When New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut album in 1984, few, if any, critics predicted a bright future for the band. The big rock hooks of Bon Jovi's first single, "Runaway" might have caught listeners' attention, but unimpressed cynics couldn't see past the group's pretty-boy looks. Lumped together with the many mediocre "hair bands" of the day, Bon Jovi appeared to be destined for one-hit wonder status. When their second album, 7800° Fahrenheit received a lukewarm response, the naysayers seemed to have been proven right.
Fast-forward 22 years and, remarkably, Bon Jovi is still here, both literally and figuratively. Founding members Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals/guitar) and David Bryan (keyboards) still live in New Jersey; but more important, Bon Jovi and Bryan, along with lead guitarist Richie Sambora, drummer Tico Torres, and bassist Hugh McDonald, are still a vital and popular force on the music scene.
While contemporaries like Winger, Slaughter, and Ratt make news only when the words, "Whatever happened to…" precede their names, Bon Jovi is still selling millions of CDs and packing arenas on tour. Bon Jovi's latest platinum-selling CD, Have A Nice Day logged over a year on the charts.
In an February 2006 interview, Bryan says he feels that the group's longevity is at least partly the result of a serious work ethic shared by the band members.
"We never were a lifestyles band. Our lives have always been about music," he says. "You read about other bands and it's who died of a heroin overdose inside a limo. Our articles are about great shows and great songs. That's what we're about."
Bryan, born David Bryan Rashbaum, met Jon Bon Jovi, then known as John Frank Bongiovi, when they were juniors in high school in Sayreville, Middlesex County.
"I went to school with Jon's cousin, who turned me on to his band. I eventually joined Jon's band. We were called Atlantic City Expressway. We did Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes covers, and some originals — blue-eyed soul music, what was the 'Shore sound' at that time."
The band eventually split, but Bryan and Bon Jovi remained friends. Bryan enrolled in Julliard, and Bon Jovi took a $50 a week job as a "gofer" at New York City's legendary Power Station recording studios.
The studio job allowed Bon Jovi to work on his own music after hours. Using the empty studios and any lingering musicians he could recruit, he recorded his own original songs. The bass player at many of the sessions was Hugh McDonald.
One of those songs, "Runaway," was included on a compilation album of local unsigned artists put together by the now defunct radio station WAPP. When the song took off, Bon Jovi was asked to perform at a series of live shows to promote the album. In need of a band, he called Bryan, who in turn brought bass player Alec John Such and Torres into the group. After a series of guitarists, Sambora joined and completed the original line-up.
Bryan says that the songwriting process hasn't changed that much for the group, but it has matured. It wasn't until they recorded their third album, the multi-platinum Slippery When Wet, he says, that the band "found its voice."
Bon Jovi and Sambora co-write most of the band's material, but Bryan says that everyone in the band has input.
"Everyone gets into the mix with suggestions," he says. "We try different things to see what works best, and the songs go through that funnel. Then it's really up to Jon, because he's got to sing them. The most important thing is to be open to an idea. That's the only way you can really grow together.
A deep-seeded friendship and respect for each other has allowed the band to flourish while weathering issues that have splintered other groups. Everything from the loss of an original band member (bass player Such left the band in 1994), to celebrity marriages (Sambora married actress Heather Locklear in 1994), to potentially career-ending injuries to both Bryan (his fingers) and Torres (his arm), to Jon Bon Jovi's attention-grabbing side occupations (an actor and co-owner of Arena League Football's Philadelphia Soul), have been dealt with in stride.
Fast-forward 22 years and, remarkably, Bon Jovi is still here, both literally and figuratively. Founding members Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals/guitar) and David Bryan (keyboards) still live in New Jersey; but more important, Bon Jovi and Bryan, along with lead guitarist Richie Sambora, drummer Tico Torres, and bassist Hugh McDonald, are still a vital and popular force on the music scene.
While contemporaries like Winger, Slaughter, and Ratt make news only when the words, "Whatever happened to…" precede their names, Bon Jovi is still selling millions of CDs and packing arenas on tour. Bon Jovi's latest platinum-selling CD, Have A Nice Day logged over a year on the charts.
In an February 2006 interview, Bryan says he feels that the group's longevity is at least partly the result of a serious work ethic shared by the band members.
"We never were a lifestyles band. Our lives have always been about music," he says. "You read about other bands and it's who died of a heroin overdose inside a limo. Our articles are about great shows and great songs. That's what we're about."
Bryan, born David Bryan Rashbaum, met Jon Bon Jovi, then known as John Frank Bongiovi, when they were juniors in high school in Sayreville, Middlesex County.
"I went to school with Jon's cousin, who turned me on to his band. I eventually joined Jon's band. We were called Atlantic City Expressway. We did Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes covers, and some originals — blue-eyed soul music, what was the 'Shore sound' at that time."
The band eventually split, but Bryan and Bon Jovi remained friends. Bryan enrolled in Julliard, and Bon Jovi took a $50 a week job as a "gofer" at New York City's legendary Power Station recording studios.
The studio job allowed Bon Jovi to work on his own music after hours. Using the empty studios and any lingering musicians he could recruit, he recorded his own original songs. The bass player at many of the sessions was Hugh McDonald.
One of those songs, "Runaway," was included on a compilation album of local unsigned artists put together by the now defunct radio station WAPP. When the song took off, Bon Jovi was asked to perform at a series of live shows to promote the album. In need of a band, he called Bryan, who in turn brought bass player Alec John Such and Torres into the group. After a series of guitarists, Sambora joined and completed the original line-up.
Bryan says that the songwriting process hasn't changed that much for the group, but it has matured. It wasn't until they recorded their third album, the multi-platinum Slippery When Wet, he says, that the band "found its voice."
Bon Jovi and Sambora co-write most of the band's material, but Bryan says that everyone in the band has input.
"Everyone gets into the mix with suggestions," he says. "We try different things to see what works best, and the songs go through that funnel. Then it's really up to Jon, because he's got to sing them. The most important thing is to be open to an idea. That's the only way you can really grow together.
A deep-seeded friendship and respect for each other has allowed the band to flourish while weathering issues that have splintered other groups. Everything from the loss of an original band member (bass player Such left the band in 1994), to celebrity marriages (Sambora married actress Heather Locklear in 1994), to potentially career-ending injuries to both Bryan (his fingers) and Torres (his arm), to Jon Bon Jovi's attention-grabbing side occupations (an actor and co-owner of Arena League Football's Philadelphia Soul), have been dealt with in stride.
When Jon Bon Jovi decided to publicly support John Kerry, he consulted his bandmates before hitting the campaign trail.
"We support each other in whatever we want to do individually, it doesn't mean that we all necessarily agree," Bryan says. "If we thought [Jon's campaigning] was going to seriously hurt the band, we would say something. We each have our different outside interests."
Although the band might be tempted to wax nostalgic playing a show to a capacity crowd in its home state, Bryan says that looking forward, not to the past, is the key to staying vital.
"We're playing at least seven songs off the new record on this tour, because that's how you stay current," he says. "We look out at the audience every night and there are a lot of people singing the words to the new songs, so they know the new record. Those that don't will probably go out the next day and get it. We want to go out and promote Have A Nice Day, not just go on tour. That's how you do it; otherwise you're a nostalgia act."
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