In honor of celebrating his 53rd birthday on March 2nd, let’s all turn our attention to one of the most famous rockers of our century. Even though Jon Bon Jovi is best known for being the founder and front-man of the rock band Bon Jovi, there is much more to this pretty face than meets the eye.
- Speaking of pretty boy, a much younger Jon Bon Jovi was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine in 1996. In 2000, the same magazine also named him as the “Sexiest Rock Star,” and VH1 concurred, placing him at number thirteen on their list of “100 Sexiest Artists.”
- Sorry to disappoint, but no, Jon Bon Jovi is not his real name. Of course a name that cool had to be a stage name. However, it’s actually not far off from his birth name: John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. His father was from Sciacca, Sicily and had Italian and Slovak ancestry, while his mother is of German and Russian descent.
- On the subject of his family, Bon Jovi’s mother Carol Sharkey was one of the first Playboy bunnies.
- His family tree stretches even farther. Rumor has it that Bon Jovi has stated often that he is blood related to iconic singer Frank Sinatra.
- Before becoming a musician, ole Johnny was a regular guy, just like the rest of us. He worked as a janitor at a recording studio his cousin owned.
- If you’ve ever wondered why Jon Bon Jovi is never caught without his sunglasses on when outside, it is because his eyes are very sensitive to sunlight and cigarette smoke.
- In 2001, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in New Jersey. According to their press release, “the university chose Mr. Bon Jovi for this honor because of his artistic success in the world of entertainment and philanthropic generosity to the local community.”
- One genre just isn’t enough: in 2006, Bon Jovi became the first rock band to have a number one hit on the country charts, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”
- It turns out that Jon Bon Jovi is multi-talented as well. Besides singing and songwriting, he has also acted in several movies and TV shows. Some movies include Little City, Pay it Forward, and Moonlight and Valentino. He’s also appeared on TV shows such as Ally McBeal and 30 Rock.
- Bon Jovi’s favorite movie is The Godfather.
- Even though he has carved a place for himself among the greatest rockers of all time, Bon Jovi’s playlist of choice doesn’t contain much of the genre. Some of his favorite songs might surprise you, including: “Clocks” by Coldplay, “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, “When You Were Young” by The Killers, and “One” by U2.
