John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on March 2nd, 1962, and grew up in nearby Sayreville. He spent much of his teenage years cutting classes to play guitar and sing in local rock bands. Jon -- he dropped the "h" from his name around this time -- had a music industry connection in cousin Tony who owned the Power Station, a well-known New York City recording studio. He was hired as a janitor, and later began recording demos at the studio, backed by members of the E Street Band, among others.
One of those demos, "Runaway," became a local radio hit, prompting Bongiovi to form his own band. He signed to Mercury/Polygram in July 1983, changed his surname to Bon Jovi, and christened his new group (consisting of Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres, and Alec John Such) likewise. They released their eponymous debut early in 1984. Spurred on by videos for "Runaway" and "She Don't Know Me," which showcased Jon's good looks, the album cracked the top 50 and produced a national top 40 hit with the former tune. They headlined their own club tour, and reached larger auditions opening for the Scorpions, Whitesnake and Kiss. |
