How did it all began  

All right to bonjovi.com and Tamar Yadin

In 1983, John Bongiovi (see picture) was being paid 50$ a week to clean up at New York City's legendary Power Station recording studios. He was fetching coffee and sweeping floors (the very same ones upon which he often found himself sleeping,) all the while watching the great artists (like Aerosmith) make Rock n' Roll. When Jon wasn't working as a gofer, he was working on his own music. Using the empty studios and any lingering musicians he could recruit, John recorded his own original songs.

Armed with a demo tape, John presented his music to lawyers, managers, record labels and radio stations in New York and LA. That is until Chip Hobart, a DJ at the New York City radio, approached him. He was putting together a collection album of local unsigned artists and Hobart wanted to include John's song "RUNAWAY" on the album. John wasn’t so happy doing it - He wanted to sign with a label and record an album, not donate one song to a radio station. But, with a little convincing, John agreed to let "RUNAWAY" be a part of the album. After that decision, John's life completely changed.

"RUNAWAY" by John Bongiovi got airplay... lots of airplay (not just on that one station in New York, but in major markets all over the country.) Without John being signed to a label, his song was becoming a hit. The radio stations booked a handful of live shows to promote the album and wanted John to perform. The problem? John didn't have a band! "RUNAWAY" was one of the tracks John had recorded at the Power Station with a combination of musicians he had wrangled in to help him - they weren't really a band! So, John called his long-time friend, keyboardist DAVID BRYAN, drummer TICO TORRES and bassist ALEC JOHN SUCH. On guitar, John asked a neighborhood friend to help him out. John now had the band he needed to play the promotional concerts. Backstage after one of these shows, guitarist RICHIE SAMBORA (see picture) approached John. Sambora declared to John that he should be the guitarist for this band. John was impressed by Sambora's attitude and after hearing him play, was impressed by his talent too.

So, when John Bongiovi finally signed to Mercury Records, the band's members were: JOHN BONGIOVI, DAVE BRYAN, TICO TORRES, ALEC JOHN SUCH and RICHIE SAMBORA. Following label advice, John shed the "h" from his first name and changed his last name. Now, he was known as JON BON JOVI, and the band BON JOVI was born.

A manager who promised to make BON JOVI the biggest band in the world - Doc McGhee was overseeing the band’s career, had approached Jon. They opened for ZZ TOP at Madison Square Garden before the label had released the band's debut album, BON JOVI, in 1984. The record included the known hit "RUNAWAY" which was released as a single and
had a video on MTV (see picture). The album also included the second single "SHE DON'T KNOW ME" (a song Mercury requested Jon record and include on the album as part of his deal - to this date, that song remains the only track that has ever been on a Bon Jovi album that Jon didn’t write at least a part of it.)

As was the fashion at the time, the band's look was as important as the music…

The 80’s looks: Tight leather pants and colorful scarves, ripped shirts, big hair and eyeliner...

But live performance was how the band would build and earn their reputation. After BON JOVI was released, the band hit the road; opening for heavy metal acts SCORPIONS in the United States and KISS in Europe. I think, that by opening for those kinds of bands, really helped Bon Jovi to build a good reputation of great performances, because they did (according to interviews and old articles) gave everything on stage.


In December of 1984, Bon Jovi came home from the road and immediately started working on their next album. In APRIL of 1985, Bon Jovi released 7800 FAHRENHEIT (7800f is the melting point of rock.)

The band released three singles with videos: "ONLY LONELY," "IN & OUT OF LOVE" and the ballad "SILENT NIGHT, all of which received good airplay on MTV. Bon Jovi got out on the road, touring again.

 Self-proclaimed workaholics, by the end of 1985, JON and RICHIE were anxious to get to work on the new material they'd begun to write for the third Bon Jovi album.

In JUNE of 1986 B Bon Jovi released SLIPPERY WHEN WET. The album was destined to represent what would become the trademark Bon Jovi sound. And did. The first single, "YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME" became the band's first Number One single on the Billboard charts. The follow-up single, "LIVIN' ON A PRAYER," hit Number One as well, spending four weeks at the top position. MTV embraced Bon Jovi, and the videos played and played


The album's third single, "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE," peaked at number 7 on the Billboard charts but emerged, and still remains to this day, the Bon Jovi’s "National Anthem" - the band's most recognizable hit.

Bon Jovi was touring, The SWW (SLIPPERY WHEN WET) tour was very tiring to the Bon Jobi guys.

 

When SWW was released in April of 1986, Bon Jovi was the support act for 38 SPECIAL. By the end of 1986 Bon Jovi were well into six months of headline dates in arenas across America. With the overwhelming success of SLIPPERY WHEN WET (it spent 94 weeks on the Billboard charts and eight of those weeks at number 1!) Bon Jovi were real superstars. (“We’re living the dream… we are real rock stars!” – Richie Sambora in Vh1’s “Behind the music”.)

While they were determined to succeed based upon musical qualities alone, the appeal of the band, especially Jon's good looks, made them MTV staples and the chosen wall decoration for many teenagers' walls.

 

At that time I wasn’t even born… but they are decorating my walls now…J
 
Perhaps, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora's most powerful performance was on the 1989 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS. With only two acoustic guitars, Jon and Richie performed "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE" and "LIVIN' ON A PRAYER." To Jon and Richie, it wasn't much of a big deal; the songs were written on two acoustic guitars... However, the response from those who saw the performance, both live at the awards and at home on television, were amazing. This performance has generally been known as the event that led to the “MTV Unplugged” series.


 

By this point, Bon Jovi was bigger than ever. Jon appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. (See picture) Tickets to Bon Jovi concerts were impossible to get - every show was sold out. Everywhere the band was embraced with hysterical fans. Bon Jovi was a familiar name to all.

Determined to prove that the success of SLIPPERY WHEN WET was not a fluke, the band released their fourth album, NEW JERSEY in OCTOBER of 1998. And prove it they did.

NEW JERSEY was a more mature album, both in terms of musical styles and lyrical. It included massive hits: "BAD MEDICINE" was the first single and it spent two weeks at number 1 spot. The follow up singles "BORN TO BE MY BABY," "I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU" (which also number 1 hit) and "LIVING IN SIN" all charted in the top 10 and were huge hits on MTV. Bon Jovi even made the news when the video for "LIVING IN SIN" was banned by MTV.


Bon Jovi did another huge worldwide tour that continued all through 1989 and 1990. They visited more than 20 countries and performed more than 150 shows. But the non-stop touring was getting to the band. By the end of the New Jersey tour, Bon Jovi had 16 months of concerts under their belt and the band members were burned out - physically, mentally and emotionally. Finally, after the last tour date, and without any clear plans for their future, the band members just went home. (“It was - 5 guys took 5 planes, to 5 different places”. –Jon Bon Jovi on “Behind the music”.)

Having been originally approached by his friend Emilio Estevez to lend "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE" as the theme song for his upcoming movie, Jon Bon Jovi ended up composing an all-new theme song for the new movie. In 1990, BLAZE OF GLORY (Songs Written and Performed by Jon Bon Jovi; Inspired by the film YOUNG GUNS II) was released. -  It was Jon’s first solo album. The song "BLAZE OF GLORY" was a number 1 hit.

Jon won a GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD for Best Song From a Motion Picture. He also received GRAMMY and the OSCAR nominations for the song, but he didn't take home either of those statuettes. Now Jon had a Number One hit without the band... and Richie Sambora had released his own solo album - 1990's STRANGER IN THIS TOWN.

The future of the band was very blur.

Jon regrouped the members of Bon Jovi in 1991 and headed back into the Vancouver studios to work on Bon Jovi’s fifth album.

KEEP THE FAITH was released in November of 1992. the album proved Bon Jovi could still be a cool (and very successful) band in 1992. As Bon Jovi’s sound set itself to work in the 90's music scene, their image changed as well. The hair and bad taste in clothes was gone... CNN carried the news when Jon Bon Jovi cut his trademark long hair. And, though the media focused far too much attention on Jon's hair, the new look represented what had always been the mission of the band: no additions, just rock.

 

 


Before                                  after

 

 

 

The album's title track was it's first release, followed by the ballad "BED OF ROSES" which was a huge Top Ten hit. Bon Jovi headed out on the road and visited countries the band had never seen before .The second chapter in Bon Jovi’s career had begun.

To mark the beginning of the band's next period, in 1994 Bon Jovi released a greatest hits album titled CROSS ROAD. The album was expected to do well but no one could have predicted just how well... Included among the band's biggest hits were two new songs, "SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT" and "ALWAYS," a huge ballad that spent 32 weeks on the charts and became one of Bon Jovi’s all-time biggest hits. The "ALWAYS" single (see picture from the video) sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. But while the album was successfully selling, the band saw the departure of original bass player Alec John Such. Faced with the first change in the band members since the band's foundation and CROSS ROAD lingering on the charts as a massive hit, Bon Jovi had to decide what to do about their next album, which was finished and just about ready to be released....

With Hugh McDonald called in to handle bass duties, Bon Jovi decided to tour heavily in support of CROSS ROAD and, while they were out touring, THESE DAYS was released in JUNE of 1995.

"THIS AIN'T A LOVE SONG" was the first single from the album. It was a very successful single like the rest of them.

 

A career highpoint came in JUNE 1995 when Bon Jovi sold out three-nights at London's historical WEMBLEY STADIUM in London. With film crews, the concerts were documented for “BON JOVI: LIVE FROM LONDON”, a Grammy-nominated video of their record-breaking appearance.

Following the overwhelming success of the THESE DAYS album and tour, the members of Bon Jovi went their separate ways.

Each member pursued outside interests. In 1997, Jon released a second solo album, DESTINATION ANYWHERE, and focused more time and attention on the acting career he begun in 1994. Richie released his second solo album, UNDISCOVERED SOUL.

Tico matched his success as a musician when he was recognized as a respected painter and sculptor in the art community (see picture). Dave released a solo album of piano compositions, UNDER A FULL MOON, and began working on movie soundtracks and musical theater projects. The idea was that each band member would explore interests other than the band.

 

This time, there was no doubt as to the future of the band. It was only a question of timing.

In 2000, the members of Bon Jovi stepped into the studio with 60 songs from which would become the track listing of the seventh Bon Jovi studio album.

By the time CRUSH was released May 2000, the first single, "IT'S MY LIFE," (see picture from the video) was a smash hit around the globe. CRUSH went double platinum in the United States. The band that had become international superstars was reminding the people in the USA just what was so special about one of their best rock sounds.

CRUSH stayed on the USA Billboard charts at number 9 spot.

Worldwide it sold more than 7.5 million albums and the three singles: "IT'S MY LIFE", "SAY IT ISN'T SO" (see picture from the video) and "THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME” were successful as well.

 

 

 

Bon Jovi received two GRAMMY nominations: Best Rock Album for "CRUSH" and Best Rock Performance by Duo/Group for "IT'S MY LIFE." The video for "IT'S MY LIFE" won the MY VH-1 AWARD for "My Favorite Video." (See picture)

 

In the beginning of 2001 Bon Jovi played to more than one million fans in less than 30 shows.
 
While the band was out touring in 2001, they released ONE WILD NIGHT: LIVE 1985-2001.  - The first Bon Jovi I bought.

To this date it had sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.

Bon Jovi received the 2002 MY VH-1 AWARD for "HOTTEST LIVE SHOW." (See picture).

When the CRUSH and ONE WILD NIGHT tours were complete, the members of Bon Jovi had a short vacation before work would begin on the band's 8th studio album. But on September 11th, the vacation stopped.

Within days of the terrorist attacks, Jon and Richie had filmed Public Service Announcements for the Red Cross, performed as part of the A TRIBUTE TO HEROES live telethon.

On October 21st, Bon Jovi performed at the huge CONCERT FOR NEW YORK (see picture) at Madison Square Garden, raising money and honoring those who worked to save lives during the terror.


Jon and Richie had already begun songwriting together in New Jersey when the terrorist attacks happened. Deeply moved by what they witnessed, they continued the writing process and emerged with a fresh new group of songs inspired by the tragedy.

Despite the terrible events that may have served as inspirations for aspects of the new songs, Jon and Richie said the songs themselves are optimistic and uplifting. The songs are not about the horror, but about the human condition and spirit in the wake of that day.

 

And it was true, the songs in that album, are really optimistic, and I enjoyed the massage of each and every one of them.

In March 2002, Bon Jovi entered the recording studio to begin recording their 8th studio album, BOUNCE. The title refers not only to the United States' ability to bounce back from the World Trade Center attacks, but, it also refers to Bon Jovi and the band's ability to bounce back again and again, over the years.