Bon Jovi Tickets

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Short Biography
For nearly three decades, Bon Jovi have steadfastly earned their reputation as ambassadors of American rock ‘n' roll, performing for more than 34 million fans and selling more than 125 million albums around the globe. Along the way, the New Jersey-based quartet - lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres - have racked up a stellar resume of career highlights and accomplishments.

Beginning with their 1986 breakthrough album Slippery When Wet and back-to-back #1 songs "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer," Bon Jovi's unique blend of straight up rock ‘n' roll and lyrics which speak directly to fans' lives have made the band a mainstay on the charts worldwide. A phenomenon in the mid-‘80s, Bon Jovi bucked labels and defied the music industry to not only survive but thrive in the ‘90s, emerging in 2000 with the hit single "It's My Life" which ushered in a decade of unprecedented popularity and success in the band's career, including a Grammy Award for the 2005 #1 hit single "Who Says You Can't Go Home." Led by charismatic frontman and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the band has cultivated a devoted fan base energized by Bon Jovi's legendary live performances. Part jukebox-come-to-life, part rock ‘n' roll-revival-tent, a Bon Jovi concert is a marathon performance of songs which have permeated the pop culture zeitgeist. For nearly 30 years, Bon Jovi have consistently released new music and toured the globe, establishing themselves as one of the most beloved and enduring bands in rock ‘n' roll history.

Similar Artists:
Aerosmith, U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Springsteen

Vanguards of the ‘80s melodic rock era, Bon Jovi transcended the big-haired decade and emerged as global rock ‘n' roll icons by evolving, embracing new styles and sounds while remaining faithful to the sound and identity inherently Bon Jovi. The Bon Jovi songbook encompasses rock anthems to electrify a stadium crowd and mid-tempo pop songs and ballads which permeate the charts, seamlessly blending country, folk, storytelling, and hard-rock influences. Bon Jovi never abandoned their New Jersey roots and represent the definition of American rock ‘n' roll.

In the early ‘80s, a young John Bongiovi worked as a gofer at legendary NYC recording studio The Power Station.  After hours, he'd use empty studios and lingering musicians to record original demos. After little luck with labels in New York and L.A., he took his demos to a DJ at a new local rock station. WAPP included "Runaway" on an LP of homegrown talent and the song became a hit locally, then nationally on sister stations.  Label execs scrambled to find the talent behind the hit. Mercury Records won the bidding war, signing John Bongiovi in 1983. A run of showcase dates were scheduled in the NY/NJ market but John Bongiovi needed a band. So, he brought in bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres, both veterans of the local scene, and longtime friend David Bryan to play keyboards. A childhood friend filled in on guitar but a young, hungry guitarist named Richie Sambora witnessed one of these showcases and backstage told an incredulous Bongiovi the two should work together. After one band rehearsal, Sambora's talent was obvious and the band was complete. Two record company decisions followed: John Bongiovi became Jon Bon Jovi and in order to capitalize upon the name recognition of "Runaway," the band would be called Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut album in 1984, generating a Top 40 hit with the original version of "Runaway," and in 1985 7800° Fahrenheit was released, going gold - both preludes to the band's 1986 breakthrough, Slippery When Wet.  

Jon and Richie had begun writing songs for their third album in the basement of Sambora's parents' New Jersey home before heading into a local recording studio to record demos.  They played some of the songs to local teenagers who hung out at the nearby pizzeria; they listened to the kids' feedback which helped the band determine which songs would make the album and launched the legend of "The Pizza Parlor Jury." Bon Jovi relocated to Vancouver where months of decadent living and intensive studio work forged the career-making Slippery When Wet. The essence of Bon Jovi was captured on film via straightforward performance videos for the # 1 single "You Give Love a Bad Name," the follow-up "Livin' on a Prayer" (which also went to #1), and the iconic documentary-style black and  white video for "Wanted Dead or Alive," all of which dominated MTV programming. Slippery When Wet stayed at #1 on the Billboard Album Charts for fifteen weeks, at one point selling one million copies per month. Bon Jovi was a household name in the U.S. and, thanks to aggressive touring, superstars worldwide.

Eager to prove success was no fluke, the band rushed back to Vancouver. Same studio, same production team, same result:  1988's New Jersey shot to #1 upon its release, selling five million copies and generating two #1 singles, "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You," as well as the Top 10 hits "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me," and "Living in Sin." Following the completion of a sold-out, 18-month tour that zig-zagged all over the globe, an exhausted band went on a much needed hiatus.

During this window, solo albums were released by both Richie Sambora (Stranger in This Town) and Jon Bon Jovi, who wrote a collection of songs that became the soundtrack for the motion picture Young Guns II. Released in 1990 as Blaze of Glory, the #1 title track was nominated for a Grammy and Oscar, taking home the Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.

After taking over management duties himself, Jon Bon Jovi led his band back to Vancouver to work on their fifth studio album. 1992's Keep The Faith was a testament to the band's brotherly resolve to move forward into the future and though sales didn't match the blockbuster status of its predecessors,  its success cannot be understated.  Bon Jovi managed to leapfrog out of the ‘80s and thrive in the ‘90s when the music scene, especially in America, was dominated by hip-hop and grunge. The hit ballad "Bed of Roses" maintained the band's superstar status in the U.S. but a focus on touring the world expanded their fame exponentially. 

When the greatest-hits collection Cross Road was released in 1994, the ballad "Always" became the band's biggest selling single. During this period, original bassist Alec John Such departed the band. Hugh McDonald took over bass duties in the studio and on tour.

In early summer of 1995, Bon Jovi released These Days.  Top 10 in America, it exploded elsewhere, especially in Japan and Europe, where it spawned four Top 10 hits. The These Days tour sold out soccer stadiums in Europe, South America, and Asia, taking the band to countries they'd never reached before.

During the mid- and late-‘90s, Jon Bon Jovi acted in several films and released his second solo album, 1997's Destination Anywhere. Richie Sambora released his sophomore solo CD, 1998's Undiscovered Soul. But by early 1999, songwriting began for a new Bon Jovi project.

Recorded in new, state-of-the-art studios on Jon Bon Jovi's property, Crush was released in June 2000 and debuted in the Top 10.  The label "comeback album" was misappropriated - Bon Jovi had never left the public's consciousness, hearts, or iPod playlists. The smash single "It's My Life" reached a wide audience across an array of radio formats, introducing Bon Jovi to new generations of fans.  Crush went double platinum in the U.S. and sold more than eight million copies worldwide.  Right on the heels of Crush, the band returned to their Jersey studios and created 2002's Bounce.  An optimistic call for resilience in the wake of 9/11, the album's release, promotional push, and subsequent world tour solidified Bon Jovi's status among the world's elite rock ‘n' roll institutions.  

In 2003, the band released This Left Feels Right, an experimental, creative exercise which saw the band reinterpreting and re-recording many of their most-beloved hits. In 2004, Bon Jovi released the boxed set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong... as a thank you to their devoted fan base. (Among the 38 never-before-released tracks was a hidden bonus: the original demo of "Livin' on a Prayer.")

While finishing the boxed set in LA, the band worked simultaneously on material for their 2005 album Have a Nice Day.  All copies of the Have A Nice Day CD include the song "Who Says You Can't Go Home," but the U.S. version included a 13th track, a duet version featuring Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.  The "country" version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" hit #1 on the Hot Country charts (an historic first for a rock band) and remained there for two weeks.  It also garnered a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Longtime fans and frequent visitors to Music City, Jon and Richie were inspired by the songwriting and storytelling tradition of their counterparts in the country music community and returned to Nashville to work on their next album. The result was Lost Highway.  Released in June 2007, the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album Charts in the U.S. Slated to do promotional appearances and christen the new Prudential Center with ten concerts in Newark, New Jersey, Bon Jovi had no real tour plans but the overwhelming reception of the album encouraged the band to head back out on the road. The Lost Highway tour went on to be the biggest grossing concert tour of 2008. The documentary film When We Were Beautiful captured life on the road during this tour and explored the band members' relationships as the core of their continued success. 

Bon Jovi returned to the studio and their trademark rock shortly thereafter with the release of 2009's The Circle. The Circle represented the band's career journey and unbreakable bond, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.  Bon Jovi is currently on The Circle World Tour which will continue until July 2011. The Circle was announced as Billboard's #1 Tour of 2010.

In November 2010, Bon Jovi released Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection, featuring all of the band's biggest chart-topping hits, the most beloved fan-favorites, and four new tracks, including the lead single, "What Do You Got?" The band envisions the collection as a bridge between their past and their future.