Jon Bon Jovi at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Las Vegas Nevada.
Monday, September 14, 2009.
Date of Birth
2 March 1962, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA
Birth Name
John Francis Bongiovi Jr.
Nickname
Captain Kidd
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Spouse
Dorothea Hurley (29 April 1989 - present) 4 children
Trade Mark
Songs are usually about someone having a hard time but rising above it (ie Livin' On A Prayer, It's My Life, Bounce)
His dancing onstage
Jon's unique voice
Sunglasses
Trivia
Musician/rock star turned actor
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
Auditioned for the role of Ashe in The Crow: City of Angels (1996), but lost out to French actor Vincent Perez.
Appeared on the Star Wars Christmas album, "Christmas in the Stars". (as John Bongiovi)
The acoustical performance of "Livin' On A Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" that Jon and Richie Sambora performed at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards is widely acknowledged as being the genesis/greenlight for MTV's "Unplugged" series.
Given title "Sexiest Rock Star" by People Magazine. [November 2000]
Children, with Dorothea Hurley, Stephanie Rose (b. May 31st 1993), Jesse James Louis (b. February 19th 1995), Jacob Hurley (b. May 7th 2002) and Romeo Jon (b. March 29th 2004).
The song "August 7", from his solo album Destination Anywhere, is a tribute to his friend/manager Paul Korzilius' daughter Katherine. She died at the age of six under mysterious circumstances on August 7, 1996.
Likes watching movies, driving cars, sleeping, eating junk food, working out at the gym, football, spending time with his family and playing with his dog Copper.
He's owned a few cars as well, a white Datsun 280Z in 1988, a '58 Corvette 1988-1992, a Ferrari 328 GTSI 1988-1992; in 1995 Jon owned a Ferrari, Camaro, 2 Corvettes, some Jeeps, Mustang Shelby and a 1957 Lincoln Premier, some motorcycles, among them a Harley Davidson and a snowmobile. In 1996 he owned a Harley Davidson, black Mercedes and a red 91/92 Corvette. He loves sports cars, especially Porsches.
Likes wearing casual clothes, jeans and shirts
He has sensitive eyes against sunlight and cigarette smoke, that's why he always wears sunglasses. During spring he has allergies and hay fever.
He started smoking in 1994 during the making of _Moonlight and Valentino (1995)_ but quit again. Picked it back up during the making of The Leading Man (1996) and after the 1996 tour because he "just likes it".
Italian-American
Dated award winning actress Diane Lane in the mid-eighties.
Mother is Carol Sharkey, one of the first Playboy bunnies. His father is John Frank Bongiovi.
Brother of Anthony M. Bongiovi and 'Matthew Bongiovi'.
Has worked on behalf of the Special Olympics, the American Red Cross, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other groups.
Son, Romeo Jon, born on March 29, 2004, and weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz.
Shares a birthday with Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001
Majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League), which began play in 2004.
He was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, but he grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey.
Campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, and John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election.
His band "Bon Jovi" were discovered when they won a local New York City(WAPP "The Apple" 103.5 "now defunct") radio station contest in the early 80's. The winning song was the now classic hit "Runaway".
Have a Nice Day, Jon's Bands new Album, reached #1 in Australia, Holland, Austria, Germany and Canada after just one week after release.
Is co-owner of the Arena Football League team the Philidelphia Soul.
In 2006 his band, Bon Jovi became the first rock band to have a number one hit on the country charts.
He graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School with other alumni such as Marilyn Ghigliotti and Greg Evigan.
Bon Jovi were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. [14 November 2006]
His favorite songs are "Ruby" by The Kaiser Chiefs, "Overnight Sensation" by The Raspberries, "Clocks" by Coldplay, "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones, "Cannonball" by Damien Rice, "When You Were Young" by The Killers and "One" by U2. (Source: BBC Radio 2 "Tracks of My Years").
Ranked #76 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists along with Bon Jovi.
Ranked #13 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
His song "Livin' On A Prayer" is ranked #1 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Songs Of The Eighties".
His grandfather was a mortician, he owned Bongiovi funeral home in Raritan, New Jersey.
He was elected into the 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame for his services to Arts, Entertainment, and Philanthropy.
His favorite movie is The Godfather.
Personal Quotes
"This is the way I look at sex scenes: I have basically been doing them for a living for years. Trying to seduce an audience is the basis of rock 'n roll, and if I may say so, I'm pretty good at it...Plus, being married and monogamous, it's the closest thing I can do to having sex without getting in trouble for it...The only thing I like more than my wife is my money, and I'm not about to lose that to her and her lawyers, that's for damn sure."--Movieline, February 1998
I would love to be able to do both (acting and making music). If I look at someone like Sinatra, who toured until he was 80 and made 60 movies, that would be a great life to have.
Some people just court celebrity for the sake of it. People like Tom Cruise. He was always a great actor, but I think the man's lost it, lost it. You won't ever catch me jumping up and down on Oprah going on about how I love this woman. And then others start feeding off it. Suddenly, Katie Holmes is on the covers of magazines. These people claim they hate the intrusion that fame brings but then they bring it on themselves by having huge entourages everywhere they go, attracting attention to themselves. It's a great fallacy. Another one's Paris Hilton. Famous for being infamous. And the people who should be getting the attention, people like Bob Dylan, aren't. It's sad.
I wrote the album during a time of extreme polarization in America. There was a war happening and it was dividing families. I realized the party that I was working for had lost but that we still had to come forward together as a nation. You can't be a sore loser. Hence the album title "Have a Nice Day". What drew me to politics in the first place was the fact that I wanted to have a place to take a stand and use my voice to express what I believed in. But I've no longer got any political aspirations. I feel that as a politician, fifty per cent of people would hate you before you even left the house. And I've never quite known what motivates politicians. Do they really believe in the cause that strongly or is it just the pursuit of power? I once flew on a plane with Bill Clinton and a reporter asked whose job was better, mine or the President's? I said that mine was, because I get to keep the plane and the house.
"My real friends and my family know that if I'm not working I'm miserable. It's not for monetary reasons. I already have fame and fortune. Now I want to find the greatness in things - which is why I was attracted to the arts in the first place. Slowly, I have fallen in love with acting. And all the struggle here - the acting lessons, the indie movies - has taught me so much." (being in the limelight)
"If people have to tell you how successful they are, they really aren't that successful. That's something I learned sweeping floors at this recording studio called the Power Station. Mediocre stars were the biggest pricks, and the big stars were the ones who came in and said, "How're those demos going?" - Keep pushing." (success and life)
"Introverted maybe, but incredibly focused to do whatever it is that I want to do. If it's to go running this morning or to drink tonight, it's gonna be the whole bottle. I don't sip." (about being shy)
It is really a great thing when you get to inspire others with your words on such a universal level. I will never forget meeting these two girls, Dee and MJ. When they told me all that my music had done for them, it was just such a great feeling. They are two very wonderful, and beautiful girls and I am glad I got a chance to meet them. They were very lovely girls.
"I was crushed when Bush got re-elected. I was so depressed and am still gravely disappointed with the results of both elections. I think history will verify that the world would have been a much better place if the outcome had not been that way. I'm never going to be invited for tea at the White House. But I've never gone on stage - before the elections or since - and slagged off Bush. Not because I agree with him in any way, out of respect for the office of President. It's too obvious to bash Bush. Everybody knows what I think about his policies. We went to a local bar for a couple of drinks to cheer ourselves up. On the way home we passed a couple who were in their sixties. I could see the recognition in their eyes so I said, 'How ya doing?'. The old guy replied, 'I only got one thing to say to you' - and put his hand in the sign of a 'W'. I went bananas - and that wasn't one tenth of how badly my wife reacted. Needless to say, it's been a difficult last couple of years. It's heartbreaking many people now view Americans with suspicion. At one time, we were everybody's best friend. We could go to places perceived as dangerous territories. Now, I'd think twice about asking our road crew to travel there." (May 2006)
Do you really want to know why I'm doing all this goodwill, and why I'm an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and why I gave a million to [relief efforts for Hurricane] Katrina? It's because I feel guilty about the huge hole in the ozone layer my haircuts created. It's my responsibility to right the wrongs of the Eighties.
Success is falling nine times and getting up ten.
I suppose I am like the Elvis Costello of the movie business and the Tom Cruise of the music business. I got so many good reviews for so many movies but had zero commercial success. And yet with regards to the band's music the critics have never been very accepting but the masses keep buying our albums
Where Are They Now
(April 2001) One Wild Night Tour with Bon Jovi
(February 2003) kicks off the American leg of the Bounce tour.
(July 2005) Performed at the Live8 Concert in Philadelphia. Released the single "Have a Nice Day"
Jon Bon Jovi at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Las Vegas Nevada.
Monday, September 14, 2009.
Date of Birth
2 March 1962, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA
Birth Name
John Francis Bongiovi Jr.
Nickname
Captain Kidd
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Spouse
Dorothea Hurley (29 April 1989 - present) 4 children
Trade Mark
Songs are usually about someone having a hard time but rising above it (ie Livin' On A Prayer, It's My Life, Bounce)
His dancing onstage
Jon's unique voice
Sunglasses
Trivia
Musician/rock star turned actor
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
Auditioned for the role of Ashe in The Crow: City of Angels (1996), but lost out to French actor Vincent Perez.
Appeared on the Star Wars Christmas album, "Christmas in the Stars". (as John Bongiovi)
The acoustical performance of "Livin' On A Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" that Jon and Richie Sambora performed at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards is widely acknowledged as being the genesis/greenlight for MTV's "Unplugged" series.
Given title "Sexiest Rock Star" by People Magazine. [November 2000]
Children, with Dorothea Hurley, Stephanie Rose (b. May 31st 1993), Jesse James Louis (b. February 19th 1995), Jacob Hurley (b. May 7th 2002) and Romeo Jon (b. March 29th 2004).
The song "August 7", from his solo album Destination Anywhere, is a tribute to his friend/manager Paul Korzilius' daughter Katherine. She died at the age of six under mysterious circumstances on August 7, 1996.
Likes watching movies, driving cars, sleeping, eating junk food, working out at the gym, football, spending time with his family and playing with his dog Copper.
He's owned a few cars as well, a white Datsun 280Z in 1988, a '58 Corvette 1988-1992, a Ferrari 328 GTSI 1988-1992; in 1995 Jon owned a Ferrari, Camaro, 2 Corvettes, some Jeeps, Mustang Shelby and a 1957 Lincoln Premier, some motorcycles, among them a Harley Davidson and a snowmobile. In 1996 he owned a Harley Davidson, black Mercedes and a red 91/92 Corvette. He loves sports cars, especially Porsches.
Likes wearing casual clothes, jeans and shirts
He has sensitive eyes against sunlight and cigarette smoke, that's why he always wears sunglasses. During spring he has allergies and hay fever.
He started smoking in 1994 during the making of _Moonlight and Valentino (1995)_ but quit again. Picked it back up during the making of The Leading Man (1996) and after the 1996 tour because he "just likes it".
Italian-American
Dated award winning actress Diane Lane in the mid-eighties.
Mother is Carol Sharkey, one of the first Playboy bunnies. His father is John Frank Bongiovi.
Brother of Anthony M. Bongiovi and 'Matthew Bongiovi'.
Has worked on behalf of the Special Olympics, the American Red Cross, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other groups.
Son, Romeo Jon, born on March 29, 2004, and weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz.
Shares a birthday with Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001
Majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League), which began play in 2004.
He was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, but he grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey.
Campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, and John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election.
His band "Bon Jovi" were discovered when they won a local New York City(WAPP "The Apple" 103.5 "now defunct") radio station contest in the early 80's. The winning song was the now classic hit "Runaway".
Have a Nice Day, Jon's Bands new Album, reached #1 in Australia, Holland, Austria, Germany and Canada after just one week after release.
Is co-owner of the Arena Football League team the Philidelphia Soul.
In 2006 his band, Bon Jovi became the first rock band to have a number one hit on the country charts.
He graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School with other alumni such as Marilyn Ghigliotti and Greg Evigan.
Bon Jovi were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. [14 November 2006]
His favorite songs are "Ruby" by The Kaiser Chiefs, "Overnight Sensation" by The Raspberries, "Clocks" by Coldplay, "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones, "Cannonball" by Damien Rice, "When You Were Young" by The Killers and "One" by U2. (Source: BBC Radio 2 "Tracks of My Years").
Ranked #76 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists along with Bon Jovi.
Ranked #13 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
His song "Livin' On A Prayer" is ranked #1 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Songs Of The Eighties".
His grandfather was a mortician, he owned Bongiovi funeral home in Raritan, New Jersey.
He was elected into the 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame for his services to Arts, Entertainment, and Philanthropy.
His favorite movie is The Godfather.
Personal Quotes
"This is the way I look at sex scenes: I have basically been doing them for a living for years. Trying to seduce an audience is the basis of rock 'n roll, and if I may say so, I'm pretty good at it...Plus, being married and monogamous, it's the closest thing I can do to having sex without getting in trouble for it...The only thing I like more than my wife is my money, and I'm not about to lose that to her and her lawyers, that's for damn sure."--Movieline, February 1998
I would love to be able to do both (acting and making music). If I look at someone like Sinatra, who toured until he was 80 and made 60 movies, that would be a great life to have.
Some people just court celebrity for the sake of it. People like Tom Cruise. He was always a great actor, but I think the man's lost it, lost it. You won't ever catch me jumping up and down on Oprah going on about how I love this woman. And then others start feeding off it. Suddenly, Katie Holmes is on the covers of magazines. These people claim they hate the intrusion that fame brings but then they bring it on themselves by having huge entourages everywhere they go, attracting attention to themselves. It's a great fallacy. Another one's Paris Hilton. Famous for being infamous. And the people who should be getting the attention, people like Bob Dylan, aren't. It's sad.
I wrote the album during a time of extreme polarization in America. There was a war happening and it was dividing families. I realized the party that I was working for had lost but that we still had to come forward together as a nation. You can't be a sore loser. Hence the album title "Have a Nice Day". What drew me to politics in the first place was the fact that I wanted to have a place to take a stand and use my voice to express what I believed in. But I've no longer got any political aspirations. I feel that as a politician, fifty per cent of people would hate you before you even left the house. And I've never quite known what motivates politicians. Do they really believe in the cause that strongly or is it just the pursuit of power? I once flew on a plane with Bill Clinton and a reporter asked whose job was better, mine or the President's? I said that mine was, because I get to keep the plane and the house.
"My real friends and my family know that if I'm not working I'm miserable. It's not for monetary reasons. I already have fame and fortune. Now I want to find the greatness in things - which is why I was attracted to the arts in the first place. Slowly, I have fallen in love with acting. And all the struggle here - the acting lessons, the indie movies - has taught me so much." (being in the limelight)
"If people have to tell you how successful they are, they really aren't that successful. That's something I learned sweeping floors at this recording studio called the Power Station. Mediocre stars were the biggest pricks, and the big stars were the ones who came in and said, "How're those demos going?" - Keep pushing." (success and life)
"Introverted maybe, but incredibly focused to do whatever it is that I want to do. If it's to go running this morning or to drink tonight, it's gonna be the whole bottle. I don't sip." (about being shy)
It is really a great thing when you get to inspire others with your words on such a universal level. I will never forget meeting these two girls, Dee and MJ. When they told me all that my music had done for them, it was just such a great feeling. They are two very wonderful, and beautiful girls and I am glad I got a chance to meet them. They were very lovely girls.
"I was crushed when Bush got re-elected. I was so depressed and am still gravely disappointed with the results of both elections. I think history will verify that the world would have been a much better place if the outcome had not been that way. I'm never going to be invited for tea at the White House. But I've never gone on stage - before the elections or since - and slagged off Bush. Not because I agree with him in any way, out of respect for the office of President. It's too obvious to bash Bush. Everybody knows what I think about his policies. We went to a local bar for a couple of drinks to cheer ourselves up. On the way home we passed a couple who were in their sixties. I could see the recognition in their eyes so I said, 'How ya doing?'. The old guy replied, 'I only got one thing to say to you' - and put his hand in the sign of a 'W'. I went bananas - and that wasn't one tenth of how badly my wife reacted. Needless to say, it's been a difficult last couple of years. It's heartbreaking many people now view Americans with suspicion. At one time, we were everybody's best friend. We could go to places perceived as dangerous territories. Now, I'd think twice about asking our road crew to travel there." (May 2006)
Do you really want to know why I'm doing all this goodwill, and why I'm an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and why I gave a million to [relief efforts for Hurricane] Katrina? It's because I feel guilty about the huge hole in the ozone layer my haircuts created. It's my responsibility to right the wrongs of the Eighties.
Success is falling nine times and getting up ten.
I suppose I am like the Elvis Costello of the movie business and the Tom Cruise of the music business. I got so many good reviews for so many movies but had zero commercial success. And yet with regards to the band's music the critics have never been very accepting but the masses keep buying our albums
Where Are They Now
(April 2001) One Wild Night Tour with Bon Jovi
(February 2003) kicks off the American leg of the Bounce tour.
(July 2005) Performed at the Live8 Concert in Philadelphia. Released the single "Have a Nice Day"