Download Free Jon Bon Jovi * Songs

Jon Bon Jovi music biography continued...

John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on March 2, 1962, and grew up in nearby Sayreville. He spent most of his teen years cutting classes to play guitar in local clubs, and started recording demos at a well-known recording studio owned by a cousin. One of those demos, "Runaway," became a local radio hit, prompting Bongiovi to form his own band. He signed to Mercury/PolyGram in July 1983, changed his surname to Bon Jovi, and christened his new group (consisting of Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres, and Alec John Such) likewise. They released their self-titled debut early in 1984, but their breakthrough wouldn't come until 1988's Slippery When Wet, an album that produced two back-to-back U.S. No. 1 singles -- "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer" -- as well as the No. 7 anthem, "Wanted Dead or Alive." The album went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it the biggest-selling rock album of the year, and establishing Jon and the band as superstars.



Bon Jovi's fourth LP, New Jersey, was released in September 1988. It topped the Billboard album chart for a month and contained five U.S. top 10 singles, including another pair of chart toppers in "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There For You'. After releasing a chart-topping greatest hits album and starring in a few movies, Bon Jovi turned to a solo career with 1997's Destination Anywhere. He returned to the band in 2000 for their seventh studio album, Crush. The disc debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard chart and was certified double platinum in the U.S and an instant number one hit in the UK charts with the single It's My Life. It's My Life earned the band a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group while Crush won Best Rock Album. Following this Bon Jovi appeared in several more movies and television series, almost making him as well-known an actor as he was musician. But several more chart-topping albums later Jon and the band were still at the top of their game, and first in the eyes of millions of fans.