Jon Bon Jovi

John Francis Bongiovi Jr., known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Born on March 2, 1962, he is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which formed in 1983. Over his career, he has released 16 studio albums with his band along with two solo albums. Beyond his primary recording career, he has expanded into acting, sports franchise ownership, business, and philanthropy.

Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Bon Jovi was raised Catholic by his parents, former Marines John Francis Bongiovi Sr. and Carol Sharkey. His father worked as a barber, and his mother was a florist and Playboy Bunny. His ancestry includes Italian, Slovak, German, and Russian roots. He received his first guitar at age seven from his mother and later attended St. Joseph High School before transferring to Sayreville War Memorial High School. After attending a Bruce Springsteen concert at age 15, he decided to pursue a musical career and resumed guitar lessons under instructor Al Parinello.

Bon Jovi began playing in local bands during his teens, including Raze, Atlantic City Expressway, John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, and The Rest. In 1980, while working as a janitor at Power Station Studios in Manhattan, he recorded his first professional vocal on "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas." In 1982, he recorded the demo track "Runaway," which gained airplay on local radio station WAPP. To support the single on tour in March 1983, he assembled a lineup consisting of David Bryan, Alec John Such, Tico Torres, and Richie Sambora. Named Bon Jovi, the group signed with Mercury Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1984.

The band achieved global commercial success with its third album, Slippery When Wet (1986), which sold 30 million copies worldwide and yielded number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer." Subsequent hit albums included New Jersey and Keep the Faith. As a solo artist, Bon Jovi released the 1990 soundtrack album Blaze of Glory for the film Young Guns II, featuring a chart-topping title track, followed by the 1997 album Destination Anywhere. In 1991, he launched his own record label, Jambco Records. He also established an acting career during the 1990s, appearing in feature films such as Moonlight and Valentino, U-571, and Pay It Forward, as well as television series like Ally McBeal and Sex and the City.

Bon Jovi was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009, while his band entered the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. His solo song "Blaze of Glory" won a Golden Globe Award and an American Music Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award and a Grammy Award. Outside of entertainment, he was a founder and majority owner of the Arena Football League team Philadelphia Soul. In 2006, he established the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which operates community pay-what-you-can restaurants called JBJ Soul Kitchen.

In June 2024, Bon Jovi opened JBJ's, a multi-level rooftop bar and restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. On December 3, 2025, he co-hosted and performed on NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center. In July 2026, he returned to live performances following vocal cord surgery, completing a ten-show residency at Madison Square Garden titled The Forever Tour.