Bon Jovi are legends in the music industry. They have made some great stuff over the years and are a really talented group of musicians. This hub has more about Bon Jovi and their music including their hits.

Jon Bon Jovi is a founding member. With his first band called Raze, he began to play piano and guitar at thirteen. At sixteen, Jon Bon Jovi met David Bryan and formed a 12-piece cover band named Atlantic City Expressway after the New Jersey highway. The band played at New Jersey clubs, even though they were minors. While still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, playing local clubs like "The Fast Lane" and opening for known acts in the area.

In mid-1982, Bon Jovi was out of school and working part-time in a womens shoe store. He then took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner. Bon Jovi made several demos and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact.

Now 1983, Bon Jovi visited the local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the D.J., Chip Hobart, who suggested Bon Jovi let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on a compilation album of local homegrown talent. Initially reluctant, Bon Jovi eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track "Runaway". The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as The All Star Review. They were: guitarists Dave Sabo and Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka and bassist Hugh McDonald.

The song began to get airplay in the New York area, then other sister stations in major markets picked up the song. In March 1983 Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres.

Tapped to play lead guitar was Bon Jovi's neighbor, Dave Sabo, who later formed the group Skid Row.

Richie Sambora became the band's lead guitarist.

Before joining the group, Sambora had toured with Joe Cocker, played with a group called Mercy and had been called up to audition for Kiss. He also played on the album Lessons with the band Message, which was re-released on CD through Long Island Records in 1995. Message was originally signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records label, although the album was never released.

Drummer Tico Torres was also an experienced musician, having recorded and played live with Phantom's Opera, The Marvelettes, and Chuck Berry. He appeared on 26 records and had recently recorded with Frankie and the Knockouts, a Jersey band with hit singles during the early 1980s.

David Bryan had quit the band he and Bon Jovi founded in order to study medicine. While in college, he realized he wanted to pursue music full-time and was accepted to Juilliard School, the New York music school. When Bon Jovi called his friend and said he was putting together a band and a record deal looked likely, Bryan followed Bon Jovi's lead and gave up his studies.

The Bon Jovi lineup, which remained stable for a decade, was:

* Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) * Richie Sambora (lead guitar, backing vocals) * David Bryan (keyboard, backing vocals) * Tico Torres (drums, percussion) * Alec John Such (bass guitar, backing vocals)