JON BON JOVI

HOW A KID FROM NEW JERSEY BECAME A

JON BON JOV I

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APRIL 25, 2022
JON BON JOVI
HOW A KID FROM NEW JERSEY BECAME A
ROCK ‘N’ ROL
LL LEG
GEND
 BON JOVI

WHY WE LOVE BON JOVI

His small-town-boy-makes-good story is one
that anyone can applaud and admire.
P.4

NEW JERSEY DREAMS

Becoming a rock star was Jon Bon Jovi’s calling.
He knew he’d have to work to get there.
P.16

THE KID HAS HORNS

The singer gained local attention in cover bands,
but his ambitions led him to make his own music.
P.26

RUNAWAY
By 1983, Jon had demos to shop around. Now he
just needed a band and a chance.
P.36

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

Bon Jovi found success with their first two
albums, but their third effort set them apart.
P.46

FAMILY MAN
To Jon, family has always been—and remains—a
constant source of support.
P.56

CHALLENGES
The band took a much-needed hiatus in 1991
following a grueling 16-month tour.
P.66

SMART ABOUT BUSINESS

More than a rock icon, Jon is also a sharp and
driven entrepreneur and philanthropist.
P.76

HALL OF FAME
In 2018, Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame, fulfilling Jon’s lifelong dream.
P.86
BON JOVI

INTRODUCTION

WHY WE LOVE
From his early years as an unbelievably ambitious teen and aim higher and higher—always trying to find
singer prowling the clubs of Asbury Park, New Jersey, the next level up for what he might be able to
where he jammed with the likes of Bruce Springsteen achieve. “Anytime that you think you’ve reached
while still in high school, to his ascent into global rock the top of the mountain, the truth of the matter is,
superstardom, Jon Bon Jovi embodies the spirit of the you’ve just reached another mountain,” Jon said on
rock ‘n’ roll American Dream. an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s Master Class. “When
Jon grew up in the humble working-class suburb I heard ‘Runaway’ on the radio, I thought I made it.
of Sayreville, New Jersey. He wasn’t born to a rich or When I got a record deal, I thought I made it. When
influential family—just one that supported the belief we had Slippery When Wet, I thought we made it.
that anything was possible, even if things didn’t When we played the first time at an arena and you
always go your way. headlined, you thought you made it. Each step along
Jon translated that belief into his music, which the way is just a life’s lesson in humility, and it gives
allowed him to connect with people in a sincere and you ammunition to go on and be excited about the
honest way. Almost everyone, no matter where they next day.”
are in life, has lived their own variation of Tommy Jon Bon Jovi is a rarity—not only in music, but
and Gina’s struggle in “Livin’ on a Prayer.” That song in any walk of life: He’s a person who has achieved
transcended its original theme to become a message success without letting success corrupt his values or
of hope—a message so strong that 10 days after how he chooses to engage with the world. Married
the 9/11 terror attacks, Jon performed “Livin’ on a to his high-school sweetheart for more than three
Prayer” on America: A Tribute to Heroes, a telethon decades, committed to family and community more
that raised more than $200 million for the United than he is to fame and fortune, and always striving
Way’s September 11th Fund. to be the best version of himself that he can possibly
As we’ve watched Jon’s career unfold over the be—his is a small-town-boy-makes-good story that
decades, we’ve seen him continue to evolve, mature anyone can applaud and admire.

Jon Bon Jovi performs in concert with his band during a stop on their Lost Highway tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles,
California, on April 9, 2008.

4
Bon Jovi members David Bryan,
Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi,
Tico Torres and Alec John Such
at the Monsters of Rock festival
in England on Aug. 22, 1987.
Clockwise from top left: Bon Jovi
performs in Tokyo, Japan, in
1984; the band plays the city
again in 1985; Jon with his 1958
Corvette in New Jersey in 1988.
 Jon and Sambora record in Jon’s
home studio in New Jersey in 1987.
That same year, the pair launched a
publishing company called New
Jersey Underground Music, Inc.

33
Clockwise: Jon and wife Dorothea
Hurley in 1998; Jon and Sambora
prepare to shoot a video for the
song “Real Life” in 1997; Bon Jovi
in New York City in 2016.

22
22
Howard Stern inducts Bon Jovi
during the 33rd Annual Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony in Cleveland on
April 14, 2018.

33
A young John Bongiovi, still in high
school at the time, with his Atlantic
City Expressway bandmates in
New Jersey in the late 1970s.
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J
BON JOVI

like rockers would soon be doing in the ’50s and

’60s. Jon admired Sinatra nonetheless. There was
even a story that the Bongiovi family was related to
the Sinatras—a tall tale that Jon dismissed once and
for all in 2016.
But the performers Jon really admired as a
teen were so close to his house he could actually
meet them. The two biggest names from that
collection of Jersey-bred musical talent were
“Southside” Johnny Lyon born in Neptune and
raised in Ocean Grove and Bruce Springsteen, born
in Long Branch and raised in Freehold. “They made
records in my backyard,” Jon would later explain
to an interviewer. “It gave you the feeling that the
impossible was possible.”
Jon was encouraged to pursue “the impossible”
by his parents, Carol Sharkey and John Francis
Bongiovi Sr. They first met in the Marines and
moved to John Sr.’s home state of New Jersey after
they got married. There, they raised Jon and his
two younger brothers, Anthony and Matthew, in
Sayreville, a working-class town in Middlesex County.
Jon’s grandfather was a plumber—a fine and
honest profession that just wasn’t sexy enough for
his son, a young man pursuing his dreams in John F.
Kennedy’s Camelot-era America. John Sr. wanted
his life to be more glamorous than gritty. The same
was true of his young wife, Carol. This yearning
inspired John Sr. to pursue a career as a hair stylist
and his wife, for a time, to work as a waitress at the
Playboy Club in midtown Manhattan.
Jon Bon Jovi entered the world as John Francis The couple wanted their children to believe that
Bongiovi Jr. on March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New anything was possible, too, and told them as much
Jersey. The coastal city is less than 30 miles from before they were even born. When Carol was pregnant
Manhattan—close enough to be considered part of with Jon, she spoke to him in the womb: “You’re going
the New York metro area—but far enough away that to have a mom that’s behind you 210 percent, and
making your name in the Big Apple, or perhaps even you’re going to be the biggest star that ever lived.”
becoming famous in places beyond, seemed like a When Jon was a toddler, she stood with him in
tough dream to fulfill. front of a big mirror and together they would sing
From a very early age, Jon Bon Jovi dared to hold along to Marilyn Monroe and Gene Autry songs. When
on to that dream. And by the time he was in high Jon was 7, she brought home his first acoustic, along
school, he firmly believed that the way he was going with a copy of a record called Learn to Play Guitar.
to make his wishes come true was to become a rock Jon started guitar lessons with a local teacher,
‘n’ roll superstar. but the experience was not inspiring. The teacher’s
There were some real musical models for success pipe smoke permeated the room, which was the
for a kid like Jon growing up. The original “nobody size of a closet, and he’d be half asleep as he taught
from Jersey” who became a global singing sensation Jon tedious scales. When he got home, he threw his
was Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra. Jon was too guitar down the stairs.
young to have witnessed Sinatra in his early days— The guitar was relegated to the basement and
the era just before there was such a thing as rock ‘n’ Jon spent his time playing football and baseball
roll when Frankie made all the bobby soxers swoon and riding his dirt bike. That was until Jon was

By the time Jon Bon Jovi (then John Bongiovi) reached high school, he firmly believed that he was going to become a rock ‘n’ roll
superstar. His parents wholeheartedly supported him pursuing that dream.

18
BON JOVI

in his early teens, when a guitarist named Al

Parinello moved in across the street. Parinello was
a professional musician who played in lounge clubs
and weddings along the Jersey Shore. He started
giving guitar lessons to Jon, teaching him to play
songs—rock songs—rather than practicing scales.
Parinello’s first assignment for Jon: learn to play
the Animals’ version of “House of the Rising Sun.”
Jon didn’t give the task much effort, and then half-
assed it again when they worked on Thin Lizzy’s “The
Boys Are Back in Town.” Angered, Parinello started
the third lesson by making it Jon’s last: “Don’t waste
my time, man,” he said. “Just get out of here, leave.”
It was a pivotal moment for Jon. He realized that
if he really did want to become someone famous
and successful, he at least had to try. Jon changed
from being a slacker who barely touched his axe to
becoming a kid so enamored with the guitar that he
fell asleep with the instrument in his hands.
Parinello passed away in 1995. To honor his
memory, Jon carved “AP 95” into the upper bout of
his black Takamine EF341SC, which he purchased
the year before Parinello’s death. It’s a guitar Jon
still carries with him on tour, a constant reminder to
practice every day.
When young Jon told his parents he wanted to be
a rock star, his dad said, “Go for it!” His mom then
chimed in, “Be the Perry Como of rock ‘n’ roll, and
I’m behind you too.”
In 1974, Jon played guitar and piano with his
first band, Raze, at local talent shows. They did not
achieve any success, but it was a start. In high school,
first at St. Joseph in Metuchen, and then Sayreville

“THEY MADE RECORDS

IN MY BACKYARD. IT
GAVE YOU THE FEELING
THAT THE IMPOSSIBLE
WAS POSSIBLE.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes pose outside the Stone
Pony club in Asbury Park, New Jersey, in June 1976. Jon Bon
Jovi was encouraged by the Jersey-bred band’s success.

20
BON JOVI

War Memorial High in Parlin for junior and senior School in nearby Edison, New Jersey. Together
year, Jon was practicing to be a rock star more than they founded a 10-piece band called Atlantic
he was spending time on schoolwork. City Expressway that covered the music of Bruce
He had flowing long hair, perfectly styled thanks Springsteen, the Animals, Thin Lizzy, and Southside
to his dad. And he wore sunglasses to school every Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
day, both to look cool and to hide his sleep-deprived Springsteen and the E Street Band had put
eyes. “Studying” meant listening to a lot of Led Asbury on the musical map by name with his 1973
Zeppelin and Aerosmith, two bands whose posters debut, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and then,
hung on the walls of his room. By the time he was 16, in 1975, with the monster success of Born To Run,
his idea of “homework” meant venturing to nearby which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Asbury Park to play (and hang out) at clubs. With Atlantic City Expressway, an underage Jon
Jon’s partner was keyboardist David Bryan played shows in Asbury clubs until 3 a.m. and was at
(Rashbaum), a student from J.P. Stevens High school by 8. During class, all he thought about

“YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A MOM THAT’S BEHIND YOU

210 PERCENT, AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST
STAR THAT EVER LIVED.”
—Carol Bongiovi

Above: After his mentor Al Parinello died in 1995, Jon Bon Jovi carved “AP 95” into the upper bout of his black Takamine EF341SC to
honor Parinello’s memory and to remind himself to practice every day. Right: The singer performs with the Atlantic City Expressway.

22
SOLO
 BON JOVI

was getting back to the Asbury Park scene. The gigs

were plentiful—musicians could find work even “ASBURY PARK HOLDS
A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY
on a Monday night. Jon’s childhood friend Peter
Mantas managed Atlantic City Expressway at the
time and remarked, “Asbury Park holds a special
place in my heart and Jon’s for sure because it was
our Disneyland.” HEART AND JON’S FOR
L.A.’s Sunset Strip had venues like Gazzari’s and
the Whisky a Go Go, which gave birth to hard rock SURE BECAUSE IT WAS
OUR DISNEYLAND.”
and metal bands like Van Halen and Mötley Crüe.
Asbury Park had the Stone Pony and the Fast Lane,
places where local acts could run into national ones
and maybe be discovered. Joan Jett, U2 and the —Peter Mantas
Ramones all played the Fast Lane. And Atlantic City
Expressway, a sprawling collection of kids fronted
by high schooler John Bongiovi, was almost the
club’s house band. (They played the Pony, too, until room could hold 700.
the bass player got them banned for using a fake I.D.) To Jon, it didn’t matter how many people were
Playing at the Fast Lane was always fun, but it was in attendance. He never slacked off, never stopped
not always glamorous. For two years in a row, they wiggling his butt and never failed to flash his
played Sundays at the club, and it wasn’t uncommon already killer smile. This was Jon Bon Jovi’s very
for fewer than 20 people to show up to see them own school of rock, and his main goal was to
play. It was impossible not to notice, too, because the graduate at the top of the class.

Left: The Atlantic City Expressway regularly played gigs in Asbury Park clubs including the Stone Pony and the Fast Lane. Above:
The Stone Pony, pictured here in 2020, also played a role in launching the career of New Jersey music icon Bruce Springsteen.

25
 Jon performs with his band
the Rest. Conversations with
mentors including Bruce
Springsteen encouraged the
ambitious young musician to
move on from cover bands.

21
A
BON JOVI

The one population that never abandoned the

self-proclaimed “City by the Sea” was musicians.
They practically took over, living in now-affordable
houses and apartments, becoming regulars at the
many bars and clubs, and enjoying all the natural
benefits that came with the city’s location. Once
Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen landed
record deals, even more musicians moved in, looking
for their own big break. There was always the hope
that if you hung around in Asbury and had some
talent, you might be able to punch your own ticket to
fame and fortune.
Southside Johnny and Springsteen were still
there, too. Despite national fame—critic Jon Landau
famously wrote “I saw rock and roll future and its
name is Bruce Springsteen” in 1974—Southside and
Springsteen could be found in Asbury on a regular
basis. They would casually stroll the boardwalk by
day, sometimes stopping for a burger or a game of
pinball. At night, they’d go to listen to their friends
play at the Fast Lane, the Stone Pony, maybe Giulio’s
South—and, often, they’d join them unannounced if
they heard a song they liked. After the last number,
a chant would replace the music: “To the Jeff… Jeff…
Jeff.” This was the rally cry that meant the party

Asbury Park, New Jersey, was founded in 1871 by a

New York City brush manufacturer named James
A. Bradley. Looking for an escape from the likely
toxic environment of his factory, Bradley was
drawn to the soothing sea air of the Atlantic Ocean
and the possibility of developing his own Utopian
community close to the urban jungle where he had
made his fortune.
One of the first things Bradley installed in
Asbury, right up there with the boardwalk, was an
orchestra pavilion so that music could accompany
the natural rhythms of the waves. Popular musical
acts were attracted to Asbury almost from the
start. There was the pavilion, the proximity to both
New York City and Philadelphia, and—probably
most attractive of all—lots of wealthy people
roaming around the one-square-mile city
in search of entertainment.
But by the mid 1970s, things had changed in
Asbury. A horrible race riot in 1970 was a turning
point, driving many residents to neighboring cities
and towns. And summer tourists, the lifeblood
of Asbury’s rise to prominence, took their family
vacations elsewhere as theme parks and resorts
started popping up around the country.

New York City brush manufacturer James A. Bradley founded Asbury Park in 1871, and its many attractions made it a popular resort
town. But in July 1970, a race riot caused by a lack of jobs and poor living conditions drove many people away.

28
was moving to the southeast corner of Fourth and Zandt, and all of those guys. I’d see them all through
Kingsley, otherwise known as the Jefferson Hotel, all the years of playing the clubs. I was in high school
where the owner would keep the bar open after and I’d play with those guys.”
hours just so the bands could hang out and relax. Springsteen, in particular, was a monumental
Still only a teenager, Jon Bon Jovi was part of figure in Jon’s formative years. Jon spent practically
that scene. all of his money on Springsteen bootlegs and
“Bruce and anyone else in that band, or that thoroughly immersed himself in the deep cuts.
clique that was down there, was very, very, very One night in January 1980, Springsteen came to the
supportive of myself and groups that I played in,” Fast Lane to check out Atlantic City Expressway—the
Jon said in a 1987 interview. “Bruce used to come Jersey Shore cover band fronted by Jon. When the
down a lot, and Southside Johnny, and Steve Van opening harmonica intro of “The Promised Land”
sounded, Springsteen came onstage and shared the

“I’D SEE THEM ALL

mic with a beaming Jon. During the set, Springsteen’s
ears perked again when he heard Jon covering “Action
in the Street,” which Springsteen performed on tour

THROUGH ALL THE YEARS but hadn’t recorded in the studio. Jon had picked
up the song from one of the bootlegs. At one point,

OF PLAYING THE CLUBS. I Springsteen even called Jon to let him know that he
and the band had recorded one of Jon’s original songs

WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND

with the legendary Gary U.S. Bonds. That song never
made it to an album, but just hearing about it was a

I’D PLAY WITH THOSE GUYS.”

huge deal for a then 17-year-old Jon.
Atlantic City Expressway gave Jon local fame.
People were talking about the good-looking kid with
—Jon Bon Jovi the great hair fronting a huge combo—a band that

A view of Asbury Park, New Jersey, in 1978. Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen were in Asbury regularly, strolling the
boardwalk during the day and going to music venues like the Fast Lane and the Stone Pony to listen to their friends play at night.

29
 BON JOVI

even had a horn section, just like Southside Johnny.

The life was terrific, but it also wasn’t enough for
Jon and his ambitions.
Maybe it was a realization he had on his own,
or maybe it was brought up over beers with his
musical mentors at the Jeff, but Jon increasingly
believed that fronting a Jersey Shore cover band
was not going to make him famous. With some
appreciated advice from Springsteen, Jon focused
on developing his own material. This meant working
to become a better songwriter, a painful journey
for any artist because it starts by being a pretty
bad songwriter.
Jon closed the chapter on Atlantic City
Expressway. Two other bands followed: the Rest,
and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones. Playing only
to rats, Jon rehearsed in the freezing cold basement
of the Fast Lane. He lived on grilled cheese
sandwiches, sold for just a dollar at Asbury Lanes,
a bowling alley.
“You know, it was very hard to keep an original
band together in the early ’80s because cover bands
in New Jersey and New York and Long Island were

Clockwise from left: Bruce Springsteen joins Jon and the

Atlantic City Expressway onstage at the Fast Lane in 1980;
Springsteen sings “The Promised Land” with the band; Jon with
Steven Van Zandt.

31
BON JOVI

making money,” Jon later confessed to NPR. “But

playing your own stuff, you’d be lucky if you could “PLAYING YOUR
OWN STUFF, YOU’D
split $100.”
In the summer of 1980, Jon went “on tour,”
driving around the northeast with his bandmates
in a station wagon loaded with gear. By now Jon was
a seasoned live performer, but he and his various BE LUCKY IF YOU
bands could not get a record label to show interest.
Without a record deal, it was going to be hard to
keep going for very long.
COULD SPLIT $100.”
In search of some stable income for his son, —Jon Bon Jovi
John Sr. reached out to one of his cousins—Tony
Bongiovi. Cousin Tony was older than Jon, more a not particularly sexy, and in the beginning, Jon
contemporary of his father. But Cousin Tony was, moaned to his brother Anthony about how much it
legitimately, in the record business. Along with sucked. But being at the Power Station allowed him
partner Bob Walters, Tony Bongiovi had built the to rub elbows with industry insiders. David Bowie,
Power Station, a full-fledged recording studio in the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan came through the
Manhattan. Tony had seen Jon play before and noted studio. When Steven Tyler was there to work on an
that while his band stunk, Jon was pretty good. Tony Aerosmith record he allowed Jon to stay and watch
offered to extend a helping hand: He gave Jon a job him sing at 3 a.m.
as a production assistant at the Power Station. This Tony even arranged for Jon to appear on his first
entailed doing odds and ends like fetching coffee, professional record—a record that would be sold
running errands and sweeping floors. The job was in stores and very likely might become a hit. The

After Atlantic City Expressway, Jon joined up with a band called the Rest (below), followed by John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones. He
was focused on developing his own material.

32
SOLO
 BON JOVI

“IT WAS VERY HARD TO KEEP AN ORIGINAL BAND

TOGETHER IN THE EARLY ’80S BECAUSE COVER
BANDS ... WERE MAKING MONEY.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

gig came when Tony’s production partner, Meco idols. When the studio wasn’t being used, Jon was
Monardo, was at the Power Station recording the allowed to use the facility to record demos with
novelty children’s release Christmas in the Stars: Star whatever combination of players he could convince
Wars Christmas Album. Accompanied by a choir of to join him free of charge. Jon made full use of this
kids, Tony recommended Jon as the lead voice for the opportunity, and through repetition, practice and
track “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” the chemistry of being joined by actual professional
This wasn’t exactly the kind of song Jon session players, Jon started to produce demos that
wanted to be known for. But Tony convinced showed promise.
him the initial exposure might start his career One of his Power Station demos was a re-
rolling. Unfortunately, RSO Records, the album’s recording of a song that Jon wrote in 1981 when
label, went out of business on the evening of the he was with the Wild Ones. It was a song about a
album’s release. This meant that only the original rebellious teenage girl, nothing too original, but the
150,000 copies went to press, which, while not intro had an infectious keyboard hook. Recorded
insignificant for an aspiring musician, was far at the Power Station, it sounded better than the
below the numbers needed to give Jon fame or original version.
fortune. Jon made very little money for the Star The song was called “Runaway.” And once it
Wars gig, then returned to sweeping the floors. was recorded and pressed as a demo at the Power
But there was another perk to working for Cousin Station, it was about to make all of Jon Bon Jovi’s
Tony, besides getting coffee for some of his rock dreams come true.

When the Power Station recording studio wasn’t booked, Jon was allowed to use the facility to record his own demos. He made full
use of the opportunity and, backed by professional session players, started to produce demos that showed promise.

35
Jon Bon Jovi poses for a portrait
in New Jersey in 1984, the year
his band Bon Jovi’s debut album
was released.

21
T
BON JOVI

“AT THE TIME, DJS

COULD BE RATHER
INFLUENTIAL … HE COULD
GO ON THE RADIO AND
TALK UP A SONG.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

1994 as an unofficial member), guitarist Tim Pierce,

drummer Frankie LaRocka, and keyboardist Roy
Bittan. In addition to “Runaway,” producers Tony
Bongiovi and Lance Quinn chose more of Jon’s
songs to record as demos, including “All Talk and No
Action” and “Talking in Your Sleep.”
With professional demos now in hand, Jon
sent tapes to every possible record company and
manager—big and small—that he could find. There
was no interest at all. Since Jon couldn’t gain the
attention of a label with his demos, he brainstormed
another way into the music industry. As Jon
explained to NPR in 2018: “Who is the man who
To music fans, a hit record by an unknown artist can loves music the most and [is] probably the loneliest
appear to materialize out of nowhere like a bolt of man in the music business? And that is the DJ. And
lightning that jolts the airwaves. In reality, many at the time, DJs could be rather influential… He
of these songs endure a painful process of creation, could go on the radio and talk up a song. I went to
revision and virtual nonexistence before they are this station. And fortunately for me, they were so
ultimately discovered by the mainstream. new that they didn’t have a receptionist.”
The origin story of “Runaway,” the song that The station Jon was talking about—based in Lake
put Jon Bon Jovi on the musical map, dates back Success, New York, a village in Long Island—was
to his pre-fame days in Asbury Park. There, a local WAPP 103.5, the Apple. The year was 1983, and Jon
songwriter named George Karak was playing at
the Fast Lane with his band, George Karak and the
Sweethearts, opening for Mink DeVille. Jon was at
that show and, after the set, he approached Karak
and asked if he wanted to write some songs together.
The two developed a working relationship and
wrote “Runaway” together in the living room of the
Bongiovi family’s Sayreville home. The synth line in
the intro was written by Mick Seeley, who was, at the
time, part of John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones.
Jon later brought Karak to the Power Station.
When it came time to record the Power Station
version of “Runaway,” the band consisted of Hugh
McDonald on bass (he would later join Bon Jovi in

In the early 1980s, with professional demos in hand, Jon tried to get the attention of every record company and manager possible
but wasn’t successful. So, he went straight to radio station DJs instead.

38
 BON JOVI

“HE TOLD ME ‘I WANT TO BE BIGGER THAN

ELVIS, AND HE DIDN’T LOOK AT ME LAUGHINGLY.
HE MEANT IT.”
—Derek Shulman

put his tape in the hands of DJ Chip Hobart and than Elvis: “So … let me know when you put a
promotion director John Lassman. band together.”
When the two listened to “Runaway,” they heard It was game on. Jon first reached out to David
a hit. Lassman immediately asked Jon if he wanted Bryan, who at the time was a pre-med student
the song to be included in a compilation album at Rutgers University. Bryan had just gotten
of homegrown talent that the station planned to an audition for the Juilliard School, the most
release called New York Rocks 1983. WAPP was prestigious music conservatory in America, and was
going to use the sampler album to promote its first planning to go there if he was accepted. When Jon
summer in the New York market. At first, Jon wasn’t told him about his PolyGram deal, Bryan dropped
particularly interested. He wanted his own record everything and never looked back.
deal, not to be included on a compilation. But he Next up was bassist Alec John Such, who was in
soon realized that this was a decent opportunity, a cover band called Phantom’s Opera, in addition
so he seized it. (The sampler also included another
then-unknown act called Twisted Sister.)
At left: Derek Shulman of the British progressive rock band
Released under the artist name John Bongiovi, Gentle Giant, in London in 1975. Shulman later joined PolyGram
“Runaway” received airplay not only in New York but and played a key role in signing Jon. Below: Bon Jovi bassist
other major markets from Tampa to Chicago. The Alec John Such performs with the band in Los Angeles in 1984.

song was soon a national hit that cracked the Top 40.
Now all the major labels had their eyes on Jon. He
couldn’t get their attention before, but with a radio
hit to his name, they wanted to release the album
that would cash in on the hit single. A bidding war
broke out, and, in the end, PolyGram won.
Derek Shulman, former frontman of proggers
Gentle Giant, had just joined PolyGram as an A&R
representative. In his third month at the job, he
heard about Jon through his network of people.
Shulman checked out the WAPP sampler, and his
interest was piqued. He went to Sayreville to meet
Jon and immediately saw a young man that was
impossibly driven. “He told me ‘I want to be bigger
than Elvis, and he didn’t look at me laughingly. He
meant it,’” Shulman recalled.
Now Jon had a record deal and a hit song. But
what he didn’t have was a band to back him. The
all-star talent that helped him record the Power
Station demos would be almost impossible to gather
as a touring group—some came from Springsteen’s
E Street Band as well as Rick Springfield’s band, an
artist who was very hot at the time.
Jon was on the clock because Shulman wanted
him to cut a full album as soon as possible. As he
said to the young artist who wanted to be bigger

41
BON JOVI

to an original band called Message, which featured

guitarist Richie Sambora. They were on a summer WHEN RICHIE SAMBORA
SAW JON PERFORM FOR
tour promoting their EP and opening for Joe Cocker.
The bass player switched allegiances and joined
Jon’s band, then connected him with drummer Tico
Torres who was, in Jon’s words, “the baddest-ass
drummer in the land.” THE FIRST TIME ... IN NEW
Torres already had an established career with
Franke & the Knockouts. He was also married JERSEY, HE SAID, “THIS
KID’S A STAR.”
and owned his own house, which was a big deal
to everyone else. It was a bit of a risk for Torres to
give it all up for something with no guarantees.
But on a Sunday, Jon gave him a good sales pitch
and Torres was in.
All that was missing now was a guitar hero.
To make it big in the ’80s, every band had to have Sambora entered the picture, the lineup was
a hot guitar player—Van Halen had Eddie Van truly complete.
Halen, Guns N’ Roses had Slash. Guitarist Dave Sambora knew of Jon was from the New Jersey
“The Snake” Sabo, a childhood friend of Jon’s from scene. When Sambora saw Jon perform for the
Sayreville, provided a temporary solution, joining first time at the Fountain Casino in Aberdeen,
for a three-week “Runaway” tour. (Several years New Jersey, he said, “This kid’s a star.” Sambora
later, Jon helped Sabo’s band Skid Row get a deal went backstage and boldly introduced himself:
with Atlantic Records.) But once guitarist Richie “Hi, I’m Richie Sambora. I think I should be in

Above: Dave “Snake” Sabo of Skid Row joins guitarist Richie Sambora onstage during a Bon Jovi concert at Giants Stadium in East
Rutherford, New Jersey, in June 1989. At right: Sambora poses for a portrait in Tokyo, Japan, in 1985.

42
 BON JOVI

“HI, I’M RICHIE

SAMBORA. I THINK
I SHOULD BE IN
THIS BAND.”
—Richie Sambora

this band.” Jon was initially put off by what he

perceived as Sambora’s arrogance. Jon had actually
seen Sambora play previously and left that show
unimpressed. But Jon gave him a chance, and at
their first session together at the band’s rehearsal
space on New Brunswick Avenue in Woodbridge,
New Jersey, Sambora walked in intent on sucking
the air out of the room.
Jon waltzed in late and arrived to hear the band
sounding better than ever. Jon then said, “OK, you’re
in” and, within a week, Jon had a full band. With a
complete lineup in place, Jon played a showcase for
the record company bigwigs. Shulman was blown
away, and Jon became his first artist signed to
Mercury Records, a PolyGram subsidiary.
The only thing left to decide was what to call this
hot new group. Some of the ideas tossed around
were “Johnny Electric” and “Intruder.” The issue
was resolved when Shulman came up with the idea
of calling the band Bon Jovi, a play on Jon’s family
name, and with that the idea that he also change the
spelling of ‘John’, dropping the ‘h’ for good measure,
to match the spelling of the group.
On Jan. 21, 1984, the band’s debut album
Bon Jovi was released. Reviews of the record were
lukewarm. Some critics found the group—still a
bunch of musicians who had not yet found their
identity as a cohesive whole—to be formulaic. Many
dismissed them as an uninspired collection of
pretty-faced pop stars with an artificial edginess that
smashed together hard rock with glam, all designed
to capitalize on the music video craze being driven
by MTV. Listeners didn’t care if that was true or not.
The album enjoyed moderate success on the charts,
bringing the band one step closer to global stardom.

The original members of Bon Jovi in Tokyo, Japan, in 1985 (from

left): bassist Alec John Such, drummer Tico Torres, leader Jon
Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan and guitarist Richie Sambora.

45
 Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi
and Alec John Such of Bon Jovi
put on a show at Nakano
Sunplaza in Tokyo, Japan, in
April 1985.
O
BON JOVI

On Aug. 1, 1981, a new cable TV network launched

with a color bar test, followed by a longer-than-
necessary countdown of a rocket preparing for
takeoff. When the spacecraft finally lifts, the
voice of John Lack (one of the network’s creators)
announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.”
With that, MTV was officially part of the music
business. The industry would never be the same again.
Within five years of MTV’s launch, if you were a
recording artist without a music video, you weren’t
going to have a hit. And—like some artists caught
blindsided by the latest shiny object to fascinate
young audiences—if you didn’t project well on
camera or have a great visual idea that could replace
the need to see you and your band, you might not
have much of a long-term career.
By the mid-1980s, an entire genre of bands
became wildly popular because of their appeal in
music videos. The genre was called hair metal. The
sound was heavier than pop, but more melodic and
tuneful than hard rock and real heavy metal. And—
true to the name—the aspect of these predominantly
male-populated bands that stood out most of all was

Members of Ratt and Bon Jovi as well as Mötley Crüe drummer

Tommy Lee snap a group photo at Hart Plaza in Detroit, in June
1985. Hair metal bands became wildly popular in the mid-1980s
because of their appeal in music videos.

49
BON JOVI

the hair: long, flowing, sometimes fluffy, always in black leather. Besides, you hardly even notice
well-conditioned hair. them because Jon fills the screen, singing with great
The two classic hair metal bands were Mötley intensity as he looks into the camera with a clean-
Crüe and Ratt, and their image was as loud and shaven baby face and gentle eyes. The rest of the
explosive as their music. Members of both groups band gets more screen time during the instrumental
wore their long hair teased up. They also wore break, but by then it doesn’t much matter. The face
makeup. Their choice of clothing was an interesting you remember is Jon’s.
blend of glam, punk and BDSM influences, with But even from the beginning, Bon Jovi was never
tight leather or spandex pants, ripped shirts, spiked truly a hair metal band. Most of those groups sprung
armbands and headbands all part of the uniform. from the West Coast, cutting their teeth at clubs on the
The recipe worked—these bands cranked out music Sunset Strip. Their sound was different too, rooted in
videos that generated screen time, and the screen heavy metal. Bon Jovi’s music had more of an R&B and
time sold records. blues influence, which wasn’t surprising because that
When the video for “Runaway” was released, was at the heart of the Jersey Shore sound.
Bon Jovi definitely looked like a new hair metal The catalyst that influenced Bon Jovi to adopt—
band. They checked all the boxes: Jon’s shoulder- at least visually—a hair metal vibe was Doc McGhee.
length hair is practically drenched in Aqua Net. He After the band was assembled, he gradually
wears a ripped white shirt beneath a brown fringe transitioned into becoming its manager. He replaced
jacket with tight spandex (or possibly leather) Peter Mantas, Jon’s childhood friend, who had stuck
pants, the color of which is lavender. The rest of with the band through the rocky early days but knew
the band behind him is dressed for the occasion he couldn’t support them much longer as they were
as well, but compared to Jon they look like bikers becoming too big, too fast.

In the Bon Jovi music video for "Runaway," Jon sports long hair teased up with hairspray, a ripped white shirt beneath a brown fringe
jacket and tight lavender pants.

50
 McGhee had managed Mötley Crüe and took
them to the top. In Bon Jovi, he saw a way to evolve “IT TOOK US THREE
ALBUMS TO REALLY GET
the formula to something even more successful.
One day in 1983, Jon and McGhee went to a record
store together. As they looked at album covers, they
started talking about huge acts like Van Halen and
Journey. McGhee said to Jon, “We could be like IT RIGHT.... BY THE THIRD
them. Only bigger.”
McGhee’s confidence appealed to the always-
ambitious Jon. It matched his goals precisely. By
ONE, WE GOT IT.”
—Jon Bon Jovi
the time Bon Jovi broke into the Top 40 of Billboard’s
Hot 100, McGhee had set up a host of gigs for the
band—domestically and abroad—to get them even status in 1987. This success opened many doors for
wider exposure. The band toured the United States Bon Jovi, and they secured their first headlining
with the Scorpions, Europe with Kiss and Japan slots in Japan, where they sold out 10 shows.
with Whitesnake. Behind the scenes, McGhee believed that the
In March 1985, Bon Jovi released their secret ingredient to make Bon Jovi bigger than the
sophomore album, 7800° Fahrenheit. The album rest was Jon himself. No matter how he dressed,
was received favorably by fans, and two songs, how long his hair was or how hard he rocked, there
“Only Lonely” and “In and Out of Love,” made it was no disguising that beneath it all he had the face
to the Billboard Hot 100. The album stayed on the of a good guy. People liked him—especially young
Billboard 200 for two years and reached platinum women. And unlike Mötley Crüe, mothers liked the

David Bryan and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi greet fans on the rooftop of Seibu Department Store in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo,
Japan, in April 1985. The success of Bon Jovi's sophomore album led to the band securing their first headlining slots in Japan.

51
 BON JOVI

band, too, because they liked Jon. Being “the

cute one” wasn’t edgy, but it was going to sell a “THAT’S WHEN HE GAVE
ME THE FIRST GLIMPSE
lot of records.
Musically, Jon continued to build relationships
with the power players in the industry. When Bon
Jovi toured with Kiss, Jon became friends with the
band’s co-founder, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley. OF THE BILLION-DOLLAR
Jon especially liked a Kiss song called “Heaven’s
on Fire.” Stanley told him that it was written with
legendary songwriter and producer Desmond Child.
SMILE.”
Jon asked if Stanley could make an introduction, —Desmond Child
and the Kiss frontman obliged.
Soon, a writing session was scheduled, and Child
rented a car and headed to New Jersey to meet with version can be found on YouTube, a slow rendition
Jon and Sambora. They convened at Sambora’s that’s more ballad than stadium singalong.) Vidal
parents’ place—a small wooden house at the edge was a singing waitress at Once Upon a Stove, a
of a marsh, across from an oil refinery. There were restaurant/antique store in New York City at the
posters of Farrah Fawcett and Kiss hanging in time when Child was working as a cab driver. Vidal’s
Sambora’s room. There, they wrote together in the waitress stage name was Gina Velvet (she resembled
basement, surrounded by a washing machine and Gina Lollobrigida), and Child originally thought of
space heaters, with a cheap tape recorder and a “Johnny and Gina” because his real name was John
small electronic keyboard perched atop a Formica Charles Barrett. Jon nixed that idea. “People will
table repurposed as a keyboard stand. think Johnny is me,” he reasoned.
Child walked in with a song title—“You Give It was hard to argue, so the male character’s name
Love a Bad Name”—written on a piece of paper in was changed to a sound alike “Tommy.” Once the
his back pocket. When Child said it out loud, the song was complete, Sambora and Child loved it. Jon,
room lit up. “Jon looked me straight in the eye,” however, was not really into it because he felt it was
Child would later remember. “That’s when he gave too sensitive, and its medium tempo didn’t quite
me the first glimpse of the billion-dollar smile. I saw
nothing but teeth.”
Jon had previously recorded a song called “Shot
Through the Heart” for the Power Station demos,
and he brought that catchy phrase back as the
powerful opening line of “You Give Love a Bad
Name.” The magic moment prompted a three-way
high five between Jon, Sambora and Child. Within
90 minutes the song was complete.
For the next session three weeks later, Child
insisted they come into New York City to his friend’s
apartment where he was crashing. Child played
some introspective open chords on the out-of-tune
piano there, and the mood was set to start writing
“Livin’ on a Prayer.” For lyrical inspiration, Jon
thought about his friends Bonnie and Joe, and
Sambora recalled his parents, who had a tough time
making ends meet.
The song was personal for Child, who reflected
on his girlfriend Maria Vidal, with whom he had a
band called Desmond Child & Rouge. (Child’s demo

Clockwise from top left: Bon Jovi backstage at the Monsters of

Rock festival in Mannheim, West Germany, in August 1986;
Desmond Child on Saturday Night Live in 1979; Jon performs in
Donington Park in Castle Donington, England, in August 1985.

53
BON JOVI

rock hard enough. Child and Sambora were sure the boardwalk down at the Jersey Shore. In the
it was going to be a hit and had to plead with Jon original cover photo, Chidnese is shown wearing
to record it. The finished product would later be a wet yellow T-shirt with “Slippery When Wet”
named one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by written on it, framed inside a pink border. This
Rolling Stone. cover got scrapped just before the album’s release,
These songs all ended up on Bon Jovi’s third and was replaced with a picture of a wet black
album, Slippery When Wet. When that album garbage bag with the album’s title written on it.
dropped, the band’s success jumped to another level. The explanations for the change were that the label
Now they weren’t just another hair band—they were feared public outcry over the sexist imagery, and
something unique unto themselves. “It took us three that Jon also disliked the pink border. Still, the
albums to really get it right,” Jon would later say. controversial image was used in Japanese versions
“Though the first two did OK, by the third one, of the album.
we got it.” Slippery When Wet was a massive commercial
Slippery When Wet added a polished commercial success, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200
sheen to the band’s core rock sound and transformed chart, where it remained for eight weeks. It was
Bon Jovi into pop megastars. Jon continued to 1987’s top-selling album and is one of the best-
make sure there was just enough edge to add some selling albums in U.S. history. The album also
danger to the band. The title Slippery When Wet spawned three Top 10 singles: “Wanted Dead or
was inspired by a sign at a Vancouver strip club. Alive,” “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’
The original album cover featured an image of a on a Prayer.” The latter two songs reached No. 1.
voluptuous young woman named Angela Chidnese As Child later concluded: “It was one of those
that photographer Mark Weiss’ assistant found on moments where a star is born.”

Above from left: Australian fans wear Bon Jovi T-shirts to celebrate the band’s arrival in Sydney in September 1987; Jon plays
acoustic guitar while singing “Wanted Dead or Alive” in 1987. At right: Jon at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1987.

54
35
21
T
BON JOVI

girlfriend started to become more complicated.

Dorothea was the inspiration for Jon’s song “Bobby’s
Girl,” which he recorded as an early demo at the
Power Station. The lyrics went “She’s Bobby’s girl,
Johnny, you’re playing with dynamite.” Then, one
summer when Bobby went off to the Navy, Jon
swooped in and won Dorothea’s heart.
It seemed like a fairy-tale romance, but during
Jon’s journey to rock superstardom, they hit a few
bumps along the way. After Bon Jovi was released in
1984, the band toured around the world, opening for
Kiss and the Scorpions. Jon recalled: “I went on the
road. She wasn’t very excited about that prospect

“I WENT ON THE ROAD.

SHE WASN’T VERY
EXCITED ABOUT THAT
PROSPECT.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

The enormous success of Slippery When Wet did

more than validate Jon Bon Jovi’s hard work and
commitment to fulfilling his dreams. His band’s
third album release also gave Jon enough money to
move out of 16 Robinhood Drive—his parents’ house
in Sayreville.
Not that Jon necessarily minded the situation at
home. His parents were, by all accounts, extremely
supportive of Jon throughout his career. Even when
he was out until 3 a.m. playing the club circuit as a
teenager, his parents considered this “work” more
than “play.”
Some rock superstars rebel against all institutions—
including family. But not Jon. To him, family has
always been a source of purpose and support. The
same is also true of his hometown of Sayreville,
New Jersey. It’s therefore appropriate that Jon met
his future wife of more than 32 years—Dorothea
Hurley—at Sayreville War Memorial High School.
At first, the two were just friends. Dorothea, a
junior karate champion, was going out with Jon’s
buddy Bobby. She sat next to Jon in history class,
and he would look over her shoulder to peek at
her answers. Soon, Jon’s feelings about his pal’s

Above: Jon and his parents, Carol and John Sr., attend the Silver Clef Awards in 1990. At right: Jon and Dorothea take in the premiere
of Moonstruck at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in December 1987.

58
20
 BON JOVI

“I DID THE DRUG THING VERY YOUNG AND WISED UP

VERY YOUNG TOO.... I’VE ALWAYS FELT I DIDN’T HAVE
THE MENTAL STABILITY TO HANDLE DRUGS.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

and said ‘why should I sit here and wait?’” The right through the screen door, and was like, ‘Woah!’
couple broke up, and Jon was seen out on the town I f--ked up, man. That’s good, though. That’s why I’ve
with actress Diane Lane. Jon and Dorothea reunited never been a drug guy. I’ve always felt I didn’t have
after the 7800° Fahrenheit tour was over when Jon the mental stability to handle drugs.”
came back to New Jersey. He begged Dorothea to Unbeknownst to Jon, his daughter Stephanie
reconcile, and they’ve remained together ever since. also experimented with drugs. This led to a very
On April 29, 1989, Bon Jovi was in Los Angeles disconcerting event that took place on Nov. 14,
for a sold-out three-show run at the Forum. Jon and 2012. While a freshman at Hamilton College,
Dorothea were staying at the St. James Club in West Stephanie was found unresponsive in her third floor
Hollywood. When Jon opened the curtain, his view dorm room. She had overdosed on heroin and was
directly faced a billboard with his face on it. It was
a surreal moment that inspired Jon and Dorothea
Stephanie walks the White Trash Beautiful fashion show at the
to sneak off to Las Vegas and tie the knot. Together, IndigO2 in London in 2010. The clothing line was a collaboration
they have four children: Stephanie Rose (born 1993), between Richie Sambora and designer Nikki Lund.
Jesse James Louis (born 1995), Jacob Hurley (born
2002) and Romeo Jon (born 2004).
Relationships like Jon and Dorothea’s are
unicorns in rock ‘n’ roll. A comparably strong
example that comes immediately to mind is Rolling
Stones legend Charlie Watts, who was married to
Shirley Shepherd for 57 years before he died in 2021.
But as amazing and admirable as that marriage was,
Watts was also the band’s drummer, not the lead
singer, a position that openly invites temptations,
mistakes and bad behavior on a regular basis. (For
the record, Mick Jagger has been married—and
divorced—only once, but has children from eight
different relationships.)
Jon is a different breed. He has never claimed
to be a saint, but he also appears to have never let
any of his missteps get out of hand. He told Men’s
Health, “I did the drug thing very young and wised
up very young too, because I was into drugs a little
too much. I mean, I was entrepreneurial even then,
buying quarter pounds of dope and trying to make
a couple bucks. But then, did you ever smoke dope
that was laced with PCP and then have that whole
summer of hallucinations? It was f--king awful. I
was the guy who bogarted the joint all the time, ran

At left from top: Jon and Dorothea and their children Stephanie,
Romeo and Jacob attend the Centrepoint Winter Whites Gala in
London in 2013; Jon enjoys the gala from the audience.

61
BON JOVI

“I FEEL IT WAS A
TERRIBLE TRAGIC LESSON
OF LIFE BUT I THANK GOD
EVERY DAY BECAUSE SHE
IS WHOLE. IT HAPPENED
AND IT HAS GONE.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

rushed to the hospital, where she was brought back

to consciousness.
Stephanie called her father herself, from the
hospital, to tell him the news, waking him up at
2 a.m. It was the kind of call all parents dread.
“It was horrible, a horrible moment,” Jon later
told the U.K.’s Mirror. “It was my worst moment as
a father.”
It was also a moment that passed for Stephanie,
with support from her parents.
“I feel it was a terrible tragic lesson of life but
I thank God every day because she is whole,” Jon
continued. “It happened and it has gone. I know
personally people whose sons and daughters, where it
was a lot, lot worse. That could have been Stephanie.”
In 2017, Stephanie graduated from the New
School in New York City. Jon and Dorothea were at
the ceremony taking pictures, just like all the other
parents. Later that year, Stephanie came onstage
at a Bon Jovi show in Las Vegas and danced with
her dad during the performance of “I Got the Girl,”
which was written about her when she was 7. The
song ended with hugs and kisses, a victory jump and
a triumphant high five.
The entire family also rallied together in early
2020 because of COVID-19. Jon and Dorothea
decided to leave their Manhattan apartment with
Romeo and have all the kids move back in with them
at the house where they raised their oldest children
in Middletown, New Jersey.
“We spent more time in that house than we
have in over a decade,” Jon told People magazine.
Like many families during the early days of the

Dorothea, Jon and their son Romeo attend the Love Rocks NYC
benefit concert livestream for God’s Love We Deliver at the
Beacon Theater in New York City in June 2021.

62
SOLO
 BON JOVI

“OUR FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAMILY FIRST AND

MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING WELL. WE LIKE
EACH OTHER. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER.”
—Dorothea Hurley

pandemic, the Bongiovis passed the time watching Jon agrees: “Having grown up together and
movies, baking and doing crafts together. grown together… we really like each other. We want
“For about a month, our whole family was intact. to hang out.”
Then the big kids finally said, ‘We’re out,’ and Musically, Jon revealed what family means to
made a run for it,” Jon recalled. Son Jacob later him in the song “Story of Love” from Bon Jovi’s
caught a mild case of COVID and recovered. Jon 15th studio album, 2020. The song’s sentimental
also tested positive right before a show in Florida music video features never-before-seen pictures and
in late October 2021, requiring him to miss the videos of Jon’s family, including a vintage clip of his
performance. But he appeared to be feeling fine and parents, John Sr. and Carol, dancing. The opening
cancelled only because it was required. lyrics read:
“Our focus has always been family first and
making sure that people are doing well,” Dorothea Fathers love daughters like mothers love sons
told People in explaining how she and Jon have been They’ve been writing our story before there was one
able to maintain such a strong bond. “We like each From the day you arrive, ’til you walk, ’til you run
other. We spent a lot of time together.” There is nothing but pride, there is nothing but love

At left: Jon and Dorothea attend the 48th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles in January 1991. Above: The couple attend the Jackie
Robinson Foundation ROBIE Awards Dinner, where they were honored for their humanitarian work, in New York City in March 2020.

65
From left to right: David Bryan,
Alec John Such, Jon Bon Jovi,
Richie Sambora and Tico Torres
in August 1992.
BON JOVI

To fans, a hit album—or a string of hit albums—is

the milestone that marks the moment when a band
has arrived. But for most acts, this is also the time
when things start to fall apart. Egos get bigger, the
stakes get higher and expectations can inflate to
unreasonable proportions.
Slippery When Wet was that turning point for
Bon Jovi. Now the hottest band on the planet, the
job shifted from “making it” to finding a way to stay
on top. A money-minting machine, the band toured
nonstop to maintain their position. The Slippery
When Wet tour started in July 1986 and ran straight
through October 1987. Bon Jovi hit practically every
pocket of the globe, from Japan to Australia to
Finland. After more than 200 sold-out shows, with
up to 18 songs performed at every concert, everyone
involved was mentally and physically exhausted.
In his effort to give 20,000 people their money’s increasingly sickly. His brother Matthew said he
worth night after night, Jon damaged his voice. “looked like a mix of losing weight yet being puffy.
He started struggling to hit some of the high notes When you’re worked and dragged that much, it looks
on important hits, and David Bryan and Richie like you’ve just been in the ring with [Mike] Tyson
Sambora had to help cover some of his vocal parts. for 12 rounds.”
After a while, singing caused Jon such agony that As soon as the Slippery When Wet tour was over,
he needed regular steroid shots before shows just the band went straight back to the studio to begin
to make it through the night. A vocal coach was work on a follow-up album, New Jersey, without
also hired to help Jon learn how to better preserve any break. New Jersey became the band’s second
his voice. Still, Jon was vomiting offstage nightly, consecutive No. 1 album and produced two No. 1
his bright smile and healthy complexion turning hits, “Bad Medicine” and “I’ll Be There for You,” in

Above: Fans clamor to get a good look as members of Bon Jovi arrive for their Slippery When Wet tour dates in Sydney, Australia, in
September 1987. By the end of the tour, the band had played more than 200 sold-out shows worldwide, leaving everyone exhausted.

68
addition to three other Top 10 hits. Then Bon Jovi
embarked on another tour to support the album that
spanned 230 shows over a 16-month period.
At the end of the New Jersey tour, everyone went
their separate ways without any formal goodbyes.
For seven straight years, the members of Bon
Jovi had spent practically every waking moment
together. Now they were sick of one another. In
January 1991, the band took a hiatus that lasted
about a year.
That didn’t mean the members of the band stopped
working. Richie Sambora released Stranger in This
Town, his first solo album, in 1991. David Bryan, Tico
Torres and guest star Eric Clapton appeared on the

69
BON JOVI

album, which reached No. 36 on the Billboard 200.

Bryan also started getting involved with soundtracks
and wrote the score for the movie Netherworld.
In the summer of 1990, Jon met actor Emilio
Estevez through actress Ally Sheedy, who was dating
Sambora at the time. Estevez wanted to use “Wanted
Dead or Alive” as the closing credits song in his movie
Young Guns II. Jon was flattered but didn’t think
the song was an appropriate fit lyrically. Jon offered
to write a song in the “Wanted Dead or Alive” vein,
and came up with “Blaze of Glory.” That song was so
well-received that Jon was then asked to write the
whole soundtrack for Young Guns II. “Blaze of Glory”
became both the Young Guns II soundtrack and Jon’s
first solo album, and featuring such guests as Elton This marked a brand-new chapter in the band’s
John, Little Richard and Jeff Beck. The title track hit journey, one that Jon treated like a fresh start.
No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Jon both a When he thought it was time to gather the band back
Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for together to work, he first introduced everyone to
best original song. Jon appeared onscreen very briefly Dr. Lou Cox—a clinical psychologist who had
in Young Guns II, which further encouraged him to previously done “rock band therapy” with the
pursue other acting projects. members of Aerosmith.
Bon Jovi manager Doc McGhee saw all these At first, the band members were reluctant. In
extracurricular activities as a huge conflict to the documentary When We Were Beautiful, David
the band’s musical aspirations, and the two sides Bryan admitted that he didn’t think talking to a
parted ways. Jon started a new company, Bon Jovi “f--ing shrink” was very rock ‘n’ roll. But, after going
Management, to fill the void. through the process, Bryan did admit that Cox
“helped us to be honest enough to go on.”
Jon in particular let his guard down around Cox
because he felt the doctor was there with no motive
other than to help. After everyone cleared the air
and got things off their chest—all the annoyances,
big and small, that can bring a band down—they
were finally able to move forward. Jon said in When
We Were Beautiful: “By 1992, I can honestly say …
everybody understood the future.”

“WHEN YOU’RE WORKED

… THAT MUCH, IT LOOKS
LIKE YOU’VE JUST BEEN
IN THE RING WITH [MIKE]
TYSON FOR 12 ROUNDS.”
—Matthew Bongiovi

Clockwise from left: Jon wins a Golden Globe for his Young Guns II
song “Blaze of Glory”; Bon Jovi promote their 1988 album New
Jersey; Richie Sambora and Cher at Sambora’s Stranger in This
Town album release party; Jon and Sambora in Moscow in 1989.

70
 BON JOVI

Bon Jovi was back together and hit the studio

to record Keep the Faith. Times had changed,
a fact that was most noticeably marked in how
Jon’s signature flowing locks—the golden tresses
which were instrumental in making hair metal
mainstream—were now gone, replaced by a stylish
short cut. Musically, producer Bruce Fairbairn, who
had been with the band since Slippery When Wet, was
replaced by Bob Rock. Messing with Bon Jovi’s magic
formula was a risky move, but Keep the Faith was very
successful, going double platinum in America.
The future was looking up for Bon Jovi. Then, in
1994, the band faced its first major lineup change

“BY 1992, I CAN

HONESTLY SAY …
EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD
THE FUTURE.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

Left: Jon, David Bryan and Richie Sambora in Munich, Germany,

in 1993. Below: Producer Bob Rock replaced Bon Jovi’s longtime
producer Bruce Fairbairn on Keep the Faith.

73
BON JOVI

“HE JUST DIDN’T SHOW UP. HE DIDN’T DO IT TO HURT

ME. HE DIDN’T DO IT TO HURT DAVID OR TICO. HE DID
IT FOR PERSONAL REASONS.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

since its inception. Original bassist Alec John Such In 2008, Sambora was pulled over after a police
was fired (reportedly for poor live performances) officer saw his car weaving in and out of lanes in
and replaced by Hugh McDonald, who had played on Laguna Beach, California. Sambora’s girlfriend,
Jon’s early “Runaway” demo. along with two children—Sambora’s 10-year-old
Privately, other band members were also going daughter Ava and her cousin—were in the car, and
through dark times. In 2006, Sambora’s wife, actress when Sambora failed his field sobriety tests, he was
Heather Locklear, filed for divorce, and during arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
this period, Locklear’s best friend, actress Denise He faced six months in prison but struck a plea
Richards, was also in the process of divorcing Charlie deal and got off with three years of probation and
Sheen. Sambora and Richards then hooked up, which a $1,600 fine, in addition to having to attend three
provoked a rash of distracting tabloid headlines. months of a first-offender alcohol awareness class.
Both Sambora’s father and Richards’ mother were Torres also struggled with alcohol addiction and,
also battling cancer, and when Sambora’s dad passed in Jon’s words, was a “very mean, mean man,” when
away, the stress caused him and Richards to break up he was drunk. Torres traced this to the lifelong
as well. anger from his father leaving him when he was a

Above: Richie Sambora with then-wife Heather Locklear in 1995. Opposite page: Bon Jovi in concert in Boston in April 2018. Guitarist
Phil X replaced Sambora in the band after Sambora’s sudden departure in 2013.

74
kid. He went to rehab and sorted himself out, later which involved shocking the finger by poking it
discovering golf and art as new passions. into buckets of ice, Legos and other things, his
Keyboardist David Bryan suffered through finger returned to normal.
a particularly wicked stomach illness that he But the biggest challenge to Bon Jovi was
believed came from parasites he got in South yet to come. In Calgary in 2013, just before the
America while on tour with Bon Jovi. He was in the 21st show of the “Because We Can” tour, Richie
hospital for around two weeks and left 40 pounds Sambora didn’t show up to the concert. It wasn’t
lighter. After that, Bryan’s luck didn’t improve. an accident. Sambora had decided—suddenly and
His right index finger was sliced to the bone in an unexpectedly—to quit the band after 30 years. There
accident with a circular saw. Even after numerous were 82 more dates scheduled on the tour, and
surgeries, doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to guitarist Phil X was recruited to fill in, becoming a
use that finger again. Bryan was out of commission full-time member in 2016. “It was personal issues.
for over a year but still wouldn’t give up. After He was never fired, and as he finally admitted on
intense physical therapy and “nerve resetting,” television, there was never a fight. He just didn’t
show up,” Jon told Today Australia. “He didn’t do it
to hurt me. He didn’t do it to hurt David or Tico. He
did it for personal reasons.”
Sambora’s departure put Jon in a deep depression.
The two men still haven’t patched up the hurt
feelings that resulted. A few years after the split,
Jon told the Sun, “It was a very, very difficult time
that I haven’t fully rebounded from yet.”
In 2015, Bon Jovi released Burning Bridges,
the band’s first album without Sambora. The
name of the title track summarized how everyone
in the band felt—especially Jon—about what
had happened with their longtime guitarist,
collaborator and friend.

75
 Jon and Dorothea speak to the
media after opening the BEAT
(Bringing Everyone All Together)
Center—where families in need
can access food and other
resources—in Toms River, New
Jersey, on May 10, 2016.
T
BON JOVI

The secret to Jon Bon Jovi’s success and longevity—

he is approaching four decades in the spotlight as a
global superstar—isn’t his killer smile or fabulous
hair. What keeps him on top is that behind the
rock star facade, he is a sharp, shrewd and driven
businessman.
Today, Jon is more than a performer. He is
also the CEO of the Bon Jovi brand, a job that has
allowed him to build a net worth of approximately
$410 million.
Even the band is run like a business. Jon, and
Jon alone, is the one member whose name is on the
record contracts. The rest of the group are classified
as paid employees. (It’s not called “Bon Jovi” for
nothing.)
As Jon explained in an interview with CNBC,
he recognized the need to do things differently
from other performers at a very young age. “You
start to understand the term ‘the music business,’”
he explained. “Suddenly you went from being the
fun-loving kid singer in a rock band to the head of a
corporation. To a boss.”
Bon Jovi, the band, has never made decisions
based on group consensus. Jon calls the shots on

From left: Bon Jovi members Phil X, Tico Torres, Jon Bon Jovi,
David Bryan and Hugh McDonald pose for a portrait while
promoting their album This House Is Not for Sale in 2016.

79
BON JOVI

“WE’RE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL, SO YOU GOTTA GO, ‘OK.’

… HE’S NOT GOING TO TURN AROUND AND GO … ‘LET’S
JUST MAKE THIS A COMPLETE DEMOCRACY.’”
—David Bryan

every single decision. “Jon is the leader of this turn around and go, ‘You know what? Let’s just make
organization. It’s defined,” Richie Sambora told this a complete democracy.’”
60 Minutes in a 2008 interview, a few years before As the leader of Bon Jovi, Jon shoulders pressures
he left the group. and responsibilities that no one else does. The cost of
It’s a power dynamic that has sometimes led to doing business is high. Between the wardrobe stylist,
tension. But all of the band members knew what sound guy and the countless other people behind the
they signed up for from the start—the days when scenes, many depend on Jon for their livelihood. Each
“Runaway” was a radio hit credited only to Jon, live show costs millions to produce, and if Jon can’t
leaving him with the task of hiring a band to support make a show, there’s a huge price to pay.
him on an album. In the early days, Jon and Richie Sambora
As keyboardist David Bryan explained, “We’re found success writing songs on the side for artists
hugely successful, so you gotta go, ‘OK.’ Can’t fight including Cher. (Sambora dated Cher for a time
City Hall, you know what I mean? He’s not going to as well.)

Above: The band appears on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2009. At right: Richie Sambora and Cher attend the 1989 MTV Video
Music Awards. Cher’s 1987 single, “We All Sleep Alone,” was written and produced by Jon, Sambora and Desmond Child.

80
BON JOVI

Cher’s song “We All Sleep Alone” was written him right after “Runaway” hit, when Jon was still
by Jon, Sambora and Desmond Child, and hit trying to put his band together. Jon and Sabo made
No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Together, Jon and a pact that if one of them made it big, he’d help the
Sambora formed a publishing company, New Jersey other one out. Jon made it huge, and true to his
Underground Music, Inc., which produced bands word, in 1989, Jon helped Sabo’s band Skid Row land
like Loverboy. a record deal with Atlantic Records. Jon then took
New Jersey Underground Music, Inc. also played Skid Row on the road as the opening act for Bon
a part in the saga of Skid Row. Dave “The Snake” Jovi’s New Jersey Syndicate tour. Skid Row’s self-
Sabo, a childhood friend of Jon’s from Sayreville, titled debut album went quintuple platinum and
helped Jon by playing on several showcases with reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
That’s when things took a sour turn. As they were

“IT’S NOT A CASE OF

starting out, Skid Row signed a publishing deal with
New Jersey Underground Music, Inc. The deal,
however, heavily favored Jon and Sambora, and

SAMSON AND DELILAH when the money came rolling in, most of it went into
their pockets. Sambora later gave his share back to

HERE. I DIDN’T LOSE MY Skid Row, but Jon did not. Jon’s relationship with
the members of Skid Row grew so strained that

STRENGTH OR NOTHING
there were threats of violence, especially between
Jon and Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach.

WHEN I CUT MY HAIR.”

Jon has mellowed with the passage of time.
But, when it comes to business, he remains by all
accounts ruthless. The music business is very fickle
—Jon Bon Jovi and the public’s attention span very short. Jon

Members of Bon Jovi, the Ozzy Osbourne band, the Scorpions and Skid Row arrive at the airport for the Moscow Music Peace
Festival at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 9, 1989.

82
understood from the start that if he didn’t adapt to makeover. While musically, Crush was a far cry from
trends and work to stay relevant, his star could fall the heavy edge Bon Jovi’s early albums had, lyrically,
as quickly as it rose. Jon still touched on a lot of the working-class
As ridiculous as it may seem, Jon took a huge themes that brought him his early fame. He even
business gamble in 1992 when he decided to cut his referenced “Tommy and Gina” on the lead single,
hair. The haircut was such big news that even CNN “It’s My Life.”
covered it. Industry insiders were worried that he Jon’s early songs like “Wanted Dead or Alive” and
would lose some of his female following. Jon knew it “Blaze of Glory” teased country elements. When
was time for a change, that it was better to be ahead country music became popular on mainstream
with his look rather than behind, and he was able to radio, Jon fully exploited the country side of his
handle the attention around his hair with charm and musical personality. He performed with Sugarland,
humor. “It’s not a case of Samson and Delilah here. a country duo, in September 2005 on an episode
I didn’t lose my strength or nothing when I cut my of CMT Crossroads. This performance marked the
hair,” he said in a 1993 interview. debut of “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” a duet
The haircut marked the band’s comeback album with Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. The song was
after a long hiatus. Keep the Faith eschewed many of later released as the second single from Bon Jovi’s
the ’80s glam metal elements that characterized Bon ninth album, Have a Nice Day. This album featured
Jovi’s sound in favor of a more modern pop sound. two versions of “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” one
Even with this drastic change in image and music, of which is the duet with Nettles that hit No. 1 on
Keep the Faith was still a smash hit, reaching No. 5 Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
on the Billboard 200 and going double platinum. A strong believer in a diversified portfolio, Jon is
By 2000, metal was mostly gone from popular also involved with business ventures that indulge
culture. Accordingly, for Crush, Jon transformed his passions away from music. A lifelong football
the band’s sound again with an adult contemporary fanatic, Jon became co-owner of the Philadelphia

Clockwise from left: Jon cut off his famous long locks in 1992; Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland joins Bon Jovi to sing “Who Says You
Can’t Go Home” in Atlanta in January 2006; Nettles performs with the band at the CMA Awards in November 2005.

83
18
 BON JOVI

Soul, a team in the Arena Football League, in 2004. the running joke is that rosé is the water of the
He later teamed up with Maple Leaf Sports & Hamptons. And so, you know, me and my buddies
Entertainment and tried to buy the NFL’s Buffalo started calling every rosé ‘Hampton water.’ And
Bills. Donald Trump also bid for the Bills, but both one night, like two in the morning, I was sitting on
he and Jon eventually lost out. the porch. And my dad came out; he’s always been a
Jon devotes a huge amount of time, energy and big rosé drinker, and he calls it ‘pink juice.’ He goes,
resources to support philanthropic causes, focusing ‘Do you want another glass of pink juice?’ And I go,
specifically on housing and hunger. His Jon Bon Jovi ‘Dad, listen, you’re in East Hampton, you’re sitting at
Soul Foundation has funded affordable housing for your beautiful beach house, you’re not drinking pink
those in need, and he runs two JBJ Soul Kitchens, juice, you’re drinking Hampton water.’ And he lit up.
which are nonprofit community restaurants where He was like, ‘Oh my god, we might as well put that on
both paying and in-need customers are served. a bottle. People would love it.’”
There are no prices on the menu, but a donation is In April 2018, Jon and Jesse launched Hampton
suggested, and if you can’t make a donation, you Water, and even before the official release, the
can volunteer. initial run was sold out. That year it was also named
The common denominator for all of Jon’s Wine Spectator’s best rosé and was No. 83 on the
business ventures is that he likes to identify magazine’s top 100 list.
opportunities, move fast and commit to achieving Jon is proud of his success in business, but he
the highest level possible. One night, an doesn’t think he necessarily has a magic touch or
interaction with his son Jesse spawned another skills beyond good common sense. “Don’t chase fads
new undertaking, Hampton Water. As Jesse or fashions,” he explained on CNBC. “Whatever it is
explained to wmagazine.com: “I came up with the that you’re going to do, do it because you believe in
name—basically, if you’ve spent any time out here, it. And then success is just a matter of time.”

At left, from top: Jon celebrates the Philadelphia Soul’s win over the San Jose SaberCats at Arena Bowl XXII in 2008; Jon co-founded
the Hampton Water Wine Company along with son Jesse Bongiovi (right) and Ali Thomas (left). Above: Hampton Water rosé.

85
21
A
BON JOVI

about: “Hot Throb.”

Jon was deeply offended by the marginalization.
As he later told Interview magazine, “I was very
angry about all of that. But what could I do? Scar my
face? Knock my teeth out? After a while, I learned
if they’re going to say all I am is a pretty face, then
they’re not taking the time to look at the facts, which
speak for themselves.”
The facts that Jon was talking about—hit records,
sold-out concerts—were all measurements of
enormous popularity. But this was also the fuel that
made Bon Jovi an easy target for naysayers.
At the peak of the band’s popularity, Bon Jovi
was dangerously close to falling into the abyss due
to overexposure. It had happened before in rock
history—most notably in the the late 1970s when it
was decided that “too much disco” meant the Bee
Gees needed to go away and be rejected as uncool, no
matter how many records they had sold.
By the early ’90s, when hair metal bands started
falling out of favor, the very network that rode their
success—MTV—took mean swipes at the entire
genre on its hit cartoon show Beavis and Butt-Head.
The brunt of the blows, which included snarky
commentary over hair metal music videos, was
absorbed by the band Winger. But Bon Jovi did not
April 14, 2018, was a very special day for Jon Bon go unscathed, with Butt-Head speaking for a lot of
Jovi. It was the day a lifelong dream was fulfilled people who grew tired of seeing the band do so well
when he and his band were inducted into the Rock & when he told Beavis: “If you say one more good thing
Roll Hall of Fame. about Bon Jovi, I’m gonna really smack the bejesus
Jon—and his fans—felt the honor was long out of you.”
overdue. By any metric, Bon Jovi is one of the True to his Jersey roots, Jon was tough enough to
most successful rock bands of all time. They have take it. Then he counter-punched against his critics
sold more than 130 million albums and performed by growing, maturing and reinventing himself—in
over 2,700 concerts worldwide, leaving smiles music and beyond—without ever abandoning the
almost as big as Jon’s on the faces of more than people who support him.
34 million people. The band has also won one or “[Bon Jovi has] been very smart about adapting
more categories in every major music award from to the times, but also adapting to the age of their
the American Music Awards to the MTV Video fans,” author Bryan Reesman told Forbes magazine
Music Awards to the Grammys. while promoting his book, Bon Jovi: The Story. “You
Despite all those indisputable achievements, probably listened to some of the metal I listened to
there are still critics who dismiss Bon Jovi—and growing up. A lot of those bands haven’t changed.
especially Jon—as lucky. It’s always been that way, Maybe it’s cool that there’s all these bands that
and it starts with Jon’s good looks. are still doing it. But is it really the same being a
When Jon first made the cover of Rolling Stone 50-year-old guy writing raunchy rock and roll about
in 1987, he was ecstatic. But the excitement soon doing drugs and getting laid? It doesn’t make sense.
turned to disappointment when the story kept And yet, Jon can get away with doing things like
going on about his appearance, totally ignoring his that. ‘Bad Medicine’ feels like a raunchy song, but
music or the album that he believed truly marked lyrically, it’s not that raunchy. You could still kind of
his band’s arrival, Slippery When Wet. The cover line relate to it as a 40-year-old.”
perfectly summed up what many thought Jon was all Being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of

Jon performs onstage with Bon Jovi during the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Public Auditorium on
April 14, 2018, in Cleveland.

89
BON JOVI

“YOU SORT OF HAVE

TO SAY THANK YOU …
SOMETIMES SOMEONE
HAS TO GET OFF AN EXIT
IN ORDER FOR YOU TO
CONTINUE.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

Fame was the ultimate validation for Jon and

the band. They were finally given legitimacy and
acknowledged as one of the all-time greatest acts
in music history.
The Hall of Fame ceremony also brought about
a cathartic moment for Jon. For the first time since
his abrupt departure in 2013, Richie Sambora
performed with Bon Jovi. The performance
brought the band one step closer to closure, if
not reconciliation. As Jon explained to GQ, “In a
strange way my forgiveness for Richie allowed me
to grow, and David to grow, and Tico to grow into
who we are today. Because we were forced down
a different road. You don’t blame someone for
that, you sort of have to say thank you, because it
helps you continue your little journey. Sometimes
someone has to get off an exit in order for you
to continue.”
Bon Jovi’s 2020, released in the midst of
the COVID-19 pandemic, is a clear example of
how Jon has changed as a songwriter and as a
person. Older and wiser, Jon’s no longer looking
to create teen anthems like “You Give Love a
Bad Name.” He’s embraced philanthropy and
charitable causes, and hot-button contemporary
social issues are at the forefront of his mind.
“American Reckoning,” for example, reflects on
the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives
Matter movement. “Lower the Flag” is based on
the recent increase in gun violence and school
shootings. “Blood in the Water” is about migrants
and the challenges they face in their search for a
better life. Jon also wrote a COVID-themed track

The Hall of Fame ceremony marked the first time Sambora had
played with Bon Jovi since his sudden departure in 2013,
bringing the band one step closer to closure.

90
BON JOVI

called “Do What You Can.” the song, he presented an iPhone demo recording
“Unbroken” began when Jon was asked to write a of himself singing it with an acoustic guitar to the
song about PTSD in soldiers for a documentary film film’s director, Josh Aronson. Jon immediately
called To Be of Service. Though his parents met in received Aronson’s approval. Then Jon sent the
the Marines, it was a topic he was unfamiliar with, recording to the soldiers, and their reaction was, in
and he was initially torn about getting involved. Jon’s words, “everything I had hoped for. Because I
But after deciding to meet the challenge, Jon did a wanted them to feel proud of the song.”
deep dive into the subject. When he finished writing Positive moments of pride is a great way to sum
up what Jon feels now, as he nears the age of 60.
He’s aged gracefully. No cosmetic surgery, no Botox,

“HONESTLY, AT THIS
no hair transplants and no dye jobs. “Let me tell
you, I’ve earned this gray hair,” he told USA Today

POINT, WHAT I’M HOPING

while promoting 2020. “I’ve been through enough
hurting and healing to be here.”
He has no plans to stop performing, writing songs

TO DO IS TO FIRST AND or recording. With nothing left to prove, his motives

are simple: “Honestly, at this point, what I’m hoping

FOREMOST ENJOY IT, AND

to do is to first and foremost enjoy it, and then keep
integrity,” he told USA Today. “I don’t ever want to

THEN KEEP INTEGRITY.”

be on the ‘Where are they now?’ pile.”
As for the future, Jon Bon Jovi is not finished
chasing his ever-evolving dreams. Having achieved
—Jon Bon Jovi success in music, entertainment, business and

Above: Jon presents Pink with the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. At right from top: The band attends the MTV
Europe Music Awards in 1995; Jon and Prince Harry meet with the Invictus Games Choir at London’s Abbey Road Studios in February
93
SOLO
 BON JOVI

“IT’S A GIFT THAT GOD GIVES YOU THE JOB YOU

WANTED WHEN YOU WERE A KID, AND THAT I GET TO
DO IT STILL. I’M THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD.”
—Jon Bon Jovi

philanthropy, it’s impossible to know where When asked by 60 Minutes Australia what
inspiration might lead him next. chapter of the Jon Bon Jovi storybook he’s currently
“I’m not old enough to start thinking about at, Jon said: “I don’t know, that’s the beauty of it.
mortality,” he told GQ. “But the idea that we’re not We’re just … a little more than halfway there.”
the kid in the room anymore—48, 58—you’re sort It’s a perspective Jon wears well because it comes
of accomplishing or have accomplished the great from a place of gratitude and contentment. He
things that you’re gonna do, and that’s all well and has never forgotten how the journey started, and
good, but what matters more is what you’re building how much work and sacrifice it took to reach the
with your family. Because those two chapters, you fortunate place where he is today—not only from
can’t f--k up either one of those or they’re gonna him, but from all the people who have supported and
scar you. Fix those circumstances and get them loved him over the years. “It’s a gift that God gives
right now, [then] start writing your own chapters. you the job you wanted when you were a kid, and
Live with them. Make them something worth that I get to do it still,” he says. “I’m the luckiest man
reading again.” in the world.”

Clockwise from top left: Grace Potter and Jon at the Love Rocks NYC benefit concert in June 2021; Jon and Dorothea accept the
Humanitarian Award at the JRF 2020 Robie Awards dinner; Jon performs at a rally for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden (2).

95
BON JOVI

EDITORIAL DIRECTION BY

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Vice President
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Consumer Marketing Director

Melanie Piselli

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Bill Fiakos

Published by Heinrich Bauer Publishing, LP. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission of the publisher
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JON BON JOVI
HOW A KID FROM NEW JERSEY BECAME A
ROCK ‘N’ ROL
LL LEG
GEND
 “SUCCESS IS
FALLING DOWN NINE TIMES
AND GETTING UP TEN.”
– JON BON JOVI