Despite being one of the most famous rock bands in the world, Bon Jovi didn’t instantly set sail towards success. Like most well known groups of their time they had a rocky start; but this is something they learned from and used to make them who they are today. The band has sold more than 130 million albums worldwide.
Founded in New Jersey, the band’s roots were very much grounded in hard rock. The group consists of vocalist Jon Bongiovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, bassist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres. The other members of the band have also worked as session musicians with other artists, including Ringo Starr and Cher.
Their first album was the eponymous Bon Jovi which was released in 1984. It generated a Top 40 hit with the original version of Runaway and was followed by 7800° Fahrenheit in 1985. But it was their third album that really made the difference, Slippery When Wet, which was released in 1986 and became a massive chart success. With classic hits such as You Give Love A Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive and Livin’ on a Prayer it cemented their place in rock history and put them firmly into the limelight.
Bon Jovi stayed very close to their roots as they moved into the ’90s. They continued to tour and put on big shows. The members of the band were very involved with charity work and they remained incredibly popular with their fan base. It was around this time that Jon started to stretch his acting muscles and appeared in a few movies such as Moonlight and Valentino. He was also a regular guest on the TV series Ally McBeal until the show ended in 2002.
As the years went by, the members of bon jovi grew into their roles and were very much in sync with each other. It was in 1995 that the band released These Days which marked a subtle change in style that some of their long standing fans didn’t like at first. However, it was an album that brought in a new audience as well and it paved the way for more albums to come.
Over the last 20 or so years, the band members have been working on solo projects. Sambora has released several albums of his own and also worked on a film called The Aftermath which was released in 2012. Bon Jovi have kept the group’s momentum going by continuing to release albums and touring. They are still very popular in both the US and internationally and they have an incredibly loyal following. The band has been nominated for multiple awards over the years and they have won many of them. In 2009, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It is an incredible achievement for a band that has been together for over 35 years. They have sold over 130 million records worldwide and are one of the biggest selling acts in music history.