Jon Bon Jovi is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983.
41 Facts About Jon Bon Jovi
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Jon Bon Jovi has released 15 studio albums with his band as well as two solo albums.
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Bon Jovi was a founder and former majority owner of the Arena Football League team, the Philadelphia Soul.
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Jon Bon Jovi is the founder of The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, founded in 2006.
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Jon Bon Jovi's father was of Italian and Slovak ancestry and his mother is of German and Russian descent.
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Jon Bon Jovi spent summers in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his grandparents, and sold newspapers.
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Jon Bon Jovi later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.
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Jon Bon Jovi began playing music in 1975, at the age of 13, playing piano and guitar with his first band, Raze.
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Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, performing in clubs such as the Fast Lane and opening for local acts.
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When he was 17, Bon Jovi was sweeping floors at his cousin Tony Bongiovi's recording studio, Power Station.
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In 1983, Bon Jovi visited a local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York, to write and sing the jingles for the station.
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Jon Bon Jovi spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and to the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested Jon let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent.
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Jon Bon Jovi was reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, which he had rerecorded in 1982 with local studio musicians whom he designated The All Star Review: Guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.
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In March 1983, Jon Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres.
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In 1984 and 1985, Bon Jovi released their first two albums and their debut single "Runaway" managed to crack the Top 40.
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Bon Jovi has performed more than 2,700 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans.
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Bon Jovi was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
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In 1990, Jon Bon Jovi recorded a soundtrack to the movie Young Guns II more commonly known as Blaze of Glory.
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In 1991, Jon Bon Jovi started his own label, Jambco Records, and produced Aldo Nova's album Blood on the Bricks, and Billy Falcon's album Pretty Blue World.
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In 2012, Bon Jovi recorded a soundtrack to the movie Stand Up Guys more commonly known as Not Running Anymore.
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Bon Jovi is a credited actor in the films Moonlight and Valentino, The Leading Man, Destination Anywhere, Homegrown, Little City, No Looking Back, Row Your Boat, Vampires Los Muertos, U-571, Cry Wolf, National Lampoon's Pucked, and New Year's Eve.
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Jon Bon Jovi had a supporting role in the movie Pay It Forward, where he played Helen Hunt's abusive ex-husband.
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Jon Bon Jovi had a brief, uncredited role in the 1990 film Young Guns II.
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In 2004, Bon Jovi became founder and primary owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.
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Jon Bon Jovi appeared in several television commercials for the league, typically with John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
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In 2014, a group of investors including Bon Jovi made it to the final round of bidding to acquire the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, but the team was sold to Terry Pegula, the owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.
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In July 2007, Jon Bon Jovi announced a project that would rehabilitate a block of 15 homes in north Philadelphia.
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Jon Bon Jovi is one of 21 artists singing on "Everybody Hurts", a charity single organized by Simon Cowell aiding victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
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Jon Bon Jovi toured extensively on behalf of presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004, appearing at and playing acoustic sets at rallies for the Kerry-Edwards ticket throughout the United States.
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Jon Bon Jovi played at a 2009 Manhattan fundraiser for former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to lessen some of her $6.3 million 2008 campaign debt.
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On January 18,2009, Bon Jovi performed a duet at the Obama Inauguration Concert of the Sam Cooke classic "A Change is Gonna Come" with Bettye LaVette.
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On December 15,2010, Bon Jovi was appointed by Barack Obama to the White House Council for Community Solutions.
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In 2017, Bon Jovi raised money for Jim Renacci, a Republican representative from Ohio's 16th congressional district and then a potential candidate for Ohio governor with whom he had had common business interests several years prior.
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On October 24,2020, Bon Jovi performed at a drive-in event for Joe Biden at Dallas High School in Dallas, PA.
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Bon Jovi is a close friend of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick.
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Jon Bon Jovi owns two Super Bowl rings from the Patriots and has performed several times at the Patriots' home field, Gillette Stadium.
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On May 16,2021, Bon Jovi received an honorary degree from Princeton University.
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Jon Bon Jovi was recognized for his contributions in society areas, including music, history, education, literature, public service, public health, social justice and ending homelessness.
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In October 2021, Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID-19 and canceled his tour in Florida.
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Jon Bon Jovi was reported as feeling "great" and being fully vaccinated.
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Jon Bon Jovi had recovered from the disease by November 12,2021.