Jon Bon Jovi is one of the most beloved international rock stars. He has been in the music industry for over 30 years and has a long list of hits under his belt. He is well known for his work with Habitat for Humanity and has also ventured into acting and has had roles in films like New Year’s Eve and Cry Wolf. He has been married to his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley since 1989 and has four children together.
John Francis Bongiovi Jr was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He grew up in Sayreville, an industrial town that he felt was a dead end. In his early teens, he formed bands with friends and played local clubs. After he made a demo tape of himself singing and playing guitar with professional back-up musicians, several radio stations in New York City began to play the song Runaway, and Bon Jovi got his first taste of success.
After the success of his band’s second album ‘Slippery When Wet,’ Bon Jovi was offered a record deal by Mercury Records. The band’s debut album ‘Bon Jovi’ was released in 1984, followed by ‘New Jersey’ the following year.
In 1988, the band’s third album ‘Blaze of Glory’ became a hit. It was this album that saw a change in the direction of the band from stadium rock anthems to power ballads. This album also featured the single ‘It’s My Life,’ which peaked at number 4 in the US charts.
Jon and the rest of the band continued to tour and record until 1994, when they broke up for a few years. The band reunited in 1995 and released the album ‘Cross Road’ which included a mix of old and new songs. The song ‘These Days’ became a top 10 hit in the US and was popular in Europe as well.
After that, Jon went on to release his solo album ‘Destination Anywhere’ in 1997 which again was a big hit. He also did a short movie called ‘Row Your Boat’ and his next two albums ‘Homegrown’ and ‘No Looking Back’ were also huge successes.
Apart from his music, Jon is a successful actor as well and has appeared in movies like New Year’s Eve, Cry Wolf and Pay It Forward. He has also worked on some television shows such as The West Wing and Sex in the City. He is also a humanitarian and has been raising awareness about homelessness through his foundation, The Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. He has been working with Habitat for Humanity and has donated money and time to help build homes in Philadelphia.