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Jon Bon Jovi

Historical Figure

Jon Bon Jovi

b. 1962

American rock band

Postwar

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Biography

Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John Such left the band in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora left in 2013.

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In Their Own Words (5)

Timeline

The story of Jon Bon Jovi, told in moments.

1962 Birth

Born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He grew up in Sayreville, started playing in bands as a teenager, and worked sweeping floors at his cousin Tony Bongiovi's recording studio, the Power Station.

1984 Event

Released Bon Jovi's self-titled debut album. The single "Runaway" cracked the Billboard Top 40. The band had formed the year before in Sayreville with David Bryan, Tico Torres, Alec John Such, and Richie Sambora.

1986 Event

Slippery When Wet sold 28 million copies worldwide. "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer" both hit No. 1. The band went from Jersey bar circuit to arena headliners in less than three years.

2006 Event

"Who Says You Can't Go Home" became the first single by a rock band to hit No. 1 on the country charts. It won a Grammy. The band has sold over 130 million records and performed more than 3,000 concerts in 50 countries.

2018 Event

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band had been together for 35 years. They'd played in front of a combined audience of 34 million people.

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