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Profile: Bon Jovi without doubt dominated the late 80s rock music scene, and indeed music scene in general, with their catchy rock-pop style tunes. The band was first started in 1983, when aspiring star John Bongiovi cut a demo at the famous NYC Powerstation studio. John's first 'hit' song was "Runaway" which became an instant local favorite. With this success, he decided on starting a permanent band. He recruited high school friend and keyboardist David Bryan Rashbaum, bassist Alec John Such, drummer Tico Torres and, eventually, guitarist Richie Sambora. Jon Bon Jovi's looks attracted immediate attention for the band, and he turned down the lucrative lead role in the dance movie Footloose in order to concentrate on his music. Their debut album preceded a headline tour and support slots with the Scorpions, Whitesnake and Kiss. Their second album, 7800 Degrees Fahrenheit, was greeted with cynicism by the music press, which was already hostile towards the band's manicured image and formularized heavy rock - this mediocre album only fuelled their scorn. The band responded in style: Slippery When Wet was the biggest-selling rock album of 1987, although it originally appeared in August 1986. Slippery When Wet , a hugely successful and masterfully produced album sold over 10 million copies and stayed at #1 on the album charts for 8 weeks continuosly. In 1988, Bon Jovi returned with New Jersey, another succesful album which sold around 5 million copies worldwide. The rest of 1989 was spent on more extensive touring, before the band temporarily retired. As Jon Bon Jovi commented, it was time to "Ride my bike into the hills, learn how to garden, anything except do another Bon Jovi record." In 1990, Jon worked on the soundtrack for Young Guns 2 producing the hit song "Blaze of Glory". Although not as commercially successful, Richie Sambora also had a solo effort himself, releasing his Stranger in this Town album in 1991. Bon Jovi as a band have survived many years - this is why they deserve the top position as one of the best hairbands of all time. As you know, they're still around (sporting a more sleek, trimmed down look), and their latest hit single "It's My Life" has further established Bon Jovi's continuing success. |
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