EVERYTHING ABOUT JON BON JOVI “ The only thing I ask of the fans is to understand that (the music) is not a product. It’s not a McDonald’s hamburger that’s always going to be the same, or a pair of Levi’s jeans. It’s a guy. And  the guy has different things to say over the years, and with every record.” INTERESTING FACTS: Jon’s nickname in high school and used by close friends and family is Johnny. Jon is 1.78m tall and has blue eyes and dark-blond hair. He has a Superman tattoo on his upper left arm, which he has had since July 1987, during “Slippery When Wet” tour. A Steer’s head tattoo on his upper right arm, during “New Jersey” era. And another tattoo on the front of his ankle, also from “New Jersey” era. His character is rather shy and boyish with strong family loyalty. Jon took marijuana when he was in high school and he says that he was ill the whole summer, he had nightmares, so he never tried it since then. But instead of that, he drinks and smokes. His name means “nice youth”, or “nice life”. The biggest luxury that Jon allows himself is flying with his private plane. He likes to eat pizza inside. Jon has also had several acts as a model for the Versace family. Jon denies to be a sexsymbol, he says that Dorothea is the woman that wakes up with him in the morning and she knows very well that he isn’t. Favorites: From his own songs his favorite are: – 1988, “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, “Livin’ On A Prayer”. The song Jon likes playing live is “Blood On Blood” and “Living In Sin”. The most personal song he has written has been “Bed Of Roses” which he wrote in 1992 for Dorothea. Jon’s favorite songs from “These Days” are “Lie To Me”, “Hey God” and “These Days”. Jon has always wanted to sing a duet with Tina Turner. Jon’s favorite musicians include “Aerosmith”, especially Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, “The Asbury Dukes”, “Bad Company”, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Lee Roth, “Rolling Stones”, “Southside Johnny”, Willy DeVille (“he’s the definition of cool”). His favorite records include Eric Clapton “unplugged”, “Dire Straits”, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Tschaikowsky. Favorite Concerts: “Doobie Brothers”, “Rush and Heart”. Jon’s favorite vacation place is anywhere warm, Caribbean, Cayman Islands. 1995 Sardinia and in 1996 a cruise on the Mediterranean. Jon’s favorite food is junk food, especially greasy burgers, Italian, Mexican and Sushi. His favorite club was the “Fast Lane” in Asbury Park, which closed in 1988, and “Tradewinds”, Seabright, NJ. Jon’s favorite sports are baseball and he follows the “NY Mets” and football he follows the “NY Giants”. Favorite movies: “Badlands” from 1973, which was directed by Terrence Malick. Jon’s favorite TV show is “Hill Street Blues”, he also likes cartoons, especially Superman, Dirty Harry Callaghan (Clint Eastwood). Jon likes wearing casual clothes, jeans, shirts. Habits: In January 1990 Jon was worried about having an ulcer but nothing ever came of it. He goes to bed around 3-4am and gets up after noon, he needs 12 hours of sleep. Jon has sensitive eyes against sunlight and cigarette smoke, that’s why he always wears sunglasses. During spring he has allergies and hey-fever. Jon started smoking in 1994 during the making of “Moonlight and Valentino” but then quit . Picked it up again during the making of “The Leading Man” and after the 1996 tour because he “just likes it”. Jon drinks coffee with milk. Hobbies: Jon likes driving cars, playing baseball, sleeping, eating junkfood, working out at the gym, football, watching cartoons, spending time with his family and playing with his dog Scruffy. Cars: Jon has owned s few cars as well, a white Datsun 280Z in 1988, a ’58 Corvette 1988-1992. A Ferrari 328 GTSI 1998-1992, in 1995 Jon owned a Ferrari, Camero, 2 Corvettes, some Jeeps, Mustang Shelby and 1957 Lincon Premier, some motorcycles, among them a Harley Davidson and a Snowmobile. In 1996 Jon owned a Harley Davidson, Black Mercedes and a red 91/92 Corvette. Jon loves sports cars, especially Posches. FAMILY: Parents: Jon’s ancestors were poor Sicilian peasants, who emigrated to the USA in 18th century. Jon’s mother, Carol was a florist and a former model and Playboy bunny from Pennsylvania. John Snr, was a hairdresser from Sciacca, near Agrigento in Italy. Carol and John got to know each other at the US Marine Corps. Mr. and Mrs. Bongiovi lived in Sayreville NJ until March 1989 when their house was riffled on MTV. Then moved to Holmdel, NJ, where they are now living. Siblings: Anthony Michael was born October 11th 1966. Anthony designed the original “Bon Jovi” Logo. Matthew (Matty) was born August 30th 1974. He became Jon’s road-manager in 1996. Matthew has a Jambco tattoo on his left arm. Other relatives: Nana Bongiovi, John Sr.’s mum died in April 1996. Tony Bongiovi is Jon’s cousin and co-owner of “The Power Station” where Jon started working. Barry Bongiovi and Joseph Bongiovi. Girlfriends: Jon was very shy at school and was an average student, but he wasn’t shy with girls. He lost his virginity at the age of 15, with an older woman. He dated his first girlfriend for three years in high-school, then he dated Dorothea R Hurley from 1980-1985. They always walked home from school together holding hands. They have been inseparable since, except for a minor break up at which Jon dared actress Diane Lane for ten months from the end of 1985 until early 1986. Jon wrote several songs to win Dorothea back and in his anguish came the wonderful tune “Silent Night”. They were dating from 1986 – 1989. Wife: Jon and Dorothea R Hurley were married on August 29th 1989 at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. This comes as no surprise to fans, who saw the couple’s dedication to and love for one another prior to stardom. Dorothea was born on September 29th 1962. Her parents are Donald and Dorothy and she had 3 older sisters. Dorothea has a couple of different nicknames, Thea, Dot, Dacki, Dotty. She likes Shirley McLane books, James Joyce, she studied photography in 1986 and came in 3rd place in the US Karate championships in 1993, while she was pregnant with their first child. Children: Stephanie Rose was born May 31st 1993. Stephanie doesn’t like having her photo taken but she loves Barny. Jesse James Louis Bongiovi (obviously named by his “cowboy” daddy) was born on February 19th 1995 weighing 3997gm. The happy foursome are a private group who remain together as much as possible with dad’s hectic schedule. They are rarely apart and go on tour and location with Jon who obviously loves being a father more than anything else in the world. He has been quoted as saying that his two children are his “greatest productions ever.” Although many a music fan may argue!! From the moment the kids were born, Jon learned to wake up at 7 in the morning, to feed them with the nursing bottle and to change their dippers. He stopped playing piano at two o’clock in the morning and playing music too loud. RESIDENCE: Jon and Dorothea bought a house in Rumson NJ. It is a gray building with 3 bedrooms (?). The living room looks out on the huge garden with orchids and a swimming pool. Over the fire place hangs portraits of Jon and Dorothea in pop-colours, Andy Warhol-style and a picture of James Dean. There is a white leather couch with zebra-fur in front of it, a grand piano in the corner with photos of family members and friends on it. Jon has a “wall of fame” with gold and platinum records also. His studio is in the basement and there are old concert posters on the wall, from Elvis Presley and Little Richard. There is also a black marble bathroom. The house has a lot of security cameras and millions of electronic toys. Jon and Dorothea bought another house in Malibu which is located in a gated community. Recently Jon purchased 4 properties (4 acres) right on the waterfront down the street from Richie’s house, he is expecting to be moving in March 1998. PAST: Jon was born as John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. on March 2nd 1962, (Pisces) in Perth Amboy Hospital, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His family moved to Sayreville when he was four. Jon graduated from “Sayreville War Memorial High School”  in 1980 with 109 absents. Jon is founder of a number of bands, he is a songwriter and singer, he plays rhythm guitar and piano. He started playing drums but then changed to playing guitar. He got his first guitar from his mom when he was 7. At that time he was interested in nothing but baseball, so one day he rapped the guitar in a blanket and threw it down the basement stares – he liked the way it’s strings sounded. One day when he began to be interested in music, he asked his mother to buy him a new guitar, but she told him to repair the old one. He started to play seriously when he was 14. He used to play illegally in local bars and in the morning, tired and exhausted he went quite late to school with no homework. He got his first guitar lessons from a guy called Al Parinello. He didn’t learn to play because of love for music, but because he wanted to attract girls. His first musical experiences include his participation in the Christmas school choir. Before becoming a professional, Jon worked in a fast-food restaurant, in a crap-yard, a drug-store and a shoe-shop. Later he started working in his cousin’s studio as a cleaner. There he got the chance to meet a lot of famous people. As a singer in New Jersey local bars, Jon never expected to earn more than a couple of hundred dollars a night. Jon lived in Sayreville with his parents until August 1980 when he decided to move to Los Angeles, but soon came back home and stayed with his parents again until 1986. Jon tells a nice story about that year: “Early 1986, I was still living in my mother’s house in Sayreville, and every day around 12:30 I’d get out of the house, in the car and drive across the bridge. And on that avenue we were right in the end of Haries street, Walk Bridge over Richie’s mom’s old house. I used to pull in there just about 10 to 1 and knock on the door. Usually no one would answer, because both his folks were working. But I held myself walking right in and I always knew that anytime before one in the afternoon Richie’s still in bed. Like a lumunum foil over the windows. Air conditioning up to ten even in February, stereo on all night like on a concert repeat and you never knew who or what was gonna be in the room with him when I opened the door.” In 1986 he moved to Bradley Beach, a one-room apartment, until June 1987. He then moved to Perth Amboy, Puerto Rico quarter and lived next to a scrap-yard. Then back to Sayreville in February 1988 and stayed in one-room apartment until spring of that same year. In September 1987 Jon and Dorothea bought the house they are currently living in Rumson NJ but didn’t move in until 1988. Bands: His first band was Raze (originally called “Starz”) when he was in the 8th grade, then at age 16 with Dave he was in Atlantic City Expressway. At age 18 The Rest – they got to open for Hall & Oates, “Southside Johnny & the Asbury Dukes”. “The Lechers”. Then again with Dave in “Jon Bongiovi and the Wild Ones” – while in this band, Jon wrote “Runaway” and Ray Willhard entered the song into a competition drawn by a local radio station called “Rock To Riches”, the song was played all over the country. Jon was then offered many record deals. Business: Jon and Richie started “New Jersey Underground Music”, a publishing company which signed “Skid Row” and Aldo Nova but the company broke up soon after “Skid Rows”  first album release. Jon’s Jambco label (sponsored by PolyGram?) signed by Aldo Nova, Billy Falcon, “Skid Row”, “Colour me Bad” but it too died out because of lack of success. Jon has also been involved with a number of other artists. Jon and Richie helped “Cinderella” get a contract with PolyGram-Mercury. Jon produced Aldo Nova’s album “Blood On The Bricks” and wrote most of the songs on it. Jon also did a record for Billy Falcon. He wrote and produced “Sometimes It’s A Bitch” for Stevie Nicks. Wrote and produced “So Close” for Hall and Oates. Jon also spent some time on the road with “Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes”. Bon Jovi’s first album was “Bon Jovi” which came out in 1983 and was highly priced from the critics. The second one – "7.800 Fahrenheit” was not that successful, but “Slippery When Wet” from 1986 sold more than 14 million copies all over the world. “New Jersey”-’88, just confirmed the success. Throughout their extraordinary 16-year career, Bon Jovi has sold over 80 million albums. Jon continues to write and perform music, playing to sold out audiences around the world. ACTING: In 1988 Jon plays, a small role as himself in “The Return of Bruno”. 1989 while on the set of “Young Guns” in Santa Fe his friend, Emilo Estevez, cons him into being a “real cowboy” and Jon gets a tiny role in the movie, riding a horse, shooting guns and being killed. Jon also wrote and performed the soundtrack for “Blaze of Glory”. It earned him the Golden Globe Award in 1991 as well as the American Music Award, and both Grammy and Oscar nominations. He also made news in 1996, filming a Christmas video with supermodel Cindy Crawford which included a steamy on-screen kiss. He said that he enjoyed kissing her. The song, "Please Come Home for Christmas”, was a track he recorded for the Special Olympic benefit album, “A Very Special Christmas II”. In “Moonlight and Valentino” 1994, with Elizabeth Parkins, Whoopie Goldberg, Kathleen Turner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon plays a house painter. He gained critical acclaim for his acting debut in this movie, a Gramercy Pictures film directed by David Anspaugh. For this impressive debut, Jon was selected by the Motion Picture Club for the prestigious Premiere Performance Award, an honor which recognizes an outstanding debut performing in a film. The movie opened in USA on September 29th 1995, Europe 1996, but it was delayed in certain countries because of a football tournament. The film was released with two moths delay, concede with the European Football Championships. A spokesman for the film distributors PolyGram said that "Moonlight and Valentino" is going to attract a mainly female audience, so while the men go to the football, the women can go and watch Jon Bon Jovi. His next movie is “The Leading Man” and the filming of it lasted from January till April 1996 in London. It was directed by John Duigan. He admits he was terrified about casting Jon Bon Jovi in his first major Hollywood movie role. Duigan was keen to avoid the critical panning given to stars like Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Sting and Bob Dylan, who have tried to make the transition to movies. But Duigan says he's not disappointed and reveals: "Jon promised if I took a risk on him, he'd be the most prepared person on the set. Sure enough he knew his part back to fourth. He's disciplined and a good collaborator. Jon had turned down the offer twice because it didn’t fit into his time schedule. In it Jon plays a charismatic chameleon character who has a magnetic effect on those around him. Shooting took place from 7am-8pm five to six days a week, but Jon says it was a lot easier than his musical career “because it’s not so physical”. Unfortunately he shaved (waxed?) his chest hair in the fall of 1995 for the role. While on the set  Jon failed to impress the child extras - because they had no idea who he was. The shoot involved a group of children from Sylvia Young theatre school, but the youngsters were not in the least bit star-truck. School spokeswoman Jackie Patten says: "We have a school rule that they are not allowed to interfere with the adult artists because they are professional children, who do a job of work. Some of them came back from the filming and they didn't know who Jon Bon Jovi was. “The Leading Man” was released in US in October 1996. Jon took acting lessons with Harold Guskin who had previously worked with Kevin Costner and Michelle Pfeiffer. September 10th – October 28th 1996 was spent filming “Little City” with Jo Beth Williams and Annabella Sciorra. It’s a movie about six 30 years old friends with complicated sexual relationships between each other. “Homegrown” is basically about a guy pushing pot. Jon doesn’t have huge part, more or less a cameo appearance. He appears also on “No Looking Back” directed by Ed Burns, co-starring Laren Holly, “The Original Sin”, “Long Time Nothing New”, “Row Your Boat” with Bai Ling, and his latest is U-571. In this movie he plays a World War II submariner. “At one point he had to get into a small container, a piece of a set about 4 feet tall, with four other guys,” reports filmmaker Jonathan Mostow. “There was a problem with an electrical short, and a little fire broke out...I would say the bravest thing Jon did was going back into that space for the second take.” Jon also made a short movie-video with Demi Moore. Jon is also dedicating his time and talents to a number of charitable organizations, he has given ongoing support to the American Red Cross and the Special Olympics. Over the last five years, Bon Jovi have given Christmas benefit concerts to aid local community charities. An avid supporter of environmental causes, Jon participated in this year's Rainforest Benefit Concert alongside Elton John, Jessye Norman, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, James Taylor and Geoffrey Oryema.