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Bon Jovi Bio
The Bon Jovi story began in
Sayreville, New Jersey. Where Jon and his brothers Matt and Tony were
raised by they parents Carol and Jon Bongiovi (Jon later changed his
name). By his early teens, Jon was hanging out at local clubs, convinced
that one day he would be a rock star.
The area's local music scene was rocking then and there, with the music
of rising stars Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury
Jukes leading the pack. "Just like Seattle is hot right now, 20 years
ago it was Asbury Park, New Jersey", Jon told writer Rick Petreycik.
"That was so close to my backyard, and when you're 13 or 14, or 15 years
old, you can't help but hear about it and have it affect you. When you
went down to Asbury Park, what was the crummy boardwalk became
Americana. What was splintered wood became sacred ground, and you went,
'Ooh, aah'. And those things romanticized the idea, The myth became the
legend, and one thing led to another, and I think blind faith is what
got me here." That, and a little help from his friends.
By the time he was 16, Jon was playing clubs. It was not long before he
hooked up with keyboardist David Bryan (real name: David Brian Rashbaum),
who played with him in a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic
City Expressway. Jon also performed with bands called The Rest, The
Lechers and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones.
Meanwhile, Richie Sambora was also performing locally with a funk and
fusion outfit called Extremes, before hooking up with Alec John Such in
the band The Message. After The Message broke up, Alec played with Tico
Torres in Phantom's Opera.
The members of Bon Jovi hade crossed paths in these early days, but the
current lineup didn't come together until March of 1983 after th first
Bon Jovi single, "Runaway," had become a minor hit.
In one of those right place/right time/right person scenarios, Jon
managed to get a job sweeping floors at a recording studio through a
relative. His second cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner of the power
station in New York City. Jon had written "Runaway," and in 1980, he
recorded a demo of the song at his cousin's studio, with back-up by
studio musicians whom Tony had hired, including Frankie La Roca, Tim
Pierce, Hugh McDonald and Roy Bittan.
A local radio station included "Runaway" on a compilation tape, and the
song started getting some serious airplay. The success of "Runaway" got
Jon noticed, and he realized that he'd need more than session players if
he wanted to capitalize on his success by touring the New York clubs to
support the single.
Jon gave Dave a call, who in turn tapped Alec and Tico. A succession of
guitarists (including Dave "The Snake" Sabo, who went on to form Skid
Row) followed, until finally Richie signed on, and the band came
together as a whole. They began gigging around New York in earnest.
At one show, where they opened for Scandal, the band caught the
attention of record exec Derek Shulman, who signed them to PolyGram.
"With Jon, I felt he had an unbelievable desire to be a star", recalls
Shulman. "he had a burning desire to be huge".
PolyGram toyed with the name, throwing out monikers like "Victor" then
"Johnny Lightening", before Shulman anglicized John Bongiovi's name to
Bon Jovi.
Slippery When Wet, the band's third album, provided the break-trough.
Powered by songs like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive",
the LP went gold and platinum simultaneously within six weeks of its six
weeks of its release. By April of 1987, Slippery When Wet had sold seven
million copies.
The world ate and slept Bon Jovi, they won the American Music Award and
People's Choice Awards as Band Of The Year, MTV gave Bon Jovi a Best
Performance Award for the video "Livin' on a Prayer".
Jon was asked what all this astronomical success meant, to which he
answered, "Everything is bigger, and it moves twice as fast. You're
recognized twice as often. This is bigger, the whole world gets bigger.
You have to sell more records, be huger. You get smarter and you
understand the business a little more, so it's more responsability. You
understand it now, and you want to make sure everything goes right".
Bon Jovi Tickets
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Bon Jovi Tickets
Bon Jovi
09.07.06
New England Dodge Music Center
Hartford, CT
Bon Jovi
09.14.06
PNC Bank Arts Center
Holmdel, NJ
Bon Jovi
09.19.06
Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
Wantagh, NY
Bon Jovi
09.23.06
Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
Camden, NJ
Bon Jovi
09.26.06
Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
Mansfield, MA
Bon Jovi
09.30.06
Nissan Pavilion
Bristow, VA
Bon Jovi
10.05.06
First Midwest Bank
Chicago, IL
Bon Jovi
10.07.06
Alpine Valley Music Center
East Troy, WI
Bon Jovi
10.09.06
Riverbend Music Center
Cincinnati, OH
Bon Jovi
10.11.06
DTE Energy Center
Detroit, MI
Bon Jovi
10.13.06
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, IN
Bon Jovi
10.15.06
UMB Bank Pavilion
St. Louis, MO
Bon Jovi
10.17.06
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
KC Kansas City, KS
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