John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He has released 16 studio albums with his band as well as two solo albums.
Bon Jovi was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.[1][2] In 2012, he ranked number 50 on the list of Billboard magazine's "Power 100", a ranking of "The Most Powerful and Influential People in the Music Business".[3]
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His father John Francis Bongiovi Sr. (born 1930) was a barber and a former Marine. His mother Carol (née Sharkey; 1940–2024), also a former Marine, was a florist and Playboy Bunny.[4][5] His father was of Italian and Slovak ancestry; the name Bongiovi comes from Sciacca, Sicily. His mother was of German and Russian descent.[6][7] In an interview about his family tree, Bon Jovi stated, "I’m not a blood relative of Frank Sinatra, but I’ve always loved that rumour. Who wouldn’t want to be related to the man?"[8]
Bon Jovi was raised Catholic.[9] During the height of Beatlemania, his mother became a fervent admirer of The Beatles and dreamed that her son would achieve similar fame. To instill in him a love of music, she gave him his first guitar at the age of seven. Although Bongiovi received some lessons, he never enjoyed them and eventually abandoned the guitar in the basement. "I liked the sound it made falling down the stairs more than any of those boring lessons," he later stated. He attended St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, during his freshman and sophomore years.[10] He later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.[11]
At 15, he attended a Bruce Springsteen concert with his friends, and it was then that he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He resumed his guitar lessons with a new teacher, Al Parinello, who was very demanding but also instilled in him a passion for music. Jon Bon Jovi later recalled the importance of those lessons and acknowledged that they were one of the best things that had ever happened to him. When Parinello passed away in 1995, the vocalist carved the initials AP into his acoustic guitar in honor of his mentor, something he continued to do for many years.
Jon Bon Jovi began playing music in 1974, when he formed his first band Raze and took part in a talent contest at his school.[12][13] At 16, he formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway and was joined by David Bryan, who would later become a member of the Bon Jovi band.[12][14] Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, performing in clubs such as the Fast Lane and opening for local acts.[14][15] By 1980, he had formed his first original band, the Rest; the band opened for New Jersey acts such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.[14][16][17] In late 1979, Jon Bon Jovi joined the band The Rest—founded by guitarist Jack Ponti—with whom he began writing his first songs, including "Shot Through the Heart," which years later would appear on Bon Jovi's debut album. However, after receiving no record offers, Ponti decided to disband the group.
By mid-1980, out of school and working part-time at a women's shoe store, Jon Bon Jovi took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin Tony Bongiovi was co-owner.[18] One day, he was sweeping the floor as Disco producer Meco was in the studio recording Christmas in the Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album. Meco suggested that Bon Jovi sing "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas", which became his first professional recording (credited as John Bongiovi).[19][20]
Jon made several demos–including one produced by Billy Squier–and sent them to record companies, though failing to make an impact.[21] In 1982, Jon recorded "Runaway" in his cousin's studio, backed up by studio musicians.[14][14] Jon visited a local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York, to write and sing the jingles for the station.[22][23] He spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and to the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested Jon let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent.[24][25] Jon was reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, which he had re-recorded in 1982 (following a rough early recording in 1981) with local studio musicians whom he designated The All Star Review–guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan (from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band), drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.[26]
The song began to get airplay in the New York area, then other sister stations in major markets picked up the song.[citation needed] In March 1983, for a short tour supporting "Runaway" Jon Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres, both formerly of the band Phantom's Opera.[27] Jon saw and was impressed with hometown guitarist Richie Sambora who was recommended by fellow bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Once the band began playing showcases and opening for local talent, they caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman, who signed them to Mercury Records and who was part of the PolyGram company. Because Jon Bon Jovi wanted a group name, Pamela Maher, a friend of Richard Fischer and an employee of Doc McGhee, suggested they call themselves Bon Jovi, following the example of the other famous two-word bands such as Van Halen. This name was chosen instead of the original idea of Johnny Electric. Pamela's suggestion of the name was met with little enthusiasm, but two years later they hit the charts under that name.[28]
With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee they recorded the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, which was released on January 21, 1984. The album included the band's first hit single, "Runaway", reaching the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album, 7800° Fahrenheit, was released. The album certified Gold by RIAA.[29] In 1986, the band achieved widespread success and global recognition with its third album, Slippery When Wet,[30][31] which had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[19] The first two singles from the album, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer", both hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[32] Its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith were all international hits, each selling over ten million copies worldwide. They incorporated elements of soft rock and country, moves that helped them sustain their popularity into the 21st century. As of 2022, Bon Jovi has released 16 studio albums, three compilations and two live albums. The band has sold more than 149 million records worldwide, making it one of the bestselling American rock bands.[33] Bon Jovi has performed more than 3,000 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 35 million fans.[34][35] Bon Jovi was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.[36]
The exhaustion of recording Slippery When Wet and New Jersey back to back and going on highly paced world tours took its toll. By the end of the New Jersey tour, the band had 16 months of concerts under its belt. The bandmates were exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. Following the final tour date in Mexico, and without any clear plans for their future, the members of the band simply went home.[37] The band has since stated that there were few if any goodbyes between them. During the time they took off from the scene, members of the band retreated to their own projects and showed no desire to make another album.[29]
In 2004, Bon Jovi became founder and primary owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He appeared in several television commercials for the league, typically with John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos and co-owner of the AFL's Colorado Crush. Bon Jovi is no longer part owner of the Soul.[50]
JBJ's Nashville
On June 8, 2024,[51] Jon Bon Jovi opened a rooftop restaurant and bar in Nashville, Tennessee, located at 405 Broadway.[52] JBJ's is a Bon Jovi and rock music themed restaurant and bar.[53] It hosts live music daily. The restaurant is multi-leveled, with each level having a balcony looking down upon the stage in the center of the venue.[54][55] The grand opening included a performance by Bon Jovi and the rest of the band, which was their first full band live performance since the end of the 2022 tour.[56] The grand opening was attended by Vince Neil of Mötley Crue, Jeremy and Ajay Popoff from Lit, Big Kenny, Jelly Roll, and Jamie O'Neal, amongst others.[53]
JBJ's also features the first ever permanent installation of a Proto hologram machine in a music venue, which can show Jon Bon Jovi and his band's holograms and "beam in" special guests.[57]
Philanthropy
Bon Jovi in April 2009
During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, Bon Jovi (the band, not the individual) donated $1 million to the Angel Network foundation.[58]
In July 2007, Jon Bon Jovi announced a project that would rehabilitate a block of 15 homes in North Philadelphia.[59][60]
The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (formerly the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation) was founded in 2006. It supports community efforts to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.[61][62] On October 19, 2011, it opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a community restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey, where patrons pay what they can afford for their meals, either with money or by volunteering work.[63]As of 2023[update], three additional locations have been opened—one in Toms River, another at the Newark campus of Rutgers University,[64] and a third one inside the Gilligan Student Union at New Jersey City University.[65] In 2025, Mayor Dan Rodrick of Toms River, New Jersey, accused the organization of attracting homeless people from other parts of the country to congregate in the town.[66]
During a stop in Los Angeles on the New Jersey Syndicate Tour in 1989, Bon Jovi secretly took a trip to Las Vegas, where he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley, on April 29 at the Graceland Wedding Chapel. The couple have four children: a daughter, Stephanie, born in 1993; and three sons, Jesse, Jake, and Romeo, born in 1995, 2002, and 2004, respectively.[78][79] The British actress Millie Bobby Brown is his daughter-in-law; she married his son Jake in May 2024.[80] Bon Jovi became a grandfather when Jake and Brown adopted a daughter in 2025.[81][82]
A former resident of Rumson, New Jersey, Bon Jovi established his Sanctuary Sound recording studio in the basement of his home there.[83][84]
In October 2021, Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID-19 at a fan event in Florida.[88] He was reported as fully vaccinated and "feeling great".[89] He had recovered from the disease by November 12, 2021.[90] In April 2022, Bon Jovi spoke of how much his COVID-19 experience had affected him, including in his songwriting, saying about COVID-19 that it made him realize "how volatile we are and how fragile life is. It didn't matter if you were young or old, American or Egyptian, no matter who you were or where you were from, the COVID-19 pandemic affected you. I was aware of that when I was writing the record."[91]
↑ Billen, Andrew (November 15, 2006). "Jon Bon Jovi: How I became a poster boy for marriage". Independent.ie. Retrieved December 20, 2011. His father was of Sicilian-Slovakian stock, his mother a German-Russian Playboy bunny-turned-florist.
↑ Nikkhah, Roya (December 30, 2007). "Jon Bon Jovi: New hair, old roots". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. His father and mother - a German/Russian Playboy bunny turned florist
↑ Intindola, Brendan. "Rich and famous mourn Wall Street's John Mulheren", Forbes, December 19, 2003, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 2, 2004. Accessed September 27, 2015. "Mr. Bon Jovi, a fellow resident of Rumson and lead singer of the rock band Bon Jovi, was among the long line of mourners who stood outside waiting to enter the gray, shingled church."
↑ The Bon Jovi Library, Island Records, backed up by the Internet Archive as of August 30, 2006. Accessed September 27, 2015. "Sanctuary Sound was originally built in the basement of Jon Bon Jovi's Rumson ranch home."
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