Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (16 February 1935 – 5 January 1998) was an American record producer, singer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades. He began his career as a songwriter, with his "Things You Do To Me" recorded by Sam Cooke and his "Needles and Pins," co-written with Jack Nitzsche, taken to hit status by The Searchers in 1964. Hired as a "gofer" by producer Phil Spector in the early 60s, Bono picked up the tools of the producing trade. Read more on Last.fm