rate environment. Her wide success
as a motivational speaker and busi-
ness consultant helped shape Cana-
dian business entrepreneurship in
the late 1990’s.
Impact Bondar’s medical research
pioneered innovative ways to protect
astronauts from the neurological im-
pact of long-term exposure to zero
gravity (critical in the era of ex-
tended space missions); in addition,
her application of space research
into the understanding of neuro-
logical failure altered methods of
rehabilitation treatment. However,
her status as a Canadian cultural
figure stems more from the range
of her interests and her evident
passionthat touches on a variety of
disciplines, defining her as a classic
Renaissance woman.
Further Reading
Bondar, Roberta.Touching the Earth. Toronto: Key
Porter Books, 1994.
Jenkins, Dennis R.Space Shuttle: The Histor y of De-
veloping the National Space Transportation System—
The Beginning Through STS-75. Osceola, Wisc.:
Motorbooks, 1996.
Kevles, Bettyann Holtzmann. Almost Heaven: The
Stor y of Women in Space. New York: Basic Books,
2003.
Joseph Dewey
See also Canada and the United States; Glenn,
John; Lucid, Shannon; Medicine; Space explora-
tion; Space shuttle program.
Bono, Sonny
Identification American entertainer and
politician
Born February 16, 1935; Detroit, Michigan
Died January 5, 1998; Heavenly Valley Ski Resort,
South Lake Tahoe, California
During the 1990’s, Bono developed significant legislation
on copyright and wild habitat protection. He is also beloved
for catchy songs that defined an earlier age.
Born to Sicilian American parents in Detroit, Sal-
vatore “Sonny” Bono developed talents that ranged
from singing and songwriting to political service.
As a promotion assistant in the 1960’s for record
producer Phil Spector, Bono met many artists and
was inspired to continue songwriting. He married
his second wife, Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre, better
known as Cher, in 1964, and the two began col-
laborating. In 1965, they produced the hit single “I
Got You Babe” and went on to host a television
variety show,The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, for
the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from
1971 to 1974. In 1969, they had a daughter, Chastity.
Five years later, the couple divorced. By this
point, Bono’s songs were well known, including
“The Beat Goes On” and “Baby Don’t Go.”
Frustrated by the red tape he faced over placing a
sign on his Italian restaurant in Palm Springs, Cali-
fornia, Bono ran for mayor and won, serving from
1988 to 1992. People had scoffed at his mayoral
bid, to which he replied that no one had thought
him capable of succeeding at music, either, and
he had still managed to earn many gold records.
Keen on government change, he ran for a Senate
seat in 1992 but lost in the Republican primary.
In 1994, he was elected to the House of Representa-
tives as a Republican representing the Forty-fourth
Congressional District.
During his time in office from 1995 to 1998, Bono110 Bono, Sonny The Nineties in America
Congressman Sonny Bono in 1997.(AP/Wide World Photos)