Death of Sonny Bono

On January 5, 1998, Bono died of injuries after hitting a tree while skiing at the Heavenly Ski Resort near South Lake Tahoe, California. He was 62 years old. Bono's death came just days after Michael Kennedy died in a similar accident. Bono's widow, Mary, was elected to fill the remainder Congressional term. She has since been re-elected in her own right. She continues to champion many of her late husband's causes, including the ongoing fight as how to best save the Salton Sea.

Cher gave a tearful eulogy at Bono's funeral, after which the attendees sang the song The Beat Goes On. His final resting place is Desert Memorial Park in nearby Cathedral City, California, the same cemetery in which Frank Sinatra was laid to rest later that same year. The epitaph on Bono's headstone reads: And The Beat Goes On.