Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.; March 2, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him. Throughout his career, he has released two solo albums and eleven studio albums with his band, which to date have sold over 130 million albums worldwide. Тhe band was declared the second richest band for 2011, behind U2, earning an approximate $125 million income.[1] In addition, Jon Bon Jovi is one of the majority-owners of the Philadelphia Soul, a team playing in the Arena Football League. In 2010, President Barack Obama named Jon Bon Jovi to the White House Council for Community Solutions. As a solo artist, Bon Jovi has received numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for his solo hit, "Blaze of Glory". He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities fr! om Monmouth University in 2001 . He campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election. Contents 1 Early life 2 Music career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Bon Jovi 2.3 Solo career 3 Other ventures 3.1 Acting career 3.2 Presenting 4 Personal life 5 Charitable work 6 Political activism 7 Filmography 8 Awards and Nominations 8.1 Grammy Awards 8.2 MTV Video Music Awards 8.3 American Music Awards 8.4 Academy Awards 8.5 Golden Globe Awards 8.6 Other awards 9 Discography 9.1 Studio albums 9.2 Compilation albums 9.3 Solo singles 9.4 Guest singles 9.5 With Bon Jovi 10 References 11 External links Early life Jon Bon Jovi was born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of two former Marines, barber John Francis Bongiovi, Sr. and florist Carol Sharkey. He has two brothers, Anthony and Matthew.[2] His father was of Italian and Slovak ancestry and his mother ! was of German and Russian descent.[3][4] He has stated that he! is a bl ood relative of Frank Sinatra.[5] He spent summers in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his grandparents, and sold newspapers.[6] As a child, John attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey, during his freshman and sophomore years.[7] He later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.[8] John spent most of his adolescence skipping school to opt for music activities instead, and ended up playing in local bands with friends and his cousin Tony Bongiovi, who owned the then famous New York recording studio, The Power Station. As a result, his academic records displayed poor grades. By the time he was 16, John Bongiovi was playing clubs. It was not long before he joined up with keyboardist David Bryan (real name: David Bryan Rashbaum), who played with him in a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic City Expressway. John also performed with bands called The Rest, The Lechers and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones. Music career Early caree! r When he was seventeen, John was working sweeping floors at his cousin Tony Bongiovi's recording studio. In 1980, when Meco was there recording Christmas in the Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album, Bongiovi recommended Bon Jovi for the song "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." This became his first professional recording (credited as John Bongiovi).[9] He left in 1983 when he got a record deal.[10] Bon Jovi recorded a song, Runaway, one of a few songs John wrote during his bus travels from Sayreville to The Power Station. He went to several record companies, including Atlantic Records and Mercury (PolyGram), but they all turned him down. He visited major rock station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in New York City. He spoke directly to the promotion director John Lassman, who accepted the song "Runaway" for inclusion on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was initially reluctant to have it included but eventually gave them the song on which Bon! Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track. The stud! io music ians who helped record "Runaway" – known as The All Star Review – were guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Runaway became a local hit on the charts. Along the way, Mercury gave Bon Jovi a recording contract in 1983, and to promote Runaway, Bon Jovi called up Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres and Alec John Such and formed a band. After Bon Jovi claimed he wanted a group name (and rejecting "Johnny Lightning"), one of the group suggested "Bon Jovi", slightly changing the spelling of Jon's last name. Bon Jovi Main article: 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 US (sales of over 500,000). In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album 7800°Fahrenheit was released, and though the response weaker, it proved to be a fan favorite. The turning point came when they brought in songwriter Desmond Child for their thir! d album, Slippery When Wet. With Child co-writing many of their hits on this and future albums the band shot to super-stardom around the world with songs such as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". The album has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide since its release in late 1986.[11] During their 1986-1987 tour, Jon's attempt to give it his all during live shows (plus the tour's exhausting schedule) greatly strained his vocal cords. In the band's Behind The Music special, he notes that his vocal cords were given steroids to help him sing. With the help of a vocal coach, he was able to continue doing the tour. Contrary to popular belief, Bon Jovi did not have voice damage during the New Jersey Syndicate Tour. However by the time of the recording of Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi could no longer reach the extreme high notes heard across some of the songs in his first two albums. Jon Bon Jovi in the Netherlands on May 26, 2006 Th! e next album from Bon Jovi was New Jersey released in 1988. Th! e album was recorded very shortly after the tour for Slippery, because the band wanted to prove that they were not just a one hit wonder. The resulting album is a fan favorite and a mammoth commercial success, with hit songs such as "Bad Medicine", "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "I'll Be There for You", which are still nightly stalwarts in their live repertoire. Despite the band achieving massive success, New Jersey almost led to the end of the band as they went straight back out on the road so soon after the heavy touring for their previous album. This constant living on the road almost destroyed the strong bond between the band members. Sambora is noted on the albums as co-writer for many songs, yet he resented the lack of attention that was heaped on Jon alone. As mentioned in VH1's Behind the Music, the band members note that at the end of the tour, each band member went their separate way, even departing in separate jets after the tour ended in Guadalajara, Mexico in early 1990. Be! tween 1990 and 1992, members of Bon Jovi went their separate ways after the very rigorous two year New Jersey Tour, which exceeded 200 shows on 5 continents. This time off also helped them determine where Bon Jovi would fit within the rapidly changing music scene upon their return. In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith. The album was released in November 1992. Produced by Bob Rock, the album signified an ending to their early metal roots in previous albums and introduced a more "rock n roll"-driven groove to the album. Much more complex, lyrically and musically, the album proved that Bon Jovi could still be a viable band in the 90's, despite the industry's and audience's growing affinity for Grunge. In 1994, Bon Jovi released a "greatest hits" album titled Cross Road, which also contained two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night". "Always" spent six months on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Bon Jov! i's all-time biggest hits. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S. c! harts an d 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 and only lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald, who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist. Their sixth studio album These Days was released in June 1995 to the most critical acclaim that the band had ever received. With the album These Days, Bon Jovi took the mature rock sound they had developed on Keep the Faith further. The record as a whole was darker and more downbeat than the usual Bon Jovi flare. By 1996, Bon Jovi had established themselves as a "force" in the music industry, proving much more durable than most of their 80's glam peers. After another lengthy hiatus of nearly three years, 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! overwhelming success all around the world, thanks in part to the smash-hit single "It's My Life", co-written by famous Swedish producer Max Martin. Crush, which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So", helped introduce Bon Jovi to a new, younger fan base. In late 2002, Bounce, the band's follow-up to Crush, hit stores. Though Bounce did not enjoy the level of success of its predecessor, the album did produce hit singles such as "Everyday" and the title track. Bon Jovi singing 'Bed Of Roses' in Montreal on November, 2007 Bon Jovi's ninth studio album, Have a Nice Day, was released in September 2005. "Have A Nice Day" was the first single off the new album and the second single from the album "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in the U.S. in the spring of 2006. In the U.S. a duet version of "Who Says You Can'
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MADISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Jon Bon Jovi's schedule is packe! d - on any given day he's performing sold-out stadium shows,! staying fit with daily Read the rest
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Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi (John Francis Bongiovi, Jr Read the rest
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Jon Bon Jovi; Richie Sambora; David Bryan; Tico Torres; Music. Music Store; Discography; Music News; Videos. Official Videos; Fan Videos; Photos. Official Photos; Fan Photos; Fans. Read the rest
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Nearly 30 years into its career, Bon Jovi remains a force to be reckoned with. The New Jersey band, led by singer/guitarist Jon Bon Jovi, recently ranked No. 8 on Read the rest
jon bon jovi wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. ; March 2, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm Read the rest
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Watch videos & listen to Jon Bon Jovi: Blaze Of Glory, Queen Of New Orleans & more, plus 133 pictures. Jon Bon Jovi (! born John Francis Bongiovi on March 2, 1962 Read the rest
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Biography After spending most of the '80s as a hard rock god, Jon Bon Jovi decided to put his proven charisma and movie-star looks to work in front of the Hollywood Read the rest
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Soundtrack: Armageddon (1998) · The Concert for New York City (2001) · Young Guns II (1990) · Bon Jovi: The Crush Tour (2000). Born: John Francis Bongiovi Jr Read the rest
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The St. Louis concert was awesome. Jon started th! e concert by singing Last Man Standing right behind our section. Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi Fan Club, Read the rest
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Bon Jovi performing without Richie Sambora in St. Louis on May 22, 2011 Jon creates a cute scenario in which he and Bobby Bandiera 'compete' for the Read the rest