AboutC.A. Smith Expertise I can answer virtually ANY question--personal or musical--about Bon Jovi and its five official members. I have constructed a time line of significant Jovi events that ranges from the late 1970`s to present-day. I know the lyrics to just about every song they have ever written and have most of them catalogued on my computer. I also have a chart showing all ranks of released Bon Jovi songs and albums. I own almost every CD, DVD, and video the band has ever released. Most importantly, I love the band and am always happy to talk about them with fellow fans.
Experience I have constructed a time-line of events through careful research. I have watched and read countless Bon Jovi videos, DVDs, shows, articles, and books. I am a musician (singer / songwriter / guitarist), so I also know some technical things others may not know.
Expert: C.A. Smith Date: 6/21/2008 Subject: timeline and books?
Question Hey. On your profile you said : I have constructed a time-line of events through careful research. Do you have a copy of the timeline on the computer you could possibly email me? Also, you said : I have watched and read countless Bon Jovi videos, DVDs, shows, articles, and books. What books are out there about Bon Jovi? Any clue where i could get them? Thanks, Peace.
Answer Jessi-
The best resource for finding books about Bon Jovi is probably Amazon.com. There are dozens of books about them--just remember that sometimes books like that can be completely fictitious and released just for the sake of sensationalism. It's a good idea to read the reader reviews before deciding to purchase a book like that.
I have also read anything I could find on the internet. Just type in keywords like "Bon Jovi" or "Jon Bon Jovi", etc. Thousands of things will pop up.
Find below a copy of the Time Line. I may have guessed on exact months events took place here and there. The Time Line is only updated through 2004--sorry.
Take care!
BON JOVI TIME LINE
1983
Jon gets a job as a “gofer” for New York City’s Power Station recording studios where he ran errands, fetched coffee and swept floors. During this time—at all odd hours of the night—Jon used the empty studios and any lingering musicians he could recruit to record his own original songs; Bon Jovi is formed. This year, Jon also meets Tico after watching him play in a club and meets Richie through Alec after Jon performs with the Wild Ones.
Summer – Jon signs a record deal with Polygram Records
September – Bon Jovi is the opening act for ZZ Top in NY City on September 24th
1984
January – Bon Jovi released January 21st; Runaway and She Don’t Know Me are singles
February through December – Bon Jovi are on a very hectic and extensive tour
December – Immediately after arriving home, Bon Jovi begin to record 7800 Degrees in Philadelphia
1985
March – Bon Jovi begin a world tour schedule that lasts until December, mostly supporting RATT
April – 7800 Degrees Fahrenheit released; Only Lonely, In and Out, Silent Night, and Hardest Part are singles
May – 7800 Degrees released in Europe
September – Jon performs solo in the Farm Aid concert
October – Fahrenheit is certified gold
Dec – Guys are broke—in debt to the record label for about $2 million. Richie said, “We needed to pull this next album thru to make sure there was going to be a Bon Jovi. It was an edgy time. We had no money. We were paying our crew more than we were making ourselves. We were living at our mom and dad's and wrote most of the songs for Slippery in my basement”
1986
February – Bon Jovi is certified gold
April – BJ go to Vancouver to record Slippery—they lived in a rented condo together that was destroyed by the end of the recording. The police evicted Jon and Richie because the neighbors complained about the noise one too many times, and they had to finish the last days at a hotel. As Richie said, “It was 5 guys together and got pretty wild. It was a brand new condo, right on the river overlooking the World's Fair. It was lovely until we moved in, then it was—there goes the neighborhood.”
August – Slippery When Wet is released August 17th; Bad Name, Living on a Prayer, Wanted, Never Say Goodbye, and Wild in the Streets are singles; Bad Name and Prayer both hit #1 and Wanted goes to #7
October – Slippery reaches #1 on the US Billboard Chart and remains at #1 for 8 weeks (94 wks on chart)—it is certified platinum and eventually hits platinum twelve times over
November – Bad Name hits #1 on the B/B charts
1987
February – Prayer hits #1 and stays there for three weeks
March – Slippery goes platinum in the US and Bon Jovi begins their first headlining tour
August – Bon Jovi headlines at the Monsters of Rock Festival
September – BJ win the MTV VMA for Best Stage Performance (Living on a Prayer); Jon and Dorothea buy their first home in Rumson, but don’t move in until early 1988
December – Breakout is announced as the top-selling music videocassette of the year
1988
January – BJ wins the AMA for Best Pop / Rock Band
August – Bon Jovi return to Vancouver, BC to record New Jersey
Sept – New Jersey released in US and Japan; Bad Medicine, Born to Be My Baby, I’ll Be There for You, Lay Your Hands on Me, and Living in Sin are singles; Bad Medicine, Born to Be, and I’ll Be There hit #1; Bon Jovi begins a sixteen-month tour
October – New Jersey hits #1 on the US Billboard Charts
December – New Jersey goes platinum in the US (eventually hitting platinum 7x over); Bad Medicine is #1
1989
March – Jon’s parents, Jon, Sr. and Carol’s home is auctioned off as a charity effort by M-TV—they move to Holmodel, NJ
April – On April 28th, Jon and Dorothea are married at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas—three days later they have a reception in New York with their friends and family
August – Moscow Music Peace Festival; New Jersey released in Russia
Sept – Jon and Richie perform Wanted acoustically at the MTV Video Awards, inspiring the “Unplugged” series
1990
Alec is in a serious motorcycle accident and spends many months recovering
Feb – Bon Jovi begins a 3 yr hiatus after they finish touring
August – Blaze of Glory released; Blaze of Glory and Miracle are singles; Jon appears in Young Guns II
October – Blaze goes platinum, eventually hitting 2x platinum
1991
January – Jon wins a Golden Globe for Blaze, and an AMA for Favorite Single (Blaze)
February – Jon is nominated for an Oscar for Blaze and performs at the Academy Awards
July – Richie records his first solo LP, Stranger in This Town
Sept – Richie releases Stranger; Jon wins MTV Video Vanguard Award for Male Video of the Yr & Best Video from a Film
Oct – Jon calls all Bon Jovi members together to discuss the band’s future—they stay in a house on St Thomas; During discussions, it’s decided that Bon Jovi will part company with McGhee Entertainment Mgmt, fire all advisors and agents, and create Bon Jovi Mgmt with tour manager Paul Korzilius at the helm
December – The 1st annual Christmas concert in NJ marks the return of Bon Jovi
1992
Jon cuts his hair—they run the story on CNN; Jon is presented with a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Awards
October – Bon Jovi appear on MTV Unplugged to promote Faith; Keep the Faith hits the B/B Top 40
Nov – Keep the Faith released in US and UK; Keep the Faith, In These Arms, Bed of Roses, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, I Believe, and Dry County are singles
1993
January – Bon Jovi appear on Saturday Night Live; Keep the Faith goes platinum
February – Bed of Roses is released
May – Stephanie Rose is born on May 31st; In These Arms is released
1994
Oct – Alec is let go by Jon; Crossroad released; Always and Saturday Night are singles
1995
February – Jesse James Louis is born on February 19th (8 lbs, 3oz); Bon Jovi appear on SNL
June - These Days released; Ain’t a Love Song released; Something for the Pain, Lie to Me, Hey God, These Days also singles
July – These Days hits #1 in the UK and stays there for four weeks
August – These Days is certified platinum
October – Something for the Pain is released and hits the Top 40
November – Bon Jovi wins the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Rock Act; Moonlight and Valentino is released—Jon wins the Premiere Performance Award for his portrayal of “The Painter”; the video Live From London is released
1996
BJ on Hiatus until 2000; Jon is “Robin Grange” in The Leading Man
February – Bon Jovi wins the British BMI for Best International Act
1997
Jon plays “Kevin” in the movie Little City
February – Bon Jovi is nominated for Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards for Live from London
June – Destination Anywhere released; Midnight in Chelsea released—hits Top 40; Queen, Janie, and Ugly are singles
November – Richie records Undiscovered Soul in Los Angeles; JBJ wins the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Male Act
1998
Jon is “Michael” in No Looking Back (NYC premier 3/18/98) & “Danny” in Homegrown; David almost loses his finger in a wood-chopping accident; BJ’s hiatus extended while David’s finger heals and BJ recovers from the loss of Bruce Fairbairn
February – Richie releases his second solo LP, Undiscovered Soul; JBJ wins the Brit Award for Best International Male
1999
March – Ed TV Soundtrack is released and Real Life by Bon Jovi hits the Top 40;
April – MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made includes Wanted at #41
July – Bon Jovi begin recording Crush in Jon’s home studio in NJ, Sanctuary Two
2000
Jon is “Lt. Pete Emmett, Chief Engineer” in U-571 & “Ricki McKinney” in Pay It Forward; BJ wins VH1 Music Award for Video of the Yr for “It’s My Life”; BJ wins Gold Disc Award in Japan for Foreign Rock Album of the Yr for Crush; BJ wins the TMF Award in Netherlands for Best Rock Band International; BJ wins Best International Group at German Echo Awards
January – Bon Jovi finally finish recording Crush
March – Bon Jovi fly to LA to film a video for It’s My Life
May – Crush released in the US and internationally and BJ tour Japan and Europe; It’s My Life released and hits the Top 40
September through November – Bon Jovi tour the US; Crush is certified platinum
Nov – Jon is named “Sexiest Rock Star” by People Magazine; VH1: 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock names Bon Jovi #76
December – David’s Lunar Eclipse is released
2001
BJ are nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Group, Best LP of the Year, and Best Rock Song (It’s My Life)
January – Thank You For Loving Me is released and hits the Top 40
Feb – BJ is nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for Crush
May – One Wild Night released; VH1: 100 Greatest Videos includes It’s My Life at #97
Sept – Prayer is performed by Jon and Richie on America: A Tribute to Heroes
December – Bon Jovi win the VH1 Music Award for Best Live Act
2002
Jon plays “Derek Bliss” in the movie Vampires: Los Muertos
January – JBJ begins his role as “Victor Morrison” on the TV series Ally McBeal
March – Bon Jovi records Bounce
May – Jacob Hurley is born on May 7th
September – Bon Jovi hit the Top 40 with Everyday; JBJ ranks #13 on VH1: 100 Sexiest Artists
October – Bounce is released
December – While returning home from Sydney, Jon’s airplane is forced to make an emergency landing between LA and NY—a loud bang was heard, then a flame shot out from one of the aircraft's jet engines
2003
January – Misunderstood hits the Top 40; Bon Jovi perform at the Super Bowl; Bounce is certified gold
February – Bon Jovi are nominated for a Grammy
March – David’s father, Eddie, dies at the age of 70
June – VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Yrs names Prayer as #26
September – Jon announces that he has become part-owner of the Philadelphia Soul
November – This Left Feels Right released
2004
February – Bon Jovi are nominated for a Grammy for Misunderstood
March – On the 29th, Romeo Jon is born—weighs in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces
June – Jon holds a fund raiser at his own home for Jon Kerry, raising $1 million
