Jon Bon Jovi pays tribute to 'force to be reckoned with' US Marine and Playboy Bunny mother

Virgin Radio

10 Jul 2024, 11:28

Jon Bon Jovi’s remarkable mom Carol Bongiovi has died, aged 83.

Confirming his mother’s death via People, the Bon Jovi frontman paid tribute to Carol on behalf of his whole family in a loving statement.

“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed,” the ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ singer said.

Carol Bongiovi passed away on Tuesday, 9th July, just three days before celebrating her 84th birthday.

The much loved Bongiovi family matriarch had a varied life. She met her husband Jon Bongiovi Sr. while serving in the US Marine Corps in the 1960s, and was also one of the very first Playboy bunnies.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Carol and her husband moved to New Jersey to raise their family, and this was where their oldest son would go on to form the band he is so well known for today.

Always proud of his achievements, Carol was the founder of Jon Bon Jovi’s official fan club, which she ran alongside various other business ventures throughout later life.

Speaking in a Big Issue interview back in 2020, Bon Jovi gushed about both his parents’ support for his career, saying they gave him the belief that he could “make the dream reality.”

“Even if you truly weren’t any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it," he continued. "As I got older I realised that was a great gift that I got from my folks. 

“They truly believed in the John Kennedy mantra of going to the moon. ‘Yeah, of course you can go to the moon. Just go, Johnny.’ And there I went.”

He continued: "They were always supportive of me, which in retrospect, was incredible. Because I could get home at one or two in the morning, and have to still be in school by eight o’clock. They just said, show up on time for school, you know that is your responsibility, but pursue your dream”

The thoughts of everyone at Virgin Radio go out to Carol Bongiovi’s friends and family.