-wife Cher and their daughter Chastity Bono, assembled for memorial and funeral services.

A public vigil for Bono will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at St. Theresa's Catholic Church, family spokesman Frank Cullen Jr. said. A funeral Mass, which the public is invited to attend, will be held in the same church at 11 a.m. Friday.

As Bono's body arrived in Palm Springs, the city's residents expressed various views of his legacy:
Some considered his death a national tragedy
	60K/4 sec. AIFF or WAV sound
Others were less impressed by his political career
	68K/5 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

Bono, who spent decades in the entertainment industry and gained fame as half of the popular singing duo Sonny and Cher, left it all behind in the late 1970s to start a restaurant in Palm Springs.

The same man who admitted he'd never voted until he was 53, ran for mayor in 1988 out of frustration -- and won.

"I knew Sonny before he even became mayor, when he came to town and opened his restaurant. He had a lot of trouble with city hall over renovations at his restaurant and his house," recalled resident Gerhard Frenzel. "He finally decided, 'I'll show you. I'll run for mayor myself.'"

"Sonny was a no-frills kind of guy. He shot straight from the shoulder. You knew exactly where you stood with him," said Michael Allen, president of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Bono during his tenure as mayor of Palm Springs

Despite his local popularity, Bono lost a Senate primary in 1992, but then ran a successful race in 1994 for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was re-elected two years later.

"We lost a great friend, a great congressman, a great mayor, and a great citizen of Palm Springs," another resident said. "He did one thing many politicians never accomplish. He earned the respect of the people."

As mayor, Bono helped revitalize the fading resort, put it back on the map as something more than just a 41,000-person haven for retirees. One of his major achievements -- the now-noted Palm Springs International Film Festival -- is to begin its ninth year Thursday.

"I traveled to East Africa and people would say, 'Oh, Sonny Bono's your mayor!"' recalled Lloyd Maryanov, who succeeded Bono as mayor. He was, Maryanov added, "a tough act to follow."

On Palm Canyon Drive, the city's main thoroughfare, flowers are piled around a sidewalk star bearing Bono's name. One message reads: "We'll miss you, Sonny. The beat goes on."

Related stories:

• Sonny Bono -- from TV to D.C. - January 6, 1998
• Bono ski death called accidental - January 6, 1998
• Reaction to Bono's death - January 6, 1998
• Sonny Bono: A politician with sense of humor - January 6, 1998
• The hazards of skiing - January 6, 1998

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Rep. Sonny Bono from the House of Representatives server
• The Sonny and Cher Show
• Heavenly Ski Resort

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

 

---

Sound off on our message boards & chat

© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.