Jon Bon Jovi may be a bonified rockstar, but he hasn’t been living the rock star life.
For starters, he’s been married to the same woman for over 40 years and even prioritizes family over music.
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He’s also one of the most philanthropic celebs around with his own organization that feeds the homeless.
All in all, he’s just a good dude. Here are 10+ random fact fans didn’t know.
1. His real name is John Francis Bongiovi.
The rockstar was born in 1962 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to parents who were both Marines for quite some time.
Eventually, his father became a hairdresser and his mother a florist.
2. He formed the band Bon Jovi when he was 21.
He did so with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboard player David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres.
The guys failed to get traction until 1986 when they released their smash hit, “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
3. He’s extremely philanthropic.
In 2006, Jon founded the JBJ Soul Foundation (named after his initials).
It’s a non-profit organization with the mission to reduce the amount of hunger and homelessness in the United States.
4. He has released a country album.
Everyone was surprised when the singer traded in rock for country for 2007’s “Lost Highway” album.
But what was even more surprising was the fact that the album did so well!
5. He had a breakdown in the early days of his career.
After the success of “Livin’ On A Prayer,” the rockstar was put through the wringer of back-to-back tours and complete exhaustion.
This led him to contemplate jumping out of a moving vehicle on his way to see his therapist. Thankfully, he didn’t and he’s still here with us today.
6. He’s into politics.
As a card-carrying Democrat, he’s campaigned hard for the likes of John Kerry and Barack Obama.
For instance, in 2009, he held a fundraiser for the then-presidential candidate in his own home. Recently, he’s been performing at rallies for Joe Biden.
7. He once donated half a million dollars to build an apartment complex for homeless veterans.
Jon’s organization took a page from fellow philanthropist, Gary Sinise , by helping out veterans in need.
Jon explained the reason behind this decision on CNN’s “The Lead With Jake Tapper.”
“Often times, [veterans] left to deal with PTSD, and the issue of coming back to the workplace after leaving the battlefield…” he said.
He also released a song called “Unbroken,” which had all of the proceeds going to the Patriotic Service Dog Foundation.
8. He’s been married to his wife, Dorothea, since 1989.
He may be a rockstar, but he certainly doesn’t live the messy rock & roll lifestyle.
Instead, he’s in domestic bliss with his wife who he met while he was in school.
“Our focus has always been family first and making sure that people are doing well,” Dorothea told *People* about how they make their marriage work.
“We like each other. We spent a lot of time together, and it was more than we have spent in many years, but it was nice,” she added about being in quarantine together.
9. He has four kids: Stephanie Rose, Jesse James, Jacob, and Romeo.
Bon Jovi may like being a rockstar, but he once told People that family comes first.
“It’s just what I do, it’s not who I am,” he said. “I write songs. I happen to be very good at performing them. That’s it.”
10. He has opened up two restaurants to feed the homeless.
The singer and actor currently has two “Soul Kitchens” AKA restaurants , under his JBJ Soul Foundation.
The premise for Soul Kitchen is this: people in need can eat for free!
If you can afford to pay, then you will only be asked to make a $20 donation.
As for the homeless, they are encouraged to eat and then later volunteer in the kitchen.
The organization’s website reported that 51% of the meals they’ve served so far have been paid for by donations.
11. He’s a feminist.
A philanthropist and a feminist? This man is after our own heart.
“This idea that the pay scale is unequal is beyond my comprehension,” he told The Guardian .
“Every man knows… and if he doesn’t say it, he’s a liar… that they get their wisdom from their mother, their wife and their daughters.”
12. He wrote an album about 2020.
As if we needed another reminder of the past year…
Even so, Bon Jovi made one titled “2020.”
In it, he tackles politics, the pandemic, police violence, and everything else that we’ve recently experienced.
Jon said that the album is his attempt to “bear witness to history.”
“I was inspired by the health care workers, the students who sacrificed, the grocery store clerk who became an essential worker, the caregiver, the unsung heroes who stepped up to help their neighbors and those who simply wore a mask, not because it was a political tool but because it was a sign of respect for their fellow man,” he said .
13. His favorite part of being a rockstar isn’t performing.
It’s songwriting.
“When I write a song, that’s when the magic happens. Having written something that’s going to be around long after we’re all gone is as close to immortality as we’ll ever be,” Bon Jovi told CBS This Morning co-host, Gayle King.
14. He wants Richie Sambora back in the band, but only if he “gets his life together.”
2013 was quite a controversial year for Jon Bon Jovi.
Sambora, lead guitarist and one of the band’s main songwriters, was dismissed for missing too much work.
In another interview, Bon Jovi said that Richie’s “choices have led him astray.”
Then, to add to the drama and mystery, Sambora suggested that he’d been unhappy with the way the group was run for decades.
“I thought we should have made more strides to become a band. It was going towards Jon being the front-guy and nothing else.”