
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.

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.