The Rock Legends That Are Bon Jovi
Everyone who was born in the 80s has rocked out to Bon Jovi! From tunes that just make you want to get up and dance to dreamy ballads, this group has been making music history since 1983. And just because they’re going on 40-years-old doesn’t mean that they are slowing down. If anything, the more time that they’re in the business, the better they get!
So, in this article, we’ll have a look at the history of Bon Jovi and what makes them so good ‘til this day.
So, who is Bon Jovi?
The band got its name from lead singer, Jon Bon Jovi. Current members of the band are Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, Phil X and Hugh McDonald. Past members include Alec John Such as well as Richie Sambora, who was married to Heather Locklear who is best known for her roles in Dynasty and Melrose Place.
Making a splash on the music scene
Bon Jovi struggled, like any other rock band, with making a name for themselves in the music scene even though Jon – who was then called John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., according to Ultimate Classic Rock – had a cousin (Tony Bongiovi) who was part-owner of New York City’s Power Station Records.
Their big break came when their single – Runaway – won a best-unsigned-band competition, which was run by a New Jersey radio station. This single formed the basis of the band’s first album which was entitled, Bon Jovi.
The album which really cemented Bon Jovi’s status as a rock band is their 1986 album, Slippery When Wet. It featured classic rock ballads such as Livin’ On A Prayer; I’d Die For You and You Give Love A Bad Name which – over 30 years later – still bring down the house when they are played.
The 90s – when Bon Jovi came into their own
After Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi shot to fame all over the world and went on an extensive tour. During the hiatus, which they took after this tour, Jon wrote the soundtrack to Young Guns II which was released as the Blaze of Glory album.
According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who penned a biography on the singer, the 90s saw Bon Jovi producing several hit ballads. One of these was “Bed of Roses” and the other was “Always”. During the latter part of the 90s, the members of the band pursued their own projects such came back with a bang in 2000 with the album Crush which produced smash hits such as Its My Life.
Although the band was assembled quite hastily and had only been together for a couple of months before they made their first album, this first collection wasn’t a bad attempt and put in place a solid foundation for the musical genius of the Bon Jovi brand going forward.
Bon Jovi is showing no signs of slowing down and, at the time of writing this article, was planning a launch of their new album in October 2020. Long may the rocking continue!