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.
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 worldwide, '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 recent 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 that, Bon Jovi took some time off, which allowed Jon a chance to travel to London, where he filmed his first starring movie role in
English director John ("Sirens") Duigan's "The Leading Man," after his much-praised debut in last year's "Moonlight and Valentino," where
he co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Perkins and Kathleen Turner. The dark film has art imitating life, with Jon
as an American movie star who goes to England to perform in a Pinteresque drama on London's West Side and ends up insinuating
himself into the playwright's home life, gradually taking over his wife and kids. Jon describes it as a sexually-charged "All About Eve," with a
top-notch cast that includes Anna Galliana ("The Hairdresser's Wife"), Barry (Dame Edna) Humphries and veteran English actor David
("Morgan," "Might Morphin Power Rangers") Warner.
"Acting is a found passion," Jon says. "I'm not going to give up my day job, as they say, but it is something I'm going to do a lot more of.
When you're successful in a different field and then go into acting, you do have to try twice as hard to prove yourself. That's what I've had to
go through. Everyday it's a challenge. And that's what fueled me the most...the idea of a challenge." He is currently looking to take another
acting role to film next Fall.
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."
