Singer turned Congressman Sonny Bono was killed in a freak skiing accident in Lake Tahoe, California on January 5, 1998. The former Sonny and Cher member was 62 at the time and was vacationing with his family when he accidentally crossed underneath a chairlift and hit a tree. “They were enjoying a family vacation," his spokesman Frank Cullen Jr. told People magazine after the incident. "He was a very proficient skier. He skied frequently with his family and, yes, he was an athletic guy -- he skied and played tennis."Bono, who was married to Cher until 1974, worked in show business until 1982 when he took time off and launched his political career. He was the Mayor of Palm Springs, California from 1988 to 1992 when he was elected to that district’s Congressional seat.