Jon Bon Jovi biography

from Wikipedia

He was born John Francis Bongiovi, in Sayreville, New Jersey. His mother, Carol Sharkey, was a former playboy bunny and his father, John Bongiovi, was a coiffeur/hair stylist of partial Italian ancestry.

John Bongiovi attended Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey, and later adopted the stage name Jon Bon Jovi at the behest of the record company that he signed with. His early career was assisted by his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, a notable record producer who owned the Power Station recording studio. Jon worked as a janitor at the studio, and in periods of studio downtime recorded his own material, helped by his uncle. An album of these early recordings John Bongiovi: The Power Station Years was released in 1999.

Bon Jovi married Dorothea Hurley on April 29, 1989 in the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. He fathered one daughter, Stephanie Rose Bongiovi (born on May 31, 1993), and three sons, Jesse James Louis Bongiovi (born on February 19, 1995) Jacob Hurley Bongiovi (born on May 7, 2002) and Romeo Jon Bongiovi (born on March 29, 2004).

Bon Jovi is a credited actor in the movies Moonlight and Valentino, The Leading Man, Destination Anywhere, Homegrown, Little City, No Looking Back, 'Row Your Boat, Vampires Los Muertos, U-571 , Cry Wolfand National Lampoon's Pucked . He also had a supporting role in the movie Pay It Forward, where he played Helen Hunt's abusive ex-husband. His TV series appearances include Sex and the City and an extended stint on Ally McBeal, as well as a guest appearance on The West Wing.

Jon Bon Jovi can also be seen, blink and you miss it but it is there, in Young Guns 2: Blaze of Glory. Uncredited, cowboy in pit.

Bon Jovi's first appearance in any musical production was in the 1980 Star Wars album, Christmas in the Stars. He was the lead in singing the song, "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas."

Jon Bon Jovi has recorded two solo albums: Blaze of Glory (1990) and Destination anywhere (1997) and sold over 100 million albums with the band Bon Jovi.

Jon Bon Jovi has worked on behalf of the Special Olympics, the American Red Cross, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other groups.

On June 15, 2001, Jon Bon Jovi addressed the prestigious Oxford Union debate society.

An American football fan all of his life, in 2003 he became founder and owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He appeared in several television commercials for the league.

On September 21, 2005, during an appearance on her show, the Bon Jovi band donated $1,000,000 to Oprah Winfrey for her Angel Network foundation.

His cousin is Robert Hegyes, who played Epstein on the popular 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

He currently lives in a wealthy part of Middletown, New Jersey along with Geraldo Rivera. He is an active and outspoken member of the Democratic Party.