Bon Jovi has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling American rock bands in history. They’ve also racked up a handful of accolades and hit the stage over 2,600 times. But who are the band’s members? And how did they all get involved in this legendary rock band? Read on to find out.
The original Bon Jovi line-up was Jon Bongiovi (lead vocals, guitar), David Bryan (drums), Alec John Such (bass) and Tico Torres (guitar). They formed in 1983 after Jon recorded a song called Runaway at his cousin’s studio and got it played on local radio stations. It caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman who signed them to PolyGram. To capitalize on this newfound success Jon amended his name from John Bongiovi to Bon Jovi in a fairly mild attempt to sound less ethnic. He also changed the name of his band to avoid confusion with a group called John Cougar.
After the band released their eponymous debut album in 1984 they toured extensively. By the time 1990 arrived, they were at their peak but still managed to keep on going. This relentless schedule meant recreation and rest was often impossible for them to enjoy. In addition to their regular shows, the band would also participate in a number of live telethons, film public service announcements for the Red Cross and record a tribute for a local charity event.
By the autumn of 1991 Bon Jovi were ready for a break. They decided to take a trip to the Caribbean and hold some key discussions that would help them determine their future together as a band. They ended up staying in a mansion on St. Thomas where they re-focused themselves and made some important decisions that would shape the future of Bon Jovi for years to come.
In 1992, the band began working on what would be their next album. But tragedy struck the world with the terrorist attacks of September 11. This shook up the world and put a damper on the band’s plans.
The following year the band released their eighth album Have a Nice Day. The record was a hit and went straight to No. 1 in the US and topped the charts in several other countries as well. In the same year they won a number of awards including best rock album at the TMF awards, best international band at the German Echo awards and best foreign rock album at the Golden Disc award in Japan.
In 1994, bass player Alec John Such left the band and was replaced by Hugh McDonald who had been their session bass player for some years. McDonald remained with the band until he was fired in 2013. The remaining band members continued on with the release of Crush in 2002 and What About Now in March 2013. The latter marked their first studio album without Richie Sambora’s creative input. The band has since been very successful and continues to tour internationally.