Rock Hard Forever: Bon Jovi

The Bon Jovi story began in Sayreville, New Jersey. Where Jon and his brothers Matt and Tony were raised by they parents Carol and John Bongiovi (Jon later changed his name). By his early teens, Jon was hanging out at local clubs, convinced that one day he would be a rock star.

The area's local music scene was rocking then and there, with the music of rising stars Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes leading the pack. "Just like Seattle is hot right now, 20 years ago it was Asbury Park, New Jersey", Jon told writer Rick Petreycik. "That was so close to my backyard, and when you're 13 or 14, or 15 years old, you can't help but hear about it and have it affect you. When you went down to Asbury Park, what was the crummy boardwalk became Americana. What was splintered wood became sacred ground, and you went, 'Ooh, aah'. And those things romanticized the idea, The myth became the legend, and one thing led to another, and I think blind faith is what got me here." That, and a little help from his friends.

Jon Bon Jovi began to play piano and guitar at thirteen with his first band, called Raze. He was enrolled in an all-boys Catholic school, St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, but left to attend public school at Sayreville War Memorial High School. At sixteen, Bon Jovi met David Bryan (born David Bryan Rashbaum) and formed a 12-piece cover band named Atlantic City Expressway after the New Jersey highway. They played at New Jersey clubs, even though they were minors. Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, playing local clubs like "The Fast Lane" and opening for known acts in the area.

By the time he was 16, Jon was playing clubs. It was not long before he hooked up with keyboardist David Bryan (real name: David Brian Rashbaum), who played with him in a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic City Expressway. Jon also performed with bands called The Rest, The Lechers and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones.

Meanwhile, Richie Sambora was also performing locally with a funk and fusion outfit called Extremes, before hooking up with Alec John Such in the band The Message. After The Message broke up, Alec played with Tico Torres in Phantom's Opera.

The members of Bon Jovi hade crossed paths in these early days, but the current lineup didn't come together until March of 1983 after th first Bon Jovi single, "Runaway," had become a minor hit.

In one of those right place/right time/right person scenarios, Jon managed to get a job sweeping floors at a recording studio through a relative. His second cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner of the power station in New York City. Jon had written "Runaway," and in 1980, he recorded a demo of the song at his cousin's studio, with back-up by studio musicians whom Tony had hired, including Frankie La Roca, Tim Pierce, Hugh McDonald and Roy Bittan.

In 1983, Bon Jovi visited the local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the D.J., Chip Hobart, who suggested Bon Jovi let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on a compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was reluctant but eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track "Runaway" (originally written in 1980). The song started getting some serious airplay. The success of "Runaway" got Jon noticed, and he realized that he'd need more than session players if he wanted to capitalize on his success by touring the New York clubs to support the single.

Jon gave Dave a call, who in turn tapped Alec and Tico. A succession of guitarists (including Dave "The Snake" Sabo, Bon Jovi's neighbor who went on to form Skid Row) followed, until finally Richie signed on, and the band came together as a whole. They began gigging around New York in earnest.

At one show, where they opened for Scandal, the band caught the attention of record exec Derek Shulman, who signed them to PolyGram. "With Jon, I felt he had an unbelievable desire to be a star", recalls Shulman. "he had a burning desire to be huge".

PolyGram toyed with the name, throwing out monikers like "Victor" then "Johnny Lightening", before Shulman anglicized John Bongiovi's name to Bon Jovi.

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, part of the PolyGram company. Because Jon Bon Jovi wanted a group name, Jerry Jaffe, head of A&R at PolyGram, came up with Bon Jovi.

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee, the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, was released on January 21, 1984. The album went gold in the U.S. (sales of over 500,000) and was also released in the UK. The group found themselves opening for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden (before their first album had been released), and for Scorpions and Kiss in Europe. They also made an appearance on the popular television program American Bandstand.

Their self-titled debut came out January 21, 1984. Filled with the group's now-signature power ballads and hooked-filled tunes underscored by soaring guitar riffs and well-crafted melodies, the album went gold (sales of over 500,000).

The album was a rugged soulful collection of songs about how tough it is being a teenager. Buoeyed by the renewed sucess of "Runaway", and backed by the follow-up single "She Don't Know Me".

Bon Jovi releasead their follow-up album, 7800 Farenheit, in April 1985 wich included the hit singles "Only Lonely" and "Silent Night", it sold equally to its predecesor.

While embarking on a tour opening up for Ratt, the album received a poor response by critics. The leading British metal magazine Kerrang!, which had been very positive about the debut record, called the album "a pale imitation of the Bon Jovi we have got to know and learned to love." Jon Bon Jovi himself later said it could have and should have been better.

Tours opening for the Scorpions, Kiss and Judas Priest had helped Bon jovi build up a considerable fan base which appreciated the band's anthemic songs and powerful stage presence. Clearly, Bon Jovi was poised on the edge of greatness.

Slippery When Wet, the band's third album, provided the break-trough. Powered by songs like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive", the LP went gold and platinum simultaneously within six weeks of its six weeks of its release. By April of 1987, Slippery When Wet had sold seven million copies.

They brought in songwriter Desmond Child for their third album, Slippery When Wet. With Child co-writing many of their hits, the band shot to super-stardom around the world with songs "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".

The album has sold in excess of 26 million copies worldwide since its release in late 1986. In 1987, the band headlined England's "Monsters of Rock" festival with Dio, Metallica, W.A.S.P., Anthrax, and Cinderella. The tour took its toll on singer Jon Bon Jovi when he began having vocal difficulties. The extremely high notes and unrelenting schedule threatened to damage his voice permanently. With the help of a vocal coach, he made it through the tour. Bon Jovi has tended to sing slightly lower pitches since then.

The world ate and slept Bon Jovi, they won the American Music Award and People's Choice Awards as Band Of The Year, MTV gave Bon Jovi a Best Performance Award for the video "Livin' on a Prayer".

Jon was asked what all this astronomical success meant, to which he answered, "Everything is bigger, and it moves twice as fast. You're recognized twice as often. This is bigger, the whole world gets bigger. You have to sell more records, be huger. You get smarter and you understand the business a little more, so it's more responsability. You understand it now, and you want to make sure everything goes right".

Instead of traveling by bus, Bon Jovi went from gig to gig in a luxuriously converted Grumman G-I jet. By the time the Slippery Tour finished in Hawaii on October 17, 1987, the album had sold in excess of 14 million copies, putting it in the same league af astronomical successes as Thriller by Michael Jackson.

The next album was 1988's New Jersey. The album was recorded shortly after the tour for Slippery. The resulting album was a commercial success, with hit songs "Bad Medicine", "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "I'll Be There for You", which are still in their live repertoire. New Jersey was a commercial hit and became the first hard rock album to spawn five Top Ten singles. "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You" both hit number one, and "Born to Be My Baby" (#3), "Lay Your Hands on Me" (#7), and "Living in Sin" (#9) rounded out the list.

New Jersey was supported by video releases such as New Jersey: The Videos and Access All Areas, as well as a massive 18-month tour, originally billed as The Jersey Syndicate Tour. In 1989, the band headlined the Moscow Music Peace Festival along with the Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, and Skid Row.

Between 1990 and 1992, the band members went their separate ways for a while to refocus before writing and recording their next album. This time off also helped them determine where Bon Jovi would fit within the rapidly changing music scene upon their return. Jon Bon Jovi recorded a solo album, a soundtrack to the movie Young Guns II, more commonly known as Blaze of Glory, (in which he had an extremely brief cameo). Released in 1990, the album featured high profile guests such as Elton John, Little Richard, and Jeff Beck. The album fared well commercially, received positive reviews and quickly achieved platinum status. The title track, "Blaze of Glory", hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Jon an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. "Blaze of Glory" was awarded a Golden Globe.

Sambora, with the help of Tico Torres and David Bryan, released a solo album entitled Stranger In This Town, in 1991. The album featured Eric Clapton on the song "Mr. Bluesman". David Bryan recorded a soundtrack for the horror movie The Netherworld, which was the brighter part of that year after he was hospitalized with an illness caused by a South American parasite.

In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith. Produced by Bob Rock, it featured more a mature sound and lyrical content. Singles "Bed of Roses", "Keep the Faith" and "In These Arms", all hit the Top 40 in the U.S. Other songs on the album were released as singles internationally, mainly "Dry County", "I Believe", and "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead."

In 1994, Bon Jovi released a greatest hits album titled Cross Road, with two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as an updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" entitled "Prayer '94", available only on the U.S. version. "Always" was originally written for a soundtrack to the film Romeo Is Bleeding, but after seeing (and disliking) the movie, the band decided not to lend the song to the producers and instead released it on "Cross Road"[citation needed]. The video for "Always" featured Carla Gugino, an actress known for her roles in several TV shows' and films such as Son In Law and actor Jack Noseworthy, best known for his role in the 2000 film U-571. "Always" spent thirty-two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Bon Jovi's biggest hits. The song peaked at #4 on the US charts and at #1 in countries across Europe, Asia and in Australia. The single sold very well, going platinum in the U.S

That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, the first lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald, who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist, with rumors that he had also recorded bass on previous albums. Jon Bon Jovi said, regarding the departure of Such: "Of course it hurts. But I learned to accept and respect it. The fact that I'm a workaholic, studio in, studio out, stage on, stage off, want to be dealing with music day and night, doesn't mean everyone else has to adjust to that pace. Alec wanted to quit for a while now, so it didn't come as a complete surprise."

The 1995 album These Days went platinum in the U.S. and topped the UK charts. It spun off one hit single in the U.S., "This Ain't A Love Song". Other tracks proved to be popular European singles, including "Hey God", "Something for the Pain", "Lie to Me", and the title track.

At the end of the These Days Tour, the band once again decided to take a break and pursue other interests. Tico used the opportunity further pursue his painting while David started writing and composing various musicals. In 1998, Richie released his second solo outing called Undiscovered Soul.

Jon had also been bitten by the acting bug. He landed lead roles in movies Little City and The Leading Man, and supporting roles in Moonlight and Valentino, Homegrown, and U-571, among others. While he was free between filming different movies, Jon wrote what would become his second solo album, 1997's Destination Anywhere. The album received positive reviews and was a success across Europe. A short movie of the same name was recorded around the record's release, based entirely on the songs from the record and starring Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Whoopi Goldberg. Dave Stewart of Eurythmics played guitar on the record, and produced some of the tracks.

Bon Jovi reunited in 1999 to record the song "Real Life" for the movie EdTV. David Bryan didn't make it to the filming of the video for the song because of a hand injury sustained in a home improvement mishap, so the band used a cardboard cutout of him for the shoot.

After a nearly three-year hiatus, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. Their 2000 release, Crush, enjoyed success both in the U.S. and overseas, thanks in part to the smash-hit single "It's My Life", co-written by Swedish producer Max Martin. Crush, which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So" and "Thank You For Loving Me", soon became the band's most successful studio album since Keep the Faith, and helped introduce them to a new, younger fan base.

The Crush Tour, which began that summer, originally encompassed only 60 or so shows and was extended because of demand, with the band remaining on tour through mid-2001. While on tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout their career in an album entitled, One Wild Night: Live 1985-2001. The Crush tour was notable in that the European 2000 leg included the band headlining two nights at Wembley Stadium. These were the final shows at the venue before it was demolished. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the band performed as part of the star-studded The Concert for New York City benefit for victims and their families. They performed an acoustic medley of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" with a stirring finale of "It's My Life".

In late 2002, Bounce hit stores. It produced hit singles "Everyday" and the title track. The band went on the U.S. Bounce Tour for this album, during which they made history as the last band to play Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia before it was torn down. The band also released a promotional album through Target, featuring eight demo and live tracks.

Following the end of the Bounce Tour in August 2003, Bon Jovi embarked on a project; originally intending to produce an album consisting of live acoustic performances, the band ended up rewriting, re-recording and reinventing 12 of their biggest hits in a new and much different light. This Left Feels Right was released in November 2003.

The following year the band released a box set entitled 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, the title being an homage to Elvis Presley's 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. The set consisted of four CDs packed with 38 unreleased and 12 rare tracks, as well as a DVD. The box set marked the sales of 100 million Bon Jovi albums and also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's first record in 1984.

In November 2004, Bon Jovi was honored with the Award for Merit at the American Music Awards, where they performed a sneak preview of an unfinished song, "Have a Nice Day". Bon Jovi also participated in Live 8 on July 2, 2005, where they debuted the full, final version of "Have a Nice Day", alongside "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life". On August 20, 2005, the band headlined Miller Brewing Co.'s Big Brew-Ha, celebrating its 150th anniversary. The free stadium concert at Miller Park in Milwaukee included one preview song from the band's forthcoming album.

Bon Jovi's ninth studio album, Have a Nice Day, was released in September 2005. The album topped the charts around the world, giving Bon Jovi its career-best first week sales of over 202,000 albums. "Have A Nice Day" was the first single off the new album, and debuted at radio worldwide on July 18, 2005. The second single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in the U.S. in early 2006, although internationally it was the third single release after "Welcome to Wherever You Are". In the U.S. a duet version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland was released, and in May 2006, Bon Jovi became the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart[citation needed]. On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi also won the Grammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

Soon after the release of Have A Nice Day, the band started gearing up for the new 2005-2006 worldwide Have A Nice Day Tour. This tour, being shorter than previous ones with only seventy-five shows originally planned, took the band to numerous stages and arenas throughout the world. During the tour, Bon Jovi performed as the headlining act at Nascar's Daytona 500 on February 19, 2006. Originally it was planned for them to be the first act to perform at the new Wembley Stadium in London, but the stadium's rebuilding project was delayed until 2007. The concerts were therefore moved to the Milton Keynes National Bowl and Hull, KC Stadium with the same performance dates.[4] Following dates in Japan and Europe, Bon Jovi extended the tour and returned to the U.S. in 2006 for a few stadium shows, including 3 sold-out shows in the band's native New Jersey at Giants Stadium. On February 7, 2006, a promotional album, Live from the Have a Nice Day Tour, was released through Wal-Mart, which contained six live tracks recorded in December 2005 in Boston. Three of these tracks were released in the U.K. in June 2006 as B-sides on the single "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

On November 14, 2006, Bon Jovi were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame alongside James Brown and Led Zeppelin, joining music legends such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna and Elvis Presley. They will not be eligible for the U.S. equivalent until 2009.

With the end of the Have A Nice Day Tour, Bon Jovi began to throw around ideas for their next project. Among the potential offerings were going to Nashville to record with country stars (following the success of "Who Says You Can't Go Home"), a second greatest hits CD, a new studio album, and even new movies.

In June 2007, Bon Jovi released their tenth studio album, Lost Highway. The album debuted at number #1 on the Billboard charts, the first time that Bon Jovi have had a number one album on the U.S. charts since the release of New Jersey in 1988. The album sold 292,000 copies in its first week on sale in the U.S., and became Bon Jovi's third US number one album. The first single from the new album was "(You Want to) Make a Memory", which debuted (and peaked) at #27 in the Billboard Hot 100, Bon Jovi's highest ever debut in the U.S. charts. The album reached Number #1 in Japan, Canada, Australia and Europe, and reached number #2 in the UK.

To promote the new album, Bon Jovi made several television appearances, including the 6th annual CMT Awards in Nashville, American Idol, and MTV Unplugged, as well as playing at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium. They also performed ten promotional gigs in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Japan. As part of the 'tour', Bon Jovi were the first group to perform at London's new O2 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) when it opened to the public on June 24, 2007. The 23,000-seater stadium sold out within 30 minutes of tickets being released.

On June 6, 2007, Richie Sambora checked himself into a rehabilitation facility. This meant that he missed a concert in Puerto Rico as well as several television appearances, with backup guitarist Bobby Bandiera taking his place. He checked out on June 13, and was present for Bon Jovi's remaining summer concerts.

When questioned on American Idol, Jon Bon Jovi stated that the band would embark on a tour beginning in January, after playing ten dates in New Jersey in the fall. According to Richie Sambora this tour would be a greatest hits tour, so it would not be in direct support of Lost Highway. However, in October 2007 the band announced the Lost Highway Tour. Starting with the New Jersey gigs, the band are touring Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and then Europe, finishing in the summer. In early December 2007 the band took time off from their Canadian tour to become the first ever American band to headline the Royal Variety Performance in Liverpool, England, performing in front of the Queen herself. The U.S. leg of the tour began February 18, 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Lost Highway is Bon Jovi's tenth studio album since the band formed in the early eighties. One hundred and twenty million albums and 2500 concerts in over 50 countries later, Bon Jovi is enjoying the greatest popularity in their history.

Current members

Jon Bon Jovi - vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica (1983-present)
Richie Sambora - guitar, vocals, talk box (1983-present)
David Bryan - keyboards, vocals (1983-present)
Tico Torres - drums, percussion (1983-present)

with

Hugh McDonald - bass guitar, vocals (1994-present)
Bobby Bandiera - guitar (2003-present) (occasional touring member)
Lorenza Ponce - violin, fiddle (2006-present) (touring member)
Kurt Johnston - lap steel guitar (2006-present) (touring member)

Former members
Alec John Such - bass guitar, vocals (1983-1994)

Discography

Lost Highway 2007
Have A Nice Day 2005
100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong 2004
This Left Feels Right
2003
7 Series Sampler: One Wild Night 2003
Bounce 2002
One Wild Night: Live 1985-2001 2001
Crush 2000
Maximum Bon Jovi: The Unauthorised Biography 2000
Destination Anywhere 1997
These Days 1995
Cross Road 1994
Keep the Faith 1992
Blaze Of Glory 1990
New Jersey 1988
Slippery When Wet 1986
7800 Degrees Fahrenheit 1985
Bon Jovi 1984

Official Website: http://www.bonjovi.com/

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