Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi. Since forming the band in 1983, he has released 16 studio albums, with hits like "Livin’ on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" cementing his place among rock legends. Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making the band one of the best-selling music acts of all time. 

He has also pursued a solo career, earning Grammy and Academy Award nominations for his 1990 album Blaze of Glory, the soundtrack for Young Guns II. Beyond music, he has acted in films like U-571 and Pay It Forward and appeared in television shows such as Sex and the City and Ally McBeal. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009, Bon Jovi continues to tour and release music, maintaining his status as a rock icon.

Jon Bon Jovi’s early years were shaped by his passion for music, which he pursued from a young age before forming his breakthrough band in 1983.

• Born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. on March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
• Raised in a Catholic household. 
• Attended St. Joseph High School before transferring to Sayreville War Memorial High School.
• Developed an interest in music as a teenager, forming his first band, Raze, in 1974.
• Later played in bands like Atlantic City Expressway, John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, and The Rest, performing at local clubs and opening for regional acts.
• Worked at Power Station recording studio, where he recorded his first professional song, "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas," in 1980.
• He gained his first big break in 1983 when he formed Bon Jovi with Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Alec John Such, and Tico Torres.

Jon Bon Jovi’s family provided a strong foundation for his career, with his parents’ military background instilling discipline and his wife supporting him throughout his rise to fame.

• His father, John Francis Bongiovi Sr., born in 1930, was a barber and a former Marine.
• His mother, Carol Sharkey (1940–2024), was a florist, a former Marine, and one of the first Playboy Bunnies.
• He has two brothers, Anthony and Matthew.
• He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley, on April 29, 1989, in a private ceremony in Las Vegas.
• Dorothea is a karate instructor and philanthropist.
• The couple has four children: daughter Stephanie (born 1993) and sons Jesse (born 1995), Jake (born 2002), and Romeo (born 2004).
• British actress Millie Bobby Brown became his daughter-in-law after marrying his son Jake in May 2024.