Giovanni Bongiovanni, naturalized American under the name of Jhon Frances Bongiovi, was born in 1962 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. First of three children (the other two are Anthony and Matt) of Carol, a former Playboy bunny, and John Bongiovanni, a barber (who also became Bongiovi), revealed from an early age that he was a rebel and a great desire to show off. Despite his father’s barber, then, no one could dissuade him from keeping his hair constantly long, hair that combined with a look with a vague metallic flavor already gave him a true rocker look. the first guitar comes at the age of seven years, but only three years later he began to play with some commitment, electrocuted on the way to Pop, taking some lessons from a music teacher in the neighborhood.the first band set up with some classmates by Bon Jovi was called “Starz”. a band that managed to hold only one concert, also because of a small detail: there was already an American group much more popular than them that bore the same name. John changed the name to “Raze” but the experience, in one way or another, proved to be a failure. Later John auditioned for the movie “FootLoose” and Paramount chose him for the main role, changing the screenplay from dancer to rock star. For John this was the first decisive choice and he decided to refuse, he didn’t want to be known as an actor with aspiration to be a rock star. Like so many others by his side (first and foremost his mother), he begins to believe in the dream of a stage all for him and decides to change his name, to choose a pseudonym that would make him look more “American” and that would be easier to pronounce by his fellow citizens. This is how Jon Bon Jovi was born, who soon became interested in many record companies, who were also struck by the determination of the pieces he played together with his band.In 1984, after labeling the group definitively in his name, I Bon Jovi (Richie Sambora, guitar; David Bryan, keyboardist; Alec John Such, rhythmic guitarist; Tico Torre, drums) emerged from the urban proletarian circles of New Jersey, making themselves known to the general public with songs like “Burnin’ for love”, “Get ready”, “Breakout”, “Runaway” followed by the following year “In and out of love” from the album “7800° Fahrenheit”. Vocal harmonies, hard solos are the characteristics of this group that in 1986 with the release of the album “Slippery when wet” got one of the biggest sales hits of all time with twenty million copies sold. With this album the style of the group reached, according to the connoisseurs, the final maturity expressing a rabid sound, a pop metal with blues soul, ballads inspired by the poetics of Springsteen but made more electric and romantic.In a short time, that’s how things go in the show business, from a simple Sicilian boy who fought with his father because of his long hair Bon Jovi becomes an international rock star, an idol acclaimed by millions of adoring girls, also for the not secondary element that our, needless to say, is endowed with a remarkable “appeal”.Then the gigantic business of Bon Jovi FanClub is directly in the hands of his mother Carol, one of the few people who encouraged him to always pursue the path he felt within himself, now proud of the results obtained by his son and happily settled in the management of royalties that that success continuously rains on his head.The band’s latest works are “Have a Nice Day” (2005), “Lost Highway” (2007), “The Circle” (2009).
Discography
Jon Bon Jovi – voice
Richie Sambora – guitar, talkbox choirs
David Bryan – keyboards, choirs
Tico Torres – battery
