Bon Jovi biography | 40 years – 120M sales – 2700 concerts | Business or family?

A guitar player was missing, so Jon called his friend and neighbour, Dave ‘The Snake’ Sabo, with whom he had a pact since they were kids. If one of them made a record, they would help the other.

• They both knew it was temporary and he was only hired to play during the brief tour in support of ‘Runaway’, without officially joining the band.
• Sabo later joined Skid Row.

Again on the recommendation of bassist Alec Such, Richie Sambora went to see Jon in concert and was impressed with his talent. At the end of the concert he approached him and said: “We should play together“. And so much they would! 👻

Bon Jovi recorded their eponymous debut album, ‘Bon Jovi‘, released on 21 January 1984, produced at Jon’s cousin’s studios, Power Station.

• The album included the band’s first hit, ‘Runaway’, which like the album reached number 40 in the charts.
• The band soon opened for Scorpions in the US and Kiss in Europe.

It is the only album in Bon Jovi’s career to include a song they did not write, ‘She Don’t Know Me‘.

Bon Jovi had everything, a great live show, a very attractive frontman who sang very well, they just lacked the right songs to take over the world.

• 7800º Fahrenheit is the only Bon Jovi album to include songs written by all the band members; ‘Secret Dreams‘ is the only Bon Jovi track on which drummer Tico Torres appears as the author.

After two moderately successful albums, they knew that if the third album didn’t make it, the label would fire them, so the band changed their approach and hired professional songwriter Desmond Child as a collaborator, moving to Canada for 6 months to record their third album.

• ‘Slippery When Wet’ was released in 1986.
• The title is a message they saw in a Vancouver strip club 🗝️, although the official story is that it’s a sign they saw on a road, what do you think?
• The album cover was supposed to be a sexy girl in a torn t-shirt with the title ‘Slippery When Wet’, but to avoid controversy or sexist messages they changed it to a simple wet glass with the same title.

Thanks to all these tracks ‘Slippery When Wet’ was the best selling album of 1987, winning Favorite Pop Rock Band at the American Music Awards and Favorite Rock Group at the People’s Choice Awards.

• The album ranks 44th on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of the 200 definitive albums of all time.

To give you an idea of what a change it was for Bon Jovi, when the album was released they were not yet headlining, but were opening for ‘38 Special‘ in the US, yet they ended the year as headliners for 130 concerts on the “Tour Without End“, grossing $28 million.

• That allowed them to buy a private jet to travel 🛫 the boys couldn’t believe it!

Jon commented that the leap to worldwide fame made everything bigger and he moved twice as fast. He got recognised twice as often, but he also had more responsibility and had to sell more records, i.e. handle a bigger business.

Despite all the success Jon was hurt that they were not recognised for their music, but for their looks.

• When he starred on his first Rolling Stone cover in 1987, people talked about his hairstyle rather than his songs.
• Over the years this would change and Jon and the whole band would gain recognition, but the posters in the bedrooms of many young people would remain 😂

They decided to radically change the sound and image of the band, releasing ‘Keep The Faith‘, released in 1992 as a new chapter in Bon Jovi’s history.

• On the cover you can see the hands of the 5 members clasped together to show the new unity they had achieved as a group 🖐🏼

One more change that caught the attention of fans and media alike, Jon Bon Jovi’s haircut, which Jon hated, because all he cared about was his art and his songs.

Musically the album moved away from the heavy drumming and hard rock guitar solos and introduced a more mature sound and lyrics.

Bon Jovi won the award for best-selling rock band at the World Music Awards. Cross Road has sold more than 21.5 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

After the recording of Cross Road in 1994, original bassist Alec John Such left the band. The reason was simple, he had had enough. His time in life was different and he no longer wanted to record a new studio album, but to have time for himself. As Jon Bon Jovi said, just because he was a workaholic didn’t mean that others had to be too.

• He was replaced, unofficially, by Hugh McDonald (bassist on the track ‘Runaway’).

The band then embarked on a mini Christmas club tour in December 1994 and continued to promote Cross Road, at which point Richie Sambora took the opportunity to marry ‘Melrose Place’ actress Heather Locklear. Their daughter Ava Elizabeth Sambora was born 3 years later in 1997.

The drummer, Tico Torres, known as “El Sicario (The Hitman)“, discovered another talent, painting 👨🏼‍🎨. Since 1995, he has not stopped painting in a self-taught way, making multiple exhibitions of his works that show scenes of everyday life and of the band. Incidentally, Torres also has a fashion line for babies called ‘Rock Star Baby‘.

Bon Jovi made a comeback in 1995 with ‘These Days‘, a astonishing album with wonderful songs such as the title track, the story of which we tell you in ‘These Days‘. Bon Jovi never sounded so sincere.

• Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote up to 40 songs, with 12 finally being chosen.
• The sound is calmer and more romantic than what we are used to, but much more careful in form and style than the previous albums.

These Days is considered by many critics and fans as their best album, something that we at Trembol agree with, in tough competition with ‘Keep the Faith‘.

The album’s first single was the rhythm and blues-influenced ballad ‘This Ain’t a Love Song‘, which was the album’s only major hit in the United States. In Europe and Asia, however, the album was a smash hit with tracks such as ‘Something for the Pain’, ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘These Days’.

• In 1995 Bon Jovi won a BRIT Award for Best International Band and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Rock.

On the ‘These Days Tour’, Bon Jovi sold out three nights at London’s historic Wembley Stadium. The concerts were documented in ‘Bon Jovi: Live From London‘. It was followed by 126 more sold-out concerts in stadiums all over the world 🏟️

Bon Jovi had already been studying to become an actor for five years, which he achieved in 1995 with his first major film, Moonlight and Valentino. It received very good reviews, something he would continue with his next film in 1996, The Leading Man.

Jon would go on to shoot many other films throughout his career including: Destination Anywhere, Homegrown, Little City, No Looking Back, Row Your Boat, Vampires Los Muertos, U-571, Cry Wolf, National Lampoon’s Pucked, Cadena de Favores and New Year’s Eve in 2011, his last big screen appearance.

His television series appearances include Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Las Vegas, The West Wing, and a long stint on Ally McBeal as a plumber who was Ally’s boyfriend for a short period of time.

Bon Jovi reunited in 1999 to record the song ‘Real Life‘ for the film EdTV, at which time David Bryan was recovering from an accident in which he nearly severed his finger with a circular saw at home. After a year of rehabilitation, Bryan regained the use of his finger 👆🏼 and returned to playing the keyboard.

In mid-2000, after a hiatus of almost 4 years, Bon Jovi returned to the music scene with ‘Crush‘, a new album with which the band would climb the charts around the world thanks mainly to its first single, ‘It’s My Life’, their most successful release in a decade and a symbol of the band’s longevity.

• ‘It’s My Life‘ introduced Bon Jovi to a new generation, who immediately became fans of the band.
• The song references Tommy and Gina, the stars of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ and also Frank Sinatra with the line: ‘Like Frankie said, I did it my way‘.
• They also used the most classic Bon Jovi feature in the track is Richie Sambora’s use of the “talk box”.

A talk box is a sound effect device that allows you to modify the sound that a musical instrument has. This effect can be used to change the frequency of the sound and to apply vocal sounds to a musical instrument, as Richie Sambora has done many times with his guitar.

On the album tour, as well as playing the last 2 concerts at Wembley before its demolition, they played to 1.1 million fans in 40 stadiums and arenas in North America, Europe and Japan.

• Bon Jovi would go on to win ‘Best Live Performance‘ at the 2001 VH1 Music Awards.

During the tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout his career on an album entitled ‘One Wild Night Live 1985-2001‘. It was Bon Jovi’s first live album.

By the way, Jon Bon Jovi has always been considered a sex-symbol, in fact in 2000 People magazine called him the “Sexiest Rock Star”.

• Away from the aesthetic side, Jon Bon Jovi has always supported the Democratic Party in the United States. His first campaign was for Al Gore in 2000, followed by John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008, who appointed him to the White House Community Solutions Council.

In 2000, guitarist Richie Sambora would have the privilege of having the famous guitar brand Fender release a Stratocaster model signed by him, of which only 100 units were made.

• Richie is known to have used a wide variety of guitars throughout his career from his extensive collection of over 130, perhaps the most famous being the double neck, although Richie even played one with 3 necks (Ovation Triple Neck), anyone?
  

Back to Bon Jovi, the band members had planned a short holiday before starting work on the group’s eighth studio album, but 11 September changed the world. The whole band threw themselves into charity and fundraising events.

• In 2001 Jon was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey.

Fully influenced by September 11, 2001, both Jon and Richie set to work on what would become their new album, ‘Bounce’ which was released in 2002.

• The album was released via the Internet.
• The title referred to the ability of New York City and the United States to recover from the World Trade Center attacks.

Bounce contained top rock songs, written by Jon, Richie and the return of long-time collaborator Desmond Child, but still sold less than their previous albums, 6 million units.

The best tracks on the album were:

• Bounce: It was written with sports in mind, however, after 9/11, it became a statement of strength and defiance.
• Undivided: Affirms that people are stronger together than apart.
• Everyday: Acknowledges the harshness of life, but encourages people to get up and keep going.
• Our favourite was ‘Joey‘, inspired by Elton John’s ‘Levon’, tells of a character who befriends a very naive young boy, a beautiful song.

In 2004, Bon Jovi became founder and principal owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League, although he would later sell the club.

The band’s ninth studio album, ‘Have a Nice Day‘, was released in 2005. The album reached number one in fifteen countries.

• The title track, ‘Have a nice day’, was an international hit.
• The second single, sung as a duet with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland, ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home‘ gave Bon Jovi their first number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making Bon Jovi the first rock band to do so.

The songs were mainly about the political changes that took place in the United States in that period and the state of the music business that seeks to sell 99-cent downloads in bulk. That’s what ‘Last Man Standing’ is about. “It’s heartbreaking“, Jon said.

The ‘Have A Nice Day Tour’ was a total success, grossing $191 million 💲

A wonderful bonus track

One of our favourite Bon Jovi songs is a bonus track from the album ‘Have a Nice Day’, which is very hard to find. It’s called ‘Dirty Little Secret‘, and it’s about having a lover, so here it is for you to enjoy!

Jon Bon Jovi philanthropy

Jon founded the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in 2006 to support community efforts to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Later, in 2011, he and his wife Dorothea opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a series of community restaurants where customers pay what they can for their meals, either with money or volunteer labour.

This initiative is part of a series of projects that include building homes for people in need and a centre for teenage mothers and their children, among others.

Aside from his foundation, Jon has made countless contributions to multiple causes, both with Bon Jovi and personally with his wife. He has always wanted to give something back for all he has received in life 👍🏼

A year later, in 2009, the documentary which narrates the ups and downs of Bon Jovi’s 25-year musical career was released, ‘When We Were Beautiful‘.

• It tells how Richie Sambora was always Jon’s right-hand man, his friend, his songwriting partner, his support, he always tried to keep Jon well, but around 2008, he couldn’t, his personal situation (divorce and his father’s illness) made him very ill and he was the one who needed help.

During that period, Richie Sambora entered a rehabilitation centre to fight against his alcoholism. He would also become addicted to painkillers, after a fall in the bathroom where he broke his arm, but with the help of his bandmates and his mother, he overcame it.

• In 2011, it was announced that Sambora had made the decision to re-enter rehab.

Richie was not the only one who had problems with alcohol, drummer Tico Torres, could go 6 months without drinking, but when he did he would drink 2 bottles and become cruel, causing serious problems. Eventually he discovered that he had anger built up because his father abandoned him as a child, but he had the opportunity to talk to him much later, clear things up. That fact, in addition to the support of the other members of Bon Jovi, whom he considered his family, made him overcome it, becoming the most stable member of the band.

In 2010, Bon Jovi released a ‘Greatest Hits‘ with four new songs, and the band received MTV’s Global Icon Award.

• That same year, keyboardist David Bryan married for the second time, this time to Lexi Quaas.

Bon Jovi’s new album, ‘What About Now’, was released in 2013.

It was introduced with ‘Because We Can’, an anthem that invited us to raise our fists and fight for what is ours, although there are sweet tunes on the album like ‘The Fighter’ and others with Bon Jovi’s fantastic rock like ‘That’s what the water made me’.

• The album cover is a collage on which, if you look closely, you can see the four members of Bon Jovi.

As a bonus of the album we find ‘Not Running Anymore’ used in the soundtrack of the movie ‘Stand Up Guys’, being nominated for the Golden Globes 🏅

Unfortunately, this would be the last album to feature legendary guitarist Richie Sambora. In April 2013, Sambora pulled out of the current tour citing “personal reasons”, guitarist Phil X replaced him and stayed for the rest of the tour, amidst rumours that Sambora had been fired.

Not so, Richie left the band because he needed to spend time with his family, especially his daughter Ava, a minor at the time. Sambora explained:

My daughter really needed me.

Jon and Richie were like a married couple, the two had been writing as a duo for 30 years and spent more time together than with their wives. Of course they had ups and downs over the years, fights and reconciliations, but Jon was clear:

Not a day goes by that I don’t wish Richie Sambora had rethought his life and stayed in the band.

In November 2014, Sambora’s departure was officially announced, no hard feelings, replaced on a permanent basis by Phil X. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a comeback, what do you think?

Jon Bon Jovi never stops and quickly set about writing new songs, releasing two singles in 2015:

1. ‘We Don’t Run’, a rallying cry for anyone feeling between a rock and a hard place.
2. ‘Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning’.

Both appeared on the album ‘Burning Bridges‘.

The album was conceived to fulfil Bon Jovi’s commitment to his label Mercury Records, with whom he would break off after 32 years due to disagreements over the contract.

The track ‘Burning Bridges‘ explains in detail what happened when Jon sang:

I hope my money and the rights to my songs will buy you a front row seat in hell.

Bon Jovi wanted to write a new album that was about integrity, about a time in their career when they no longer had anything to prove, thus spawning ‘This House Is Not for Sale’, released in 2016 with a single of the same name.

• This album names bassist Hugh McDonald and guitarist Phil X as official members of Bon Jovi.

‘This House Is Not for Sale‘ was inspired by a photo Jon saw in a magazine of a proud old house with deep roots, which he decided to use for the cover.

• Our favourite song on the album is, ‘Living with the Ghost’, a song about loss.

Only a year later, a 25-disc box set titled ‘Bon Jovi: The Albums‘ was released, which included the entire Bon Jovi discography and an album of rarities.

Around that time, 2018, Richie Sambora would start collaborating with the great guitarist and girlfriend Orianthi. Under the name RSO, they would release an EP called ‘Rise’ in 2017, followed by another EP titled ‘Making History’ and finally an album in 2018, ‘Radio Free America’.

In 2018, the long-awaited moment of the return of Bon Jovi’s two former members arrived. The reason was that Bon Jovi would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• Jon invited Richie Sambora and Alec Such to appear and perform with the band at the induction ceremony. That way we could enjoy all the members, past and present, at the same time.

It was a one-off, because the band with its 2020 line-up, i.e. singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X and bassist Hugh McDonald, would set off again to write the album ‘2020’.

Caught in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jon, who contracted the virus and was made to think about the fragility of human life, composed ‘Do What You Can’, which represents the fight against COVID-19.

The album also includes the track ‘American Reckoning‘, a protest song about the police killing of African-American George Floyd, written in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In 2020, Jon Bon Jovi released an EP called ‘A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas‘, featuring three new Christmas songs 🎅🏼