It's been 13 years since Bon Jovi first formed in the suburbs of their native New Jersey and released a demo single of a song called "Runaway," which, much to their surprise, got aired on local radio and led to the band signing with Mercury/PolyGram Records. Throughout their extraordinary career, Bon Jovi has sold over 75 million albums. Jon continues to write and perform music, playing to sold out audiences around the world. Bon Jovi is the only hard rock band in history to have back to back #1 albums and four #1 singles, : "Bad Medicine," "I'll Be There For You," "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer." In addition 14 million copies of Slippery When Wet and 10 million copies of New Jersey were sold around the world, with the band's first two albums, Bon Jovi and 7800 Fahrenheit, rapidly closing in on the double platinum mark.

Seven albums later, the group has amassed one gold and five platinum records, including '86's six-million-selling #1 album "New Jersey," '92's double-platinum "Keep The Faith," which sold eight million world-wide, '94's greatest hits collection, "Cross Road," which sold more than 12 million internationally and last year's million-selling, Top Ten "These Days," which produced the band's Top 20 hit single, "This Ain't A Love Song." There have also been a series of hit singles, including such arena-rock anthems as "You Give Love A Bad Name," "Livin' On A Prayer," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," "Bad Medicine," "I'll Be There For You," "Lay Your Hands On Me," "Living In Sin," "Bed of Roses" and "Always." Bon Jovi's last two-month-long tour of Japan and Europe, which ended in July brought to a close this chapter in Bon Jovi history, a trip that began last Spring with dates in the Far East, three sold-out shows at Wembley in London, two nights supporting the Rolling Stones in Paris, a four-month-long North American tour and a first-ever concert in South Africa last December. In all, the group performed before more than four-and-a-half million paying fans.

After almost 15 years of non-stop activity, Bon Jovi the group will take what Jon calls a "self-imposed hiatus." "At this point, we couldn't get any bigger and we couldn't get any happier," says Jon. "It's just time to walk away from it for a while." Both Jon and guitarist Richie Sambora will undertake their first solo projects since Bon Jovi did the "Young Guns" soundtrack in '90 (which produced the chart-topping title song and his own bit part in the movie) and Sambora recorded "Stranger In This Town" in '91. "I'm writing by myself, but I'm also co-writing with people like Dave Stewart and David Baerwald," says Jon, adding he'd like to record two songs apiece with five different producers for his solo album, including Grammy winner David Foster, whom he has already begun working with. "It's going to be very eclectic. I just want to try various situations to see which ones make me happy. I'm taking a 'life without a safety net' kind of attitude."

As for the future, the father of two -- three-year-old daughter Stephanie Rose and one- year-old son Jesse James Louis, with his high school sweetheart wife Dorothea -- is taking a wait-and-see attitude. "Success does breed a certain degree of comfort," he admits. "I don't have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses or paying the rent. In a way, I have the same freedom now as I did before 'Slippery When Wet' made us so big. At that time, we had nothing to lose. Now I have the security to do what I want. In a weird way, you have to come to terms with your success. To the point where you can let go of it. And then you can walk taller in a different pair of shoes."

About The Band: They drink Muff Dive shots, equal parts of Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry juice and Orange juice. One of the band’s favourite restaurants is Jakes at Bradley Beach, Jon celebrated his 28th birthday there. All the guys have a neck-charm that was designed by Jon and was a gift of diamonds to stand for the Slippery Tour and Superman. Some of the bars where they guys hang out are The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, Tradewinds, New Jersey. Doc McGhee was born in 1951 and he managed Bon Jovi from 1983-1991. BJM is the current management. Awards: This is a list of some of the awards Bon Jovi have won over the years: Ginness Book of World Records: ‘Slippery When Wet’ best-selling hard rock album of the 80’s. American Music Awards: 1988 Favourite Duo, Group or Chorus in Pop or Rock ‘n’ Roll Music. Grammy Awards: nomination for Blaze of Glory 1990/91. February 26th 1997: nomination for Best Video, Long Form, for “Live From London. (Lost to The Beatles Anthology). Academy Awards (Oscars): nomination for Blaze Of Glory 1990/91. Golden Globe: for Best Song Blaze Of Glory 1990/91. MTV Music Video Awards: The Vanguard Award 1991. Metal Edge Reader’s Choice Awards: 1994 - 10 Awards. Smash Hits Awards: Best Band 1995. Kerrang Awards: June 1995 - Best International Live Act, Kerrang Hall of Fame Award. June 1996 Best Band. MTV Europe Music Awards: November 1995 - Nomination for Best Live Act, Nomination for Best Group. November 1996 - Nomination for Best Rock Group. Brit Awards: February 19th 1996 - Best International Act. People Magazine: May 6th 1996 - Jon Bon Jovi was named as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

Success: April 1993 - 68 Million records sold. April 1993 - 108 Platinum and gold records. October 1996 - World-wide total album sales of 75 Million. Charity Work: 1987 Special Olympics album. 1990 - January 10th - a show at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, for the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. During 1990 Jon did a gig at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park NJ to help raise funds for a surgery for an 8 year-old girl, Tishna Rollo, from New Jersey, who is suffering from a rare form of kidney cancer. Since 1990 Bon Jovi have been doing Charity Gigs at Red Bank each Christmas. 1992 Special Olympics album - Jon “The way it seems is that Christmas is becoming one big long network-television-special. You know with a lot of flashing lights and guys in Santa Clause suits. And you believe that sometimes nobody remembers what Christmas is. It’s not JC Penney’s birthday. It’s about giving. It was very, very successful. A lot of big artists gave their time in efforts to make a Christmas-song to help the Olympics. And now, five years later, it have raised seventy million dollars... In countries that it hadn’t reached prior to that first album. We went to Minneapolis for the Olympics, I think there was seven thousand athletes participation from 106 countries. So the album got its point across. Now, and right now, more than any other time, that I have seen in my life-time, that people start helping people. And if people start helping people, not only at Christmas time, but all the year round. And in these times, in the 1990’s we’re seeing a lot of disillusionment, and a lot of people waking up from what they thought was a dream to find out it was a lot less than that.. The Special Olympics gives them that camaraderie, it gives them that pride, it proves to the world that all the Special Olympians are more than capable of performing in society... Anybody, who is less fortunate. And now there’s a real general Attitude, but it’s one that can work. And I think the Olympians appreciate it, that they’re more easily accepted in society, they’re more easily accepted in the work-place.” October 10th 1996 - Jon and Richie performed at “The Beat Goes On III,” a benefit concert for LIFEbeat, The Music Industry Fights AIDS Organization. He also made news last year filming a Christmas video with supermodel Cindy Crawford which included a steamy on-screen kiss. The song, "Please Come Home for Christmas," was a track he recorded for the Special Olympics benefit album, A Very Special Christmas II. An avid supporter of environmental causes, Jon participated in this year's Rainforest Benefit Concert alongside Elton John, Jessye Norman, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, James Taylor and Geoffrey Oryema.

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