Sonny Bono (1935-1998) – Recording Artist/Record Producer/Politician
Sonny Bono began his music career at Specialty Records where his song “Things You Do to Me” was recorded by Sam Cooke. He went on to work for the record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s as a promotion man and percussionist. He received commercial success with his then-wife Cher, as part of the singing duo Sonny and Cher. Bono wrote, arranged, and produced a number of hit records with singles like “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” Bono entered politics after experiencing great frustration with local government bureaucracy in trying to open a restaurant in Palm Springs, California. He served as mayor of Palm Springs for four years. In 1994, Bono was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet, despite his success, consider what happened to Bono’s estate.
- Died without a valid Will.
- Multiple court actions against the estate.
- Cher entered a claim for back alimony.
- Court action by someone claiming to be his long-lost son.
- Portion of estate lost to legal fees.
Bono was a successful recording artist and performer, but even famous performers and successful politicians can fail to properly plan.
If you want to minimize the consequences of failing to properly plan your estate, then contact The Mendel Law Firm, L.P., for a free initial consultation on estate planning, trust planning, and/or probate issues.
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