Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi (John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.), guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald. The band's lineup has remained mostly static during their history, the only exception being the departure of Alec John Such in 1994, who was unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald. The band became known for writing several rock anthems and achieved widespread recognition with their third album, ''Slippery When Wet'', released in 1986. After touring and recording non-stop during the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus after the New Jersey Tour in 1990, during which time Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora both released successful solo albums. In 1992, the band returned with the album ''Keep the Faith''. Their 2000 single "It's My Life", which followed a second hiatus, successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. Bon Jovi has been known to use different styles in their music, which has included country for their 2007 album ''Lost Highway''. Their latest album, ''The Circle'', was released on November 10, 2009 in the United States.

Throughout their career, the band have released eleven studio albums, three compilation albums and one live album, and have sold 130 million records worldwide. They have performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, and were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. The band was also honored with the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009. The band was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, but did not make it.

History[link]

Formation (1975–1983)[link]

Jon Bon Jovi began playing piano and guitar in 1975, at the age of 13, with his first band 'Raze'. At 16, Bon Jovi met David Bryan and formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway. Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band "John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones," playing local clubs like "The Fast Lane," and opening for known acts in the area. By 1980, he formed another band, "The Rest", and opened up for New Jersey acts such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

By mid-1982, out of school and working part-time at a women's shoe store, Jon Bon Jovi took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin Tony Bongiovi was co-owner. Bon Jovi made several demos—including one produced by Billy Squier—and sent them to record companies, though failing to make an impact. His first professional recording was as lead vocals in "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which was part of the ''Christmas in the Stars'' album which his cousin co-produced.

Bon Jovi visited local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the promotion director, John Lassman, who accepted the song "Runaway" for inclusion on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was initially reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway"—known as The All Star Review—were guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

The song began to get airplay in the New York area, then other sister stations in major markets picked up the song. In March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such (b. Alec John Such, November 14, 1952, Yonkers, New York, USA) ex-Phantom's Opera and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres. Tapped to play lead guitar was Bon Jovi's neighbor, Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake)—who later formed the group Skid Row. Sabo was eventually replaced by Richie Sambora (b. Richard Stephen Sambora, July 11, 1959, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA). Before joining the group, Sambora had toured with Joe Cocker, played with a group called Mercy and had 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 experienced musician, having recorded and played live with Phantom's Opera, The Marvelettes, and Chuck Berry. He appeared on 26 records and had recently recorded with Franke and the Knockouts, a Jersey band with hit singles during the early 1980s.

David Bryan had quit the band that he and Bon Jovi had founded in order to study medicine. While in college, he realized that he wanted to pursue music full-time, and was accepted to Juilliard School, a New York music school. When Bon Jovi called his friend and said that he was putting together a band, and a record deal looked likely, Bryan followed Bon Jovi's lead and gave up his studies.

Early years (1984–85)[link]

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee they recorded the band's debut album, ''Bon Jovi'', which was released on January 21, 1984. The album included the band's first hit single, "Runaway", reaching Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 followed by "She Don't Know Me" which was a song Mercury requested Jon record and include on the album as part of his deal. To date, that song remains the only track that has ever been included on a Bon Jovi album for which Jon does not have any writing credit (it was written by Mark Avsec of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers fame).

The group found themselves opening for Scorpions in U.S. and for Kiss in Europe. In August 1984 the band made an appearance at the Super Rock Festival as a special guest in Japan. However, "Runaway" became a hit and Bon Jovi attracted the attention in Japan. Bon Jovi got the very first gold disc for their first album in Japan. The album peaked at #43 on the Billboard 200 album chart in U.S. and a year after its release, it was certified Gold by RIAA.

In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album ''7800° Fahrenheit'' was released. The band released three singles "Only Lonely", "In And Out Of Love" and the ballad "Silent Night". The album peaked at #37 on Billboard 200 and certified Gold in U.S. While the album did not do as well as they'd hoped in terms of sales, it allowed Bon Jovi to get out on the road touring again. Their first Japanese performances as headliner which had been done immediately after the release of the album and eight shows in total became sold-out all, and the album hit the Top 5 and certified Gold in Japan.

In May 1985, Bon Jovi headlined venues in UK and Europe. 7800 Fahrenheit peaked at #28 in UK and #40 in Germany. At the end of the European tour, the band began a 6-month run of U.S. tourdates supporting Ratt. In the midst of that tour they managed to make appearances at the Texas Jam and Castle Donington's Monsters of Rock concerts in England. Jon Bon Jovi also did a solo appearance at the very first Farm Aid in 1985.

''Slippery When Wet'' (1986–87)[link]

MTV wholeheartedly embraced Bon Jovi, whose camera friendly good looks and live concert videos helped catapult the band into superstardom. With the overwhelming success of ''Slippery When Wet'' Bon Jovi had become the worldwide musical superstars they had been dreaming of. Slippery When Wet reached number one in Australia, Canada, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Switzerland and holds the record for the most weeks for a hard rock album at #1 in U.S., spending 8 weeks at #1 on Billboard 200. The album also hit the Top 10 in Austria, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United Kingdom, spending 107 weeks on UK Albums Chart.

In 1987, Slippery When Wet was named the top selling album of the year by Billboard and "Livin' On A Prayer" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance. In 1988, the band also won an award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band at the American Music Awards and an award for Favorite Rock Group at the People's Choice Awards.

When ''Slippery When Wet'' was released in August 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. In August 1987, the band headlined England's "Monsters of Rock" festival. During their set Dee Snider, Bruce Dickinson and Paul Stanley joined the band to perform "We're an American Band". The band ended the year having headlined 130 shows in the "Tour Without End", grossing $28,400,000.

Jon Bon Jovi was asked what all this astronomical success meant, to which he answered, "Everything is bigger, and it moves twice as fast. You're recognized twice as often. This is bigger, the whole world gets bigger. You have to sell more records, be huger. You get smarter and you understand the business a little more, so it's more responsibility. You understand it now, and you want to make sure everything goes right".

Following the group’s success, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were asked to assist in producing Cher’s ‘comeback’ self-titled album in 1987. Jon and Richie co-wrote and sang backing vocals on Cher’s single "We All Sleep Alone" and also produced several other tracks on the album, later going on to co-produce Cher’s multi-platinum album ''Heart of Stone'' in 1989.

''New Jersey'' (1988–90)[link]

Determined to prove that the success of ''Slippery When Wet'' was not a fluke, Bon Jovi released their fourth effort ''New Jersey'' in September 1988. The resulting album was a commercial hit. ''New Jersey'' spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard 200 and two weeks on UK Albums Chart.

''New Jersey'' also holds the record for the hard rock album to spawn the most Top 10 singles, with five singles charting on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in United States. "Bad Medicine" and the ballad "I'll Be There for You", both of which hit #1 on Billboard Hot 100. The album's three other singles ("Born to Be My Baby", "Lay Your Hands on Me", and "Living in Sin") reached 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 for featuring some too racy romance/sex scenes. After that it was re-edited and MTV put it in heavy rotation.

Bon Jovi mounted another huge worldwide tour that continued throughout 1989 and 1990. They visited more than 22 countries and performed more than 232 shows before it was all over. The personal highpoint for the band was their June 11, 1989 sell-out homecoming at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. In August 1989, the band headed to the Soviet Union for the ''Moscow Music Peace Festival''. Bon Jovi were the first band officially sanctioned by the Soviet government to perform in the Soviet Union and New Jersey was released on the state-owned record label, Melodiya, a privilege no Western artist had ever been granted before. Monsters of Rock festival was cancelled in 1989 because of the deaths of two fans during the Guns N' Roses performance in 1988. It was replaced with another rock festival which took place in Milton Keynes with Bon Jovi, Europe, Skid Row, and Vixen as participants.

The non-stop touring was taking its toll on 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 exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. Finally, following the last tour date in Mexico, and without any clear plans for their future, the band members just went home.

Solo albums (1990–91)[link]

Jon Bon Jovi recorded a solo album, a soundtrack to the movie ''Young Guns II'' more commonly known as ''Blaze of Glory''. Having been originally approached by his friend Emilio Estevez to lend "Wanted Dead Or Alive" as the theme song for his upcoming Billy The Kid sequel, Jon Bon Jovi ended up composing an all new theme song for the film's soundtrack and delivering his first solo album.

Released in 1990, the album featured high profile guests such as Elton John, Little Richard and Jeff Beck. The album fared well commercially and received positive reviews. The title track, "Blaze of Glory" hit #1 in United States. In 1991 "Blaze of Glory" won an award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single at the American Music Awards and awarded a Golden Globe, as well. The song also earned Jon Bon Jovi an Academy Award nomination and a Grammy nomination.

Sambora, with the help of Tico Torres and David Bryan, released a solo album entitled ''Stranger In This Town'', in 1991. The album featured Eric Clapton on the song "Mr. Bluesman". David Bryan recorded a soundtrack for the horror movie ''The Netherworld'', which was the brighter part of that year after he was hospitalized with an illness caused by a South American parasite. Alec John Such took a fall off of his motorcycle which injured his bass-playing hand, forcing him to develop a whole new way to hold and play his instrument.

Disillusioned with the music business, despite all his success, and unhappy with the status quo, in 1991 Jon Bon Jovi fired his management, business advisers, and agents, including his long time manager, Doc McGhee. Jon took on the quarterbacking responsibilities himself by closing ranks and creating ''Bon Jovi Management''.

In October 1991 the band went to a Caribbean island of St. Thomas to discuss plans for the future. They managed to resolve their differences by allowing each member to speak about his feelings without interruption from each other. Upon resolving their issues, they headed back into the Vancouver Little Mountain studios with Bob Rock to work on the band's fifth album in January 1992.

''Keep the Faith'' (1992–93)[link]

The musical tastes had shifted in the four years between New Jersey and Keep the Faith. Despite the industry's and audience's growing affinity for Grunge, Bon Jovi's sound morphed itself to work in the 1990s music scene, and also their image changed. The media focused considerable attention on Jon Bon Jovi’s hair. When Jon Bon Jovi cut his hair he made headlines on CNN.

The album went double platinum in United States and peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200. But on the other side of Atlantic, reaction was even more impressive. The album debuted at #1 in both UK and Australia and reached 5x platinum in Canada and 3x platinum in both Japan and Australia. Keep The Faith was also a huge success in Germany, and sold very well in both Asia and South America, two emerging and growing record markets.

The band appeared on ''MTV Unplugged'' in late 1992 but that was different from the other episodes of MTV Unplugged series. The performance captures Bon Jovi in an intimate, "in the round" experience, performing acoustic and electric renditions of classic hits (Bon Jovi and non-Bon Jovi tracks) and new material from ''Keep the Faith''. The concert was released commercially in 1993 as ''Keep the Faith: An Evening with Bon Jovi''.

To mark the beginning of the band's next phase, Bon Jovi embarked on an extensive international tour, visiting countries the band had never seen before and headlining stadiums in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. They visited 38 countries and performed 177 shows on the Keep the Faith Tour/I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour.

''Cross Road'' and ''These Days'' (1994–96)[link]

That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, the first lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald who was the bassist on "Runaway," unofficially replaced Such as bassist, with rumours that he had also recorded bass on previous albums (McDonald's website lists every Bon Jovi album, with the exception of 7800° Fahrenheit, in the Discography section).

Jon Bon Jovi said, regarding the departure of Such: "Of course it hurts. But I learned to accept and respect it. The fact that I'm a workaholic, studio in, studio out, stage on, stage off, want to be dealing with music day and night, doesn't mean everyone else has to adjust to that pace. Alec wanted to quit for a while now, so it didn't come as a complete surprise."

Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, ''These Days'', was released in June 1995. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the departure of bassist Alec John Such. Critics responded to ''These Days'' much as they had to ''Keep The Faith'', noting that the band had continued to mature lyrically and explore different styles of music, while keeping the music undeniably Bon Jovi. Jon Bon Jovi has stated that even though the album was their darkest, the band was in a very happy place at the time.

The album hit the Top 10 on Billboard 200 and managed to reach Platinum status by the RIAA in U.S. but fared better internationally than in the U.S. The album debuted at #1 in UK where it replaced Michael Jackson's album ''HIStory'' at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent four consecutive weeks at #1. In Japan, the album topped the Oricon chart with sales of 379,000 copies in first week, becoming then-fastest selling album by a non-Japanese artist in history of the country's chart. The lead single ''This Ain't A Love Song'' reached #14 in the United States, and was the only significant US hit from the album. However, the album produced four UK Top 10 hits. That year the band earned a BRIT Award for best international band and also won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best Rock.

The world tour that kicked off in India took the band though Asia, Europe, Australia and South America before the band's first-ever shows in South Africa. A career highpoint came in June 1995 when Bon Jovi sold out three-nights at London's historical ''Wembley Stadium''. With film crews in tow, the concerts were documented for ''Bon Jovi: Live From London'', a Grammy-nominated video of their record-breaking appearance. Bon Jovi visited 35 countries and performed 126 shows on ''These Days'' tour.

Hiatus (1997–99)[link]

In 1997, Jon Bon Jovi landed lead roles in several movies. While he was free between filming different movies, Jon wrote what would become his second solo album, 1997's ''Destination Anywhere''. A short movie of the same name was recorded around the record's release, based entirely on the songs from the record and starring Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Whoopi Goldberg.

Tico Torres used the opportunity to further pursue his painting while David Bryan started writing and composing various musicals. In 1998, Richie Sambora released his second solo outing titled ''Undiscovered Soul''.

Bon Jovi reunited in 1999 to record the song "Real Life" for the movie ''EdTV'' minus Bryan who was recovering from an accident in which he nearly severed his finger. In 1999 Bon Jovi was ready to release a new album, under the working title ''Sex Sells''; however, the album was suspended, and only three of more than thirty songs written were used for ''Crush''. (In the "Real Life" music video you can see some posters of this album.)

''Crush'' and ''One Wild Night'' (2000–01)[link]

After a nearly four-year hiatus, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. In June 2000, ''Crush'' was released as the band's seventh studio album. The first single "It's My Life" was noted as one of the group’s most successful releases in a decade and most importantly, becoming a symbol of the band's longevity as they prevailed through many different changes in the mainstream rock scene with admirable success. The album helped introduce them to a new, younger fan base. That year the band received two Grammy nominations for Best Rock Album ''Crush'' and Best Rock Performance by Duo/Group "It's My Life". The video for "It's My Life" won the My VH1 Music Awards for "My Favorite Video". VH1 also featured the band on the episodes of ''Behind The Music'' in 2000.

Bon Jovi played stadiums in Japan and Europe over the summer of 2000 including two sold-out concerts at London's historic Wembley Stadium, becoming the last ever concerts held at the legendary venue before its demolition. That summer the band played to more than one million fans in less than 30 shows. Upon their return to the U.S. the band did a sold-out arena tour in the Fall of 2000, followed in the Spring of 2001 with a sold-out arena–amphitheatre run of dates in America. They revisited stadiums in Japan and Europe including their first date in Wales at The Millenium Stadium. After this they had one more lap of shed dates in America. Bon Jovi sold out two homecoming concerts at New Jersey's Giants Stadium. Concerts were not only fulfilling career and personal highlights for the band but the broadcast broke ratings records for the VH-1 network.

While on tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout their career in an album entitled ''One Wild Night Live 1985–2001''. This was Bon Jovi's first-ever live album. The songs were culled from archives of recorded material the band had been collecting from their earliest days on the road right through the current tour.

The band awarded for "Hottest Live Show" at the 2001 My VH1 Music Awards At this awards show, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora surprised a live theatre full of attendees and a live television audience with a beautiful rendition of "Here Comes The Sun" as a tribute to George Harrison.

When the Crush and One Wild Night tours were complete, the members of the band had anticipated a brief vacation before work would begin on the band's 8th studio album. But on September 11, the world changed. Within days of the terrorist attacks, Jon and Richie had filmed Public Service Announcements for the Red Cross, recorded "America The Beautiful" for the NFL and performed as part of the historic ''America: A Tribute to Heroes'' live telethon. One month later, the band participated at two Monmouth County Alliance of Neighbors concerts in Red Bank, NJ to raise funds for the families close the band's hometowns, which were affected by the World Trade Center disaster. And on October 21, 2001, Bon Jovi performed at the monumental ''Concert For New York'' at Madison Square Garden, raising relief funds and honoring those who worked to save lives during the attack. Bon Jovi also released a second greatest hits album titled Tokyo Road in 2001.

''Bounce'' and ''This Left Feels Right'' (2002–04)[link]

In spring 2002, the group entered the studio to begin recording their eighth studio album. The title ''Bounce'' was a reference to New York City's and the United States' ability to bounce back from the World Trade Center attacks as a nation, and also referred to the band's ability to bounce back to popularity over the years. ''Bounce'' represented a return to Bon Jovi's "roots" with Richie Sambora playing heavily distorted guitars, gravelly vocals by Jon, keyboard effects and piano's by David Bryan and booming drums by Tico Torres. Jon Bon Jovi noted that "Bounce" was mainly a "Jon and Richie album." However, this return to a more "classic Bon Jovi" sound, while a relief to some fans, also brought out some critics that accused the band of being too "formulaic," a criticism that had been leveled at the band in the past .

The first single off the album, "Everyday," was nominated at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The band went on the Bounce Tour for this album, during which they made history as the last band to play Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia before it was torn down.

Following the end of the Bounce Tour in August 2003, Bon Jovi embarked on a side project; originally intending to produce an album consisting of live acoustic performances, the band ended up rewriting, re-recording and reinventing 12 of their biggest hits in a new and much different light. ''This Left Feels Right'' was released in November 2003.

The following year, the band released a box set entitled ''100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong'', the title being a homage to Elvis Presley's ''50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong''. The set consisted of four CDs packed with 38 unreleased and 12 rare tracks, as well as a DVD. The box set marked the sales of 100 million Bon Jovi albums and also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's first record in 1984.

In November 2004, Bon Jovi was honored with the Award for Merit at the American Music Awards, where they performed a sneak preview of an unfinished song, "Have a Nice Day."

''Have a Nice Day'' (2005–06)[link]

Bon Jovi participated in Live 8 on July 2, 2005, where they debuted the full, final version of "Have a Nice Day", alongside "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life". Bon Jovi's ninth studio album, ''Have a Nice Day'', was released in September 2005. "Have A Nice Day", the first single off the album. The second single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in the U.S. in early 2006. In the U.S., a duet version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland was released, they also released "Welcome to Wherever You Are" as the third single. And in May 2006, Bon Jovi became the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart. On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles won the Grammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home". The band also won an award for Favorite Rock Song at the People's Choice Awards with "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

Soon after the release of ''Have A Nice Day'', the band started gearing up for the new 2005–2006 worldwide Have A Nice Day Tour. This tour, being shorter than previous ones with only seventy-five shows originally planned, took the band to numerous stages and stadiums throughout the world. The tour was a significant commercial success, as the group played to 2,002,000 fans, and the tour grossed a total $191 million. The tour was the third-highest-grossing tour of 2006 taking in just over $131 million, just behind The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang World Tour and Madonna's Confessions Tour. On November 14, 2006, Bon Jovi were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame alongside James Brown and Led Zeppelin.

''Lost Highway'' (2007–08)[link]

In June 2007, Bon Jovi released their tenth studio album, ''Lost Highway''. The album influences the band's rock sound with that of country music following the success of a country version of the band's 2006 single "Who Says You Can't Go Home", a duet with Jennifer Nettles.

To promote the new album, Bon Jovi made several television appearances, including the 6th annual CMT Awards in Nashville, ''American Idol'', and MTV Unplugged, as well as playing at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium. They also performed ten promotional gigs in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Japan. As part of the 'tour', Bon Jovi were the first group to perform at London's new O₂ Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) when it opened to the public on June 24, 2007. The 23,000-seater stadium sold out within 30 minutes of tickets being released.

''Lost Highway'' topped the charts in United States, The Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada. The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and the albums first single "(You Want To) Make a Memory" was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 2008 Grammy Awards. The albums third single "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore" won the CMT Music Award for the Collaborative Video of the Year in 2008. Presenter LeAnn Rimes accepted the award on behalf of the band, as Bon Jovi was not at the awards ceremony. The song was also nominated for the Academy of Country Music Award for Vocal Event of the Year.

In October 2007 the band announced the Lost Highway Tour. Starting with the 10 shows to open the brand new, Newark, New Jersey Prudential Center, the band toured Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and then Europe, finishing in the summer. In early December 2007 the band took time off from their Canadian tour to become the first ever American band to headline the Royal Variety Performance in Liverpool, England, performing in front of the Queen herself. While the band was on tour in Australia, Bon Jovi have landed eight albums in ARIA Charts in the wake of their first tour in 12 years.

The tour was the highest grossing tour of 2008 in Billboard's rankings, with ticket sales of $210.6 million, reported from November 14, 2007 through Nov.11, 2008. In all, 2,157,675 tickets were sold during 2008. Combined with $16.4 million in 2007 from the Newark shows, making a combined gross of $227 million in ticket sales. In Pollstar's calculus for North America, the Lost Highway Tour had the highest gross for 2008 at $70.4 million.

''The Circle'' and ''Greatest Hits'' (2009–2011)[link]

In June 2009, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame. That month they also recorded a cover of the song "Stand By Me" with Iranian singer Andy Madadian, to show solidarity for those affected by political unrest in Iran. Parts of the song were sung in Persian.

On November 10, 2009, the band released their 11th studio album, entitled ''The Circle''. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 163 000 copies in its first week. The album is a return to rock n' roll after their Nashville influenced album, ''Lost Highway''. To promote the album, Bon Jovi performed "We Weren't Born to Follow", the first single off the album, on the result show of the rock week of the TV show, ''The X-Factor''. The song also was performed during the Fest der Freiheit on November 9 in Berlin, a memorial for the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Bon Jovi headed out on the road once again on February 19, 2010, embarking on The Circle Tour. In 2011, the tour morphed into Bon Jovi Live.

In May 2009 special editions of Bon Jovi albums from 1984 to 2007 were released, featuring new artwork and photos from the time period of when the albums were released and live recordings of select songs on the album recorded on the tour that supported the album.

Bon Jovi had planned to release a greatest hits album in 2009, but the project got sidelined after the group came up with enough material for a brand new studio album. In July 2010 Bon Jovi posted pictures on their Facebook page from the photo shoot for the ''Greatest Hits'' album. The first single from the ''Greatest Hits'', titled "What Do You Got?" was released on August 27, 2010. In October 2010 full versions of the remaining three new songs were released on bonjovi.com. It has been confirmed that the new ''Greatest Hits'' album will be made available as downloadable content for ''Rock Band 3''.

In September 2010, Bon Jovi was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards on November 7, Bon Jovi received the Global Icon Award from Eva Longoria, and closed the awards ceremony with "What Do You Got?", "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "It's My Life".

On January 12th 2012, Jon Bon Jovi stated that the band are writing up a storm for their next album.

Musical style/genres[link]

The band's first four albums blended the pop metal and hard rock genres, although they had mostly shed the pop metal sound by their fifth studio album, ''Keep the Faith'', and their sixth, ''These Days'', utilizing a more mature hard rock sound. ''Crush'' was characterized as "far enough into pop/rock to actually stand a chance of getting airplay", while ''Bounce'' was described as "heavy, serious rock". ''Have a Nice Day'' was also characterized as being heavier than ''Crush''.

The band altered their sound dramatically in their next release, ''Lost Highway'', blending influences from country music and country rock, a sound Jon Bon Jovi described as "a Bon Jovi album influenced by Nashville". Bon Jovi returned to a more typical rock sound on ''The Circle'', which was described by Allmusic as "conjured by echoed, delayed guitars, shimmering keyboards, and spacious rhythms."

Band members[link]

;Additional musicians

;Unofficial members

Discography[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

grammy_awards">Grammy Awards

mtv_video_music_awards">MTV Video Music Awards

american_music_award's">American Music Award's

Tours[link]

Solo tours [link]

References[link]

As a solo artist, Bon Jovi has received numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for his solo hit, "Blaze of Glory". He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001. He campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.

Early life[link]

John spent most of his adolescence skipping school to opt for music activities instead, and ended up playing in local bands with friends and his cousin Tony Bongiovi, who owned the then famous New York recording studio, The Power Station. As a result, his academic records displayed poor grades. By the time he was 16, John Bongiovi was playing clubs. It was not long before he joined up with keyboardist David Bryan (real name: David Bryan Rashbaum), who played with him in a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called ''Atlantic City Expressway''. John also performed with bands called ''The Rest'', ''The Lechers'' and ''John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones''.

Music career[link]

Early career[link]

Bon Jovi recorded a song, ''Runaway'', one of a few songs John wrote during his bus travels from Sayreville to The Power Station. He went to several record companies, including Atlantic Records and Mercury (PolyGram), but they all turned him down.

He visited major rock station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in New York City. He spoke directly to the promotion director John Lassman, who accepted the song "Runaway" for inclusion on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was initially reluctant to have it included but eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" – known as The All Star Review – were guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

''Runaway'' became a local hit on the charts. Along the way, Mercury gave Bon Jovi a recording contract in 1983, and to promote ''Runaway'', Bon Jovi called up Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres and Alec John Such and formed a band. After Bon Jovi claimed he wanted a group name (and rejecting "Johnny Lightning"), one of the group suggested "Bon Jovi", slightly changing the spelling of Jon's last name.

Bon Jovi[link]

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee, the band's debut album, ''Bon Jovi'', was released on January 21, 1984. The album went gold in the US (sales of over 500,000). In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album ''7800°Fahrenheit'' was released, and though the response weaker, it proved to be a fan favorite. The turning point came when they brought in songwriter Desmond Child for their third album, ''Slippery When Wet''. With Child co-writing many of their hits on this and future albums the band shot to super-stardom around the world with songs such as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". The album has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide since its release in late 1986.

During their 1986–1987 tour, Jon's attempt to give it his all during live shows (plus the tour's exhausting schedule) greatly strained his vocal cords, and he began receiving steroid shots to help him sing. With the help of a vocal coach, he was able to continue doing the tour. Contrary to popular belief, Bon Jovi did not have voice damage during the New Jersey Syndicate Tour. However by the time of the recording of Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi could no longer reach the extreme high notes heard across some of the songs in his first two albums.

The next album from Bon Jovi was ''New Jersey'' released in 1988. The album was recorded very shortly after the tour for ''Slippery'', because the band wanted to prove that they were not just a one hit wonder. The resulting album is a fan favorite and a mammoth commercial success, with hit songs such as "Bad Medicine", "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "I'll Be There for You", which are still nightly stalwarts in their live repertoire.

Despite the band achieving massive success, ''New Jersey'' almost led to the end of the band as they went straight back out on the road so soon after the heavy touring for their previous album. This constant living on the road almost destroyed the strong bond between the band members. Sambora is noted on the albums as co-writer for many songs, yet he resented the lack of attention that was heaped on Jon alone. As mentioned in ''VH1's Behind the Music'', the band members note that at the end of the tour, each band member went their separate way, even departing in separate jets after the tour ended in Guadalajara, Mexico in early 1990.

Between 1990 and 1992, members of Bon Jovi went their separate ways after the very rigorous two year New Jersey Tour, which exceeded 200 shows on 5 continents. This time off also helped them determine where Bon Jovi would fit within the rapidly changing music scene upon their return.

In 1992, the band returned with the album ''Keep the Faith''. The album was released in November 1992. Produced by Bob Rock, the album signified an ending to their early metal roots in previous albums and introduced a more "rock n roll"-driven groove to the album. Much more complex, lyrically and musically, the album proved that Bon Jovi could still be a viable band in the 90's, despite the industry's and audience's growing affinity for Grunge.

In 1994, Bon Jovi released a "greatest hits" album titled ''Cross Road'', which also contained two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night". "Always" spent six months on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Bon Jovi's all-time biggest hits. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S. charts and at #1 in countries across Europe, Asia and in Australia. The single sold very well, going platinum in the U.S. That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, the first and only lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald, who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist.

Their sixth studio album ''These Days'' was released in June 1995 to the most critical acclaim that the band had ever received. With the album ''These Days'', Bon Jovi took the mature rock sound they had developed on ''Keep the Faith'' further. The record as a whole was darker and more downbeat than the usual Bon Jovi flare. By 1996, Bon Jovi had established themselves as a "force" in the music industry, proving much more durable than most of their 80's glam peers.

After another lengthy hiatus of nearly three years, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. Their 2000 release, ''Crush'', enjoyed overwhelming success all around the world, thanks in part to the smash-hit single "It's My Life", co-written by famous Swedish producer Max Martin. ''Crush'', which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So", helped introduce Bon Jovi to a new, younger fan base.

In late 2002, ''Bounce'', the band's follow-up to ''Crush'', hit stores. Though ''Bounce'' did not enjoy the level of success of its predecessor, the album did produce hit singles such as "Everyday" and the title track.

Bon Jovi's ninth studio album, ''Have a Nice Day'', was released in September 2005. "Have A Nice Day" was the first single off the new album and the second single from the album "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in the U.S. in the spring of 2006. In the U.S. a duet version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland was released, and in May 2006, Bon Jovi made history by becoming the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart. On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi also won a Grammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

In June 2007, Bon Jovi released their studio album, ''Lost Highway''. The album debuted at number #1 on the Billboard charts, the first time that Bon Jovi have had a number one album on the US charts since the release of ''New Jersey'' in 1988. Thanks to the band's new country music fanbase, the album sold 292,000 copies in its first week on sale in the U.S., and became Bon Jovi's third US number one album.

On April 6, 2009, it was announced that the Tribeca Film Festival will screen a Bon Jovi documentary called ''When We Were Beautiful''. The film follows the band on the Lost Highway Tour during 2008. The film is directed by Phil Griffin and will be the centerpiece of the festival and is considered a work-in-progress.In November 2009, Bon Jovi released their latest studio album ''The Circle''.

Solo career[link]

Jon wrote what would become his second solo album, 1997's ''Destination Anywhere''. The album received very positive reviews and was a success across Europe. It was rumored that the record company was pursuing Jon to name the record "These Days, Part 2", since the album was somewhat of a moody progression from ''These Days''. A short movie of the same name was recorded right around the record's release, based entirely on the songs from the record and starring Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Whoopi Goldberg. Dave Stewart of Eurythmics played guitar on the record, as well as producing some of the tracks. That year Jon Bon Jovi earned a BRIT Award for Best International Male and also won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best Male.

In 1998, Jon Bon Jovi joined Luciano Pavarotti in his then annual charity concert "''Pavarotti and Friends''" in Italy.

Other ventures[link]

Acting career[link]

Presenting[link]

Personal life[link]

In 2004, he became founder and primary owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He appeared in several television commercials for the league, typically with John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos. The AFL will be returning in 2011, but Jon will no longer be part owner of the Soul.

In 2011, Bon Jovi expressed interest in purchasing 15% of the Atlanta Falcons for 150 million dollars.

Bon Jovi described himself as a recovering Catholic.

He is also a supporter of Australian soccer team, Melbourne Heart FC.

Charitable work[link]

He has been named the first Founding Ambassador of the Habitat for Humanity Ambassador program as part of the international-nonprofit organization’s new advocacy outreach initiative. Bon Jovi has been raising awareness with Habitat for Humanity since 2005 when he provided the funds to build six homes in Philadelphia and built the homes alongside the homeowner families, as well as with members of his Philadelphia Soul Arena Football Team (now non existent). The construction site also served as the video shoot location for his band’s single, "Who Says You Can’t Go Home". In 2006, Bon Jovi made a $1 million donation to build 28 Habitat homes in Louisiana in partnership with low-income families on the hurricane-stricken coast. In July, 2007, Bon Jovi announced a project that will rehabilitate a block of 15 homes in north Philadelphia. During an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, the band donated $1 million to the Angel Network foundation.

The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (formerly the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation) was founded in 2006 and exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair. Through the funding and creation of programs and partnerships, they support innovative community efforts to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. On October 19, 2011, they opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a community restaurant where patrons pay what they can afford for their meal, either with money or by volunteering work.

He is one of 21 artists singing on "Everybody Hurts", a charity single organized by Simon Cowell in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Political activism[link]

On June 24, 2009, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Andy Madadian recorded a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. The handwritten Persian sign in the video translates to "we are one".

On 15 December 2010, Bon Jovi was appointed by Barack Obama to the new White House Council for Community Solutions. Bon Jovi's efforts with his own The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in recent years have resulted in creative public/private partnerships as well as more than 260 units of affordable housing for low income individuals and families. In addition to providing advice to the President on solving specific community needs, the White House Council for Community Solutions has been tasked with three key functions: enlisting leaders in the non-profit, private, and philanthropic sectors to make progress on key policy goals; providing strategic input and recommendations to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration; and honoring and highlighting those making a significant impact in their own communities.

Although he is generally associated with the Democratic Party, Bon Jovi's voter registration indicates that he is unaffiliated.

Filmography[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

MTV Video Music Awards[link]

American Music Awards[link]

Academy Awards[link]

Golden Globe Awards[link]

Other awards[link]