• Faith: Christian - Catholic
• Career: Musician
• Birthday:  March 02, 1962

John Francis Bongiovi Jr., known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is a singer, songwriter, actor, and guitarist. He’s best known as the frontman and founder of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He’s released 15 studio albums with his band, as well as two solo albums. In the late 1990s, Bon Jovi started an acting career, starring in movies like “The Leading Man,” “Moonlight and Valentino,” “Little City,” “Homegrown,” and “Cry Wolf.” He also appeared on TV shows like “30 Rock,” “Sex and the City,” and “The West Wing.”

Bon Jovi was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009, and in 2012, he ranked number 50 on the list of Billboard magazine’s “Power 100,” a ranking of “The Most Powerful and Influential People in the Music Business.” He’s also the founder and former majority owner of the Arena Football League team, the Philadelphia Soul. Bon Jovi was born in New Jersey. He has two brothers, Matthew and Anthony. While he was previously rumored to be related to singer Frank Sinatra, in a 2016 interview, he stated that this was false. Bon Jovi spent summers in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his grandparents and sold newspapers. He attended St. Joseph High School during his first and second years but later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.

Bon Jovi started playing music in 1974 when he created his first band, Raze, and participated in a talent contest at his school. At 16, he formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway and was joined by David Bryan, who would later become a member of the Bon Jovi band. While still in his teens, he played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, performing in clubs like the Fast Lane and opening for local acts. By 1980, he’d formed his first original band, the Rest, and opened up for New Jersey acts like the Ashbury Jukes and Southside Johnny. At the time, Bon Jovi used to run errands between gigs at the Power Station recording studio owned by his cousin Tony.

One day, he was sweeping the floor as Disco producer Meco was in the studio recording “Christmas in the Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album.” Meco was struggling to find the right vocalist for the song and suggested Bon Jovi sing for the song “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which became his first professional recording, credited as John Bongiovi. In 1983, Bon Jovi visited a local radio station, where he spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested that John let the radio station include the song “Runaway” on the station’s compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was reluctant but eventually gave them the song.

What religion is Jon Bon Jovi?

Bon Jovi was raised and identifies as Catholic. In an interview with Parade magazine, the legend described himself as a recovering Catholic, saying, “I went to Catholic school in and out. I’m what you call a recovering Catholic. I have many major issues with the church.”