Biography of Bon Jovi

One of the most successful groups of the mid to late '80s, Bon Jovi are often dismissed by critics as being light-weight and teen-geared. The band nevertheless proved them wrong with four platinum selling albums as well as a growing depth in songwriting, attracting a more mature audience. The Jersey-bred group honed their skills as an opening act on the arena circuit until the mid '80s, when the band added some pop to their lite-metal riffs, and frontman Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi) took advantage of the possibilities of MTV and became a sex symbol across the globe. While their first two albums, Bon Jovi and 7800 Degrees Farenheit, failed to distinguish them from other middle-of-the-road hard-rock bands, their third album, Slippery When Wet, brought them worldwide fame and became one of the biggest selling albums of 1987. In 1989, after nearly a year on tour supporting the follow-up, New Jersey, Jon Bon Jovi left the band to pursue a solo career, writing the music for and acting in Young Guns II. The band resumed activity in 1992, releasing Keep the Faith, their most accomplished effort to date. ~ John Floyd