Bon Jovi biography
Bon Jovi are an American band who put New Jersey on the map when they burst onto the music scene in 1986 with their critically acclaimed third album Slippery When Wet. They've released 14 albums in total, selling more than 120 million albums worldwide, they've performed to 35 million fans and are still going strong.
Background
Bon Jovi are one of the world's most successful rock bands, with a career lasting over 25 years and it seems they have no plans to call it a day anytime soon. The band is comprised of frontman and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist and fellow songwriter Richie Sambora, Tico Torres on drums, bassist Hugh McDonald and David Bryan plays the keyboard.
After being in bands from the age of 13, Jon Bon Jovi took the bull by the horns and made some demos when he worked at a recording studio, which his cousin half owned. He laid down a track called 'Runaway' and after making the short trip to New York, he managed to convince a local radio station to give it some airtime. It was picked up by other stations in the city and when he heard a record deal was on the cards, Jon asked his friend and former band mate David Bryan to join a new group he wanted to put together. After a few changes, Bon Jovi as we know them today was born. The only exception being former bassist Alec John Such, who left the band in 1994 for reasons which remain unclear to this day. It's claimed, however, that he grew tired of being in the band, so was replaced unofficially by Hugh McDonald.
Slippery When Wet
Their self-titled debut album Bon Jovi was released in 1984 and went platinum, despite only reaching number 43 in the US charts and single 'Runaway' just making it into the top 40. However, they were starting to get noticed and were asked to support ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden, and toured with rock heavy weights such as Kiss and the Scorpions.
But Bon Jovi's big break came when they released third offering Slippery When Wet in 1986, which proved to be a phenomenal success. It gave them their first US number one album and stayed at the top of the charts for eight weeks. It also went to number one in several other countries and reached number 6 in the UK.
A year later, Bon Jovi picked up a number of prestigious awards for their songs and videos from the album and were determined to prove their success was not a one-off. They didn't disappoint, with their fourth album New Jersey also making it to the number one spot, selling more than seven million copies in America. But their constant world tours to promote their album left the band physically and mentally exhausted, so they all took a well-deserved break.
Solo work
It seemed Jon Bon Jovi could do no wrong, with his debut solo album Blaze of Glory becoming an instant hit when it was released in 1990, reaching number three in the U.S and number two in the UK charts. The single 'Blaze of Glory' also went to number one, the album was nominated for a prestigious Oscar and a Grammy, and won a Golden Globe. Jon came up with the songs after his good friend and actor Emilio Estevez asked if he could use the band's 'swan song,' 'Wanted Dead or Alive' for western sequel Young Guns ll, but he provided new tracks instead.
Richie Sambora also released a solo album entitled Stranger in This Town but the rock/blues record failed to mirror the success of Jon's, only reaching number 36 in America and 20 in the UK.
Keep The Faith
Bon Jovi reunited in 1992 and released their fifth album Keep the Faith It topped the charts in several countries, including the UK and reached number five in the States. The band was maturing and when Jon cut his famous hair, it made the news headlines the world over!
The record gave them six hit singles, including the title track which went to number one on the US rock chart and peaked at number five in the UK. Their power ballad 'Bed of Roses' was also a success, reaching number 10 in their home country and number 13 in Britain.
Two years later, Bon Jovi released their first Greatest Hits album Cross Road, which again went to number one in several countries including the UK and went platinum four times in the US where it reached number eight.
Albums
In 1995, Bon Jovi released their sixth album These Days, their first without bassist Alec John Such who had been unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald. It proved to be another big hit for the band, but mainly in Europe and Japan, with American audiences less keen, although it still reached number 9 in the US.
Crush was released five years later and earned the band another UK number one and was named Best Rock Album at the Grammys. Four more albums followed, all reaching either number one or number two in the US and UK.
The band's album The Circle topped the American charts when it was released in November 2009, selling more than one million copies worldwide. A few months earlier, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in January 2010 the band performed at the Grammys for the first time, belting out several hits including everyone's favourite 'Livin' On A Prayer.' The first single to be released from the album was 'We Weren't Born to Follow' which was nominated for a Grammy. In March the band embarked on another world tour to promote the album, which eventually morphed into Bon Jovi Live, a seemingly unending world tour which included a residency at London's O2 Arena. Their tour was counted as the most profitable on earth in 2010.