Jon Bon Jovi
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He has released 15 studio albums with his band as well as two solo albums.
Jon Bon Jovi
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
- actor
1975–present
4
- Tony Bongiovi (cousin)
- Robert Hegyes (cousin)
- Vocals
- guitar
In the 1990s, Bon Jovi started an acting career, starring in the films Moonlight and Valentino, The Leading Man, Little City, Homegrown, Pay It Forward, U-571 and Cry Wolf and appearing on television in shows such as Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Ally McBeal, and The West Wing.
Bon Jovi was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.[1][2] In 2012, he ranked number 50 on the list of Billboard magazine's "Power 100", a ranking of "The Most Powerful and Influential People in the Music Business".[3]
Bon Jovi is a founder and former majority owner of the Arena Football League team, the Philadelphia Soul.
Early life
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His father John Francis Bongiovi Sr. was a barber and a former Marine. His mother Carol (Sharkey), also a former Marine, was a florist and Playboy Bunny.[4] He has two brothers, Anthony and Matthew.[5] His father was of Italian and Slovak ancestry; the name Bongiovi comes from Sciacca, Sicily. His mother is of German and Russian descent.[6][7] While he was previously rumored to be a relative of singer Frank Sinatra,[8] in a 2016 interview, he stated that this was false.[9] Bon Jovi was raised Catholic.[10] He spent summers in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his grandparents, and sold newspapers. He attended St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, during his freshman and sophomore years.[11] He later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.[12]
Other ventures
Acting career
Bon Jovi is a credited actor in the films Moonlight and Valentino, The Leading Man, Destination Anywhere, Homegrown, Little City, No Looking Back, Row Your Boat, Vampires Los Muertos, U-571, Cry Wolf, National Lampoon's Pucked, and New Year's Eve.[37] He also had a supporting role in the movie Pay It Forward, where he played Helen Hunt's abusive ex-husband.[38] His TV series appearances include Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Las Vegas, The West Wing, and an extended stint on Ally McBeal as a plumber who was Ally's boyfriend for a short period of time.[39] He also had a brief, uncredited role in the 1990 film Young Guns II.[40] On January 24, 2011, it was confirmed that Bon Jovi would be cast in the film New Year's Eve, released later that year, as a successful rock star who is connected with Katherine Heigl's character.[41]
Sports franchises
In 2004, Bon Jovi became founder and primary owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He appeared in several television commercials for the league, typically with John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos (and co-owner of the AFL's Colorado Crush). Bon Jovi is no longer part owner of the Soul.[42] In 2011, Bon Jovi expressed interest in purchasing 15% of the Atlanta Falcons for $150 million.[43]
In 2014, a group of investors including Bon Jovi made it to the final round of bidding to acquire the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, but the team was sold to Terry Pegula, the owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.[44]
Political activism
Although Bon Jovi's voter registration indicates that he is unaffiliated,[54] he has supported and toured with many Democratic politicians.[55] He toured extensively on behalf of presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004, appearing at and playing acoustic sets (with Richie Sambora) at rallies for the Kerry-Edwards ticket throughout the United States.[56] He also played at a 2009 Manhattan fundraiser for former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to lessen some of her $6.3 million 2008 campaign debt. On January 18, 2009, Bon Jovi performed a duet at the Obama Inauguration Concert of the Sam Cooke classic "A Change is Gonna Come" with Bettye LaVette.[57] On June 4, 2009, Bon Jovi performed an acoustic benefit show for Democratic Governor Jon Corzine at the NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey.[58]
On June 24, 2009, Bon Jovi, Sambora and Andy Madadian recorded a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. The handwritten Persian sign in the video translates to "we are one".[59]
On December 15, 2010, Bon Jovi was appointed by Barack Obama to the White House Council for Community Solutions.[60]
In 2017, Bon Jovi raised money for Jim Renacci, a Republican representative from Ohio's 16th congressional district and then a potential candidate for Ohio governor with whom he had had common business interests several years prior.[61]
In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Bon Jovi endorsed fellow New Jerseyan Cory Booker for President of the United States.[62]
On October 24, 2020, Bon Jovi performed at a drive-in event for Joe Biden at Dallas High School in Dallas, PA.[63][64]
On January 20, 2021, Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia performed a cover of the Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun" as part of the "Celebrating America" Inauguration of Joe Biden event.[65]
Personal life
During a stop in Los Angeles on The New Jersey Syndicate Tour in 1989, Bon Jovi secretly took a trip to Las Vegas and married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley, on April 29 at the Graceland Wedding Chapel. The couple have four children: a daughter, Stephanie, born in 1993, and three sons, Jesse, Jake, and Romeo, born in 1995, 2002, and 2004, respectively.[66][67][68]
A former resident of Rumson, New Jersey, Bon Jovi established his Sanctuary Sound recording studio in the basement of his home there.[69][70]
Bon Jovi has described himself as a recovering Catholic.[10]
Bon Jovi is a close friend of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former head coach Bill Belichick. He owns two Super Bowl rings from the Patriots and has performed several times at the Patriots' home field, Gillette Stadium.[71]
In 2019, Bon Jovi received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from University of Pennsylvania[72] and a second honorary doctorate from Princeton University in 2021, recognizing his contributions in music and social welfare.[73]
In October 2021, Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID-19 at a fan event in Florida.[74] He was reported as fully vaccinated and "feeling great".[75] He had recovered from the disease by November 12, 2021.[76] In April 2022, Bon Jovi spoke of how much his COVID-19 experience had affected him, including in his songwriting, saying about COVID-19 that it made him realize "how volatile we are and how fragile life is. It didn't matter if you were young or old, American or Egyptian, no matter who you were or where you were from, the COVID-19 pandemic affected you. I was aware of that when I was writing the record."[77]
