American singer/songwriter, guitarist and actor Jon Bon Jovi was born 62 years ago as John Francis Bongiovi Jr in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is married and has 4 children.
As a kid, Jon attended 2 different high schools and spent the summer holidays with his grandparents and used to sell newspapers. In his teenage years, he joined various bands and performed in clubs by playing the guitar and piano. In 1980, at the age of 17, he recorded his very first song named ‘R2-D2 We wish you a Merry Christmas’.
In 1983, Jon was invited on a radio station programme and was asked to give the song ‘Runaway’ which he had recorded the previous year to be part of the station’s album of local talents. That same year, Jon formed the rock band ‘Bon Jovi’ together with four other members and went on to release two albums in the two years that followed.
1986 was an extremely successful year for the band, when their third album ‘Slippery when Wet’ came out. It included the two number one hits ‘You give love a band Name’ and ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’. Other songs that feature in this album are ‘Let it Rock’, ‘Wild in the Streets’, ‘I’d die for You’, ‘Wanted dead or Alive’ and ‘Without You’.
In the last 3 decades, Jon released 5 albums and 16 singles (three of which were recorded to raise funds for charity) as a solo artist. His only number one US hit was ‘Blaze of Glory’ in 1990. As ‘Bon Jovi’, the band had 38 albums, 66 singles, 71 music videos and 5 extended plays. They achieved 6 number 1 albums and 4 number one hits.
Apart from music, Jon starred in 14 movies including ‘Moonlight and Valentino’, ‘New Year’s Eve’ and ‘U-571’ and also appeared in 4 TV programmes. He was also involved in politics and in sports, particularly football.
Jon is also known to be a huge philanthropist. In fact, in 2006, he created the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which deals with hunger and homelessness issues. Five years later, Jon opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, where customers pay only what they can afford for their meals. Also, last year i.e. in 2023, three more locations were opened.
During his long career, Jon received a Golden Globe, an American Music, an ASCAP Latin, a Brit and an MTV Music Award. He was also inducted in both the Rock and Roll and the Songwriters Halls of Fame.
*Image: no infringement intended. Source: boomsbeat.com