With the sale of more than 120 million albums worldwide and sold-out concerts, it’s safe to say that bon jovi is one of today’s most successful rock bands. The band, whose members include Jon Bon Jovi (lead singer, guitar), Richie Sambora (guitar, backing vocals), Philip Andelman (bass), and Tico Torres (drums), achieved large-scale popularity in the 1980s, but their appeal has continued well into the 21st century. Combining energetic guitar riffs with emotionally charged power ballads, the group has attracted a massive following that includes young and old.
Bon Jovi honed their craft in the New Jersey music scene, forming a band that included both local and touring musicians. They recorded a demo tape in the early 1980s that was heard by several radio stations and gained them favorable recognition in the music industry. That same year, the band released their first album, Slippery When Wet. The album spawned three top five hits, including Runaway, You Give Love A Bad Name, and Livin’ on a Prayer.
The success of the album and their subsequent tours fueled an intense desire to keep up the momentum and the band continued to tour and record until 1996. In 2001, the band held a special benefit concert for the victims of the September 11 attacks, raising funds and honoring the brave men and women who worked to save lives that day. The event, known as The Concert for New York City, drew in more than a million fans and broke concert ratings records.
In 2003, the band re-released many of their most popular songs for an acoustic-based album, This Left Feels Right, and in 2004, they released a box set titled 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong. In 2007, Bon Jovi returned with a full-length studio album, Lost Highway, and followed it up in 2009 with the release of What About Now. The latter was the first album released without creative input from former member Richie Sambora.
Jon and his wife Dorothea have a long list of charitable work that has been done through their Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. In addition, the couple opened the first Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen in 2011, a non-profit community restaurant that uses a pay-it-forward model to serve food and help those in need. As of 2016, the couple has opened 12 restaurants and donated more than 100,000 meals. The restaurant has also helped to provide homes for 77 homeless veterans and provided them with a stable living environment.