Bon Jovi – a rock band from New Jersey, is named after the lead singer and founder of the group Jon Bon Jovi. The group originally made a bash in the l80s. The band has taken on their success legacy ever since as one of the world's most popular and successful rock bands throughout the 1990s and 2000s. They won their first Grammy in 2007 for "Best Country Collaboration" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and had formerly been nominated for two other Grammy Awards, both for their 2000 smash hit It's My Life. Bon Jovi has sold more than 35 million albums in the United States, and over 120 million albums worldwide, and has played live concerts in almost all over the globe. Bon Jovi has released nine studio albums, 2 best of albums, a live album, and a box set, with a tenth studio album due for release in 2007. Bon Jovi's biggest selling album is Slippery When Wet. The band has had seven number one albums on the European charts, six on the World Charts, two #1 albums in the USA and five number one albums in the UK and also throughout Australia, Japan, Canada and Germany. Bon Jovi hit numbers include "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Bad Medicine', "I'll Be There for You", "Keep the Faith", "Bed of Roses", "Always", "It's My Life", "Everyday", "Have a Nice Day" and "Who Says You Can't Go Home". Jon Bon Jovi began taking his first piano and guitar lessons at 13, Al Perinello - his neighbor. At that same age, Bon Jovi founded his first band, called Raze. Jon registered in an all-boys Catholic school St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey but left since he wasinterested in attending public school. He went on to attend Sayreville War Memorial High School. At sixteen, Bon Jovi met David Bryan (born David Bryan Rashbaum) and together, founded a 12-piece cover band titled Atlantic City Expressway. They played at New Jersey clubs. Still in his adolescence, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones. By the summer of 82, Jon took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi (the authentic spelling), was the co-owner. Jon made several demos (including one produced by Billy Squier) and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact. In 1983, Bon Jovi visited the local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the D.J., Chip Hobart, who suggested Bon Jovi let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on a compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was reluctant but eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians - known as "The All Star Review", to play on the track "Runaway" (which was written in 1980). The song began to get airplay in the New York metro area, followed by other stations. Jon now needed a band. The soon-to-be Bon Jovi didn't come together until March of 1983. Bon Jovi gave David Bryan a call, who further called bassist Alec John Such and skilled drummer Tico Torres. Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake) - Bon Jovi's neighbor,played the lead guitar for the band. One night after a show, Richie Sambora met with Bon Jovi backstage and told him that he should be the guitarist. Though, not with much intention, told him to learn the material and show up for rehearsal. After hearing Sambora, Bon Jovi was overwhelmed; in that moment, Sambora became the band's leading guitarist. Before that, Sambora had toured with Joe Cocker, played with a group called Mercy and had just been called up to audition for Kiss. He also played on the album Lessons with the band Message, which was re-released on CD through Long Island Records in 1995. Message was originally signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records label, although the album was never released. Tico Torres was also an veteran musician, having recorded with Miles Davis and playing live with Phantom's Opera, The Marvelettes, and Chuck Berry. He had played on 26 records and had recently recorded with Franke and the Knockouts. David Bryan was a natural recruit. He had quit the band he and Bon Jovi founded and went to college for pre-med studies. There it occurred to him that he should pursue music full-time, and thus got admission in the exalted Juilliard School, for music in New York. When Bon Jovi told his ol’ pal, bryan realizing this is it!, he gave a green signal to the offer. The Bon Jovi lineup, included Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Richie Sambora (lead guitar, backing vocals), David Bryan (keyboard, acking vocals) Tico Torres (drums, percussion), and Alec John Such (bass guitar, backing vocals). Once Bon Jovi had put together his band and began playing showcases and opening for local talent, they caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman, who signed John to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. John Bongiovi then made alteration in his name, replacing the gi in Bongiovi to a j, and also removed the h in john, thus became known as Jon Bon Jovi. With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee, the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, was released on January 21, 1984 and attained over 500,000 sales and was also released in the UK. The group also made an opening for ZZ Top at the Madison Square Garden , and for Scorpions and Kiss in Europe. They also made an appearance on American Bandstand. In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album 7800° Fahrenheit was released, but the received minor success. After a nearly three-year break, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. Their 2000 release, Crush, enjoyed awesome success both in the US and overseas, crediting to the major hit-single"It's My Life". Crush, which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So" and "Thank You for Loving Me", soon became the band's most successful studio album. The Crush Tour, initially consisted of only 60 or so shows and was extended due to Bon Jovi's pristine fame, with the band remaining on tour through mid-2001. While on tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout their career in an album, titled One Wild Night: Live 1985-2001. Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the band performed as part of the historic star-studded The Concert for New York City benefit concert for victims and their families. They performed an acoustic medley of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" with a stirring finale of "It's My Life". In late 2002, Bounce, the band's follow-up to Crush, hit stores. Though not as famous as its forerunner, the album did produce the hit singles, "Everyday" and "Misunderstood". The album featured eight demo and live tracks. With the end of the Have A Nice Day Tour, Bon Jovi began to throw around ideas for their next project. Among the potential offerings were going to Nashville to record with country stars, a second greatest hits CD, a new studio album, and even new movies. In November 2006, Jon Bon Jovi revealed that the band were back in the studio working on a new album, and will be touring again. Bon Jovi have confirmed that there will be no world tour or concert to promote the new album, making it the first studio album of original material not to be followed by a promotional tour since 7800° Fahrenheit released over twenty years ago. On March 19, 2007, Bon Jovi released news that their new album, titled as Lost Highway, would be released worldwide on June 19, 2007. The first single from the new album, "(You Want to) Make A Memory" was released to radio stations on March 20, 2007. To promote the new album, Bon Jovi will appear at the 6th annual CMT Awards in Nashville on April 16th, on American Idol on May 2nd, and at one of the Live Earth concerts on July 7th. Other songs confirmed for the album are the title track "Lost Highway", which is currently available as part of the Wild Hogs soundtrack, and "We Got It Goin' On", a duet with Big & Rich, which is the theme song for the new Arena Football League Season on ESPN. Bon Jovi will also have the privilege to be the first to perform at the new O2 Arena (formerly the Millenium Dome) when it opens to the public on June 24th. Bon Jovi Tickets sold through our site For more information
