Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, poet and painter. He has been a major figure in music for five decades and has had immense influence on popular music. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler, and an apparently reluctant figurehead, of social unrest. Though he is well-known for revolutionizing perceptions of the limits of popular music in 1965 with the six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone," a number of his earlier songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements.

His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and the performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, androckabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, a road called the Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

Origins and musical beginnings

Robert Allen Zimmerman (Hebrew name Shabtai Zisel ben Avraham) was born in St. Mary's Hospital on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota,and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota, on the Mesabi Iron Range west of Lake Superior. His paternal grandparents, Zigman and Anna Zimmerman, emigrated from Odessa in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) to the United States following the anti-Semitic pogroms of 1905. His maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Lybba Edelstein, were Lithuanian Jews who arrived in the United States in 1902. In his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan writes that his paternal grandmother's maiden name was Kyrgyz and her family originated from Kars, Turkey.

Dylan's parents, Abram Zimmerman and Beatrice "Beatty" Stone, were part of the area's small but close-knit Jewish community. Robert Zimmerman lived in Duluth until age six, when his father was stricken with polio and the family returned to his mother's home town, Hibbing, where Zimmerman spent the rest of his childhood. Robert Zimmerman spent much of his youth listening to the radio—first to blues and country stations broadcasting from Shreveport, Louisiana and, later, to early rock and roll.He formed several bands while he attendedHibbing High School. The Shadow Blasters was short-lived, but his next, The Golden Chords, lasted longer and played covers of popular songs. Their performance of Danny and the Juniors' "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" at their high school talent show was so loud that the principal cut the microphone off. In his 1959 school yearbook, Robert Zimmerman listed as his ambition "To follow Little Richard."The same year, using the name Elston Gunnn (sic), he performed two dates with Bobby Vee, playing piano and providing handclaps.

Zimmerman moved to Minneapolis in September 1959 and enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where his early focus on rock and roll gave way to an interest in American folk music. In 1985, Dylan explained the attraction that folk music had exerted on him: "The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough ... There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms ... but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings."He soon began to perform at the 10 O'clock Scholar, a coffee house a few blocks from campus, and became actively involved in the local Dinkytown folk music circuit.

During his Dinkytown days, Zimmerman began introducing himself as "Bob Dylan". In his autobiography, Dylan acknowledged that he had been influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas. Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked: "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

Ален исламович

Ален Исламовић је рођен у Соколцу, селу удаљеном око 5 km од Бихаћа, у северозападном делу Босне и Херцеговине. Када му је било две и по године, отац му је добио посао у Бихаћу, па се цела породица преселила у град. Исламовић је први пут добио приступ музици преко старијег брата који је купио грамофон крајем 1960их.
Научио је да свира гитару уз помоћ старијег брата, а 1974. је почео да свира бас гитару у групи Баг. Почео је да пева јер је његов брат имао највише плоча, тако да је, по мишљењу колега из групе, могао да учи стихове.
Ускоро је Исламовићева локална популарност порасла са концертима његове групе. Поред Бихаћа, Баг је наступао у местима као што су Приједор, Дрвар, Сански Мост и Бања Лука и на тај начин зарадио пристојне суме новца. Одушевљавао се музиком Лед зепелина, Дип перпла и Бијелог дугмета.
Када му се група распала, Ален је почео да игра фудбал у Јединству из Бихаћа, ондашњем друголигашу. Након што је одслужио војску, Сеад Липовача га је позвао у Дивље јагоде. Почетак са Дивљим јагодама је био врло тежак, али се на крају исплатио како је група постала врло популарна у неким деловима Југославије. Били су толико обећавајући да је априла 1984. (када је Жељко Бебек напустио Бијело дугме) Ален одбио понуду Горана Бреговића да пева у Бијелом дугмету (делимично због страха да ће се Бебек можда вратити у Дугме), а Дивље јагоде (сада називане Wild Strawberries} су биле на корак од светске славе. Међутим, на крају је све пропало, Дивље јагоде су се распале, а Ален се вратио у Бихаћ и одлучио да се бавио обичним послом и да заборави на музику. Али онда је дошла друга понуда од Горана Бреговића (када је Тифа напустио Дугме), а овај пут Ален ју је прихватио.

Djetinjstvo 

Alen Islamović je rođen 17. august 1957 u malom mjestu Sokolac, 5 km od Bihaća. Kao dječaka sa dvije i pol godine najstariji brat ga je donio do grada Bihaća na vratu, pošto je cijela porodica selila jer je otac dobio novi posao. Sa dva brata , sestrom, majkom i ocem proveo je djetinjstvo pored rijeke Une u bivšoj ulici „Petra Kočića“, a sadašnjoj ulici „502. bihaćke brigade“. Stariji brat je obožavao muziku i skupljao jeLP ploče i singlove 65-70 tih godina. Ljubav prema muzici otkrio je i srednji brat pa je gramofon u kući urlao po cijeli dan i goninama dok je rastao Alen, ta bolest prešla je i na njega. Tih 70-tih godina u kući se pojavljuje i prva akustična gitara koju stariji brat pokušava savladati no poslije prva dva akorda odustaje jer bol na vrhovima prstiju, koji prave žice da bi uhvatio akord porazio ga je.

Upornost srednjeg brata koji je pokušao taj isti problem riješiti dovelo je do tog da i Alen to pokuša ali tajno da niko ne zna, jer se je gitara držala u ormaru pod ključem. Provaljivanje ormara i uzimanje gitare za Alena je bio veliki doživljaj. Brat mu je bio ljevak, žice su bile naopako poredane i zvuk je bio užasan, a da bi mu nešto bolje zvučala, služio se čavlićem umjesto trzalicom. Gitara biva izgrebana, dolazi brat, svađa, ali upornost se isplatila te kroz nekoliko dana srednji brat odluči Alena učiti prve akorde. Kuća je bila puna LP ploča tako da se ljubav prema muzici iz dana u dan povećavala. Kad je Alen savladao par pjesama, brat mu je dozvoljavao da gitaru nosi i u školu i na eskurziju gdje je zavodio sa pjesmom „Šošana“ svoje vršnjakinje.

Upisuje se u srednju tekstilnu školu u Bihaću i sa svojim vršnjacima osniva prvi bend „BAG“, koji je uporno vježbao na jedno pojačalo BASSKING. Odluka ko će biti vokalni solista pala je na Alena jer ostali su tako rekli, a ujedno njegov brat je imao najviše ploča, pa bi Alen mogao biti i vokal. Htio je svirati gitaru, ali neko je morao pjevati. Svirke su se pravile u okolici Bihaća, maturske, plesnjaci subotom u tadašnjem omladinskom klubu u centru grada (pod općinom). Zbog raznih promjena u bendu Alen je savladao i bas gitaru u grupi „TNT“ i tako postao vokalista i bas gitarista 1975. godine. Najveće kaljenje kao vokalni solista imao je u periodu 1976-1978 gdje je pjevao na velikim igrankama sa starijim i najpopularnijim bendom u Bihaću, grupa„ BIVIS “. To su bile svirke subotom za srednjoškolce gdje ih je dolazilo oko 1000.

Kraj 1978. godine dočekuje u vojsci i poslje izlaska iz nje 1980. ponovo okuplja svoju grupu BAG i pravi igranke i sa tim bendom pobjeđuje po gitarijadama u Drvaru, Prijedoru,Bosanskom Petrovcu i Banja Luci. Na par koncerata Divljih Jagoda sa svojim bendom svira kao predgrupa. Te iste godine „Divlje jagode“ zbog nekih članova koji su bili u vojsci pokušavaju se okupiti i promijeniti mjesto boravka. Dva glavna člana JagodaA su Bišćani i iz Zagreba su htjeli preseliti u Sarajevo. Alenu je bilo ponuđeno mjesto bas gitariste i Prijedorčaninu mjesto bubnjara. Napustiti Bihać, posao koji su mu roditelji našli u to vrijeme bilo je biti ili ne biti, ali savjet starijeg brata koji je u njemu nešto vidio, pomogao mu je da spakuje kofere i krene u bijeli svijet pun izneneđenja, a da ni jednog momenta ne pomisli šta ga očekuje.

Doba „Jagoda“ 

Pobijedila je ljubav prema muzici. Roditelji nisu ni htijeli čuti za tu odluku ali tu je bio brat ,njegova podrška, njegov čuvar koji ga je štitio. Sarajevo grad snova. Prvi put se sreće sa poznatim ličnostima estrade na mjestima gdje su se okupljali: Parkuša, Oloman, Skenderija. Nova postava Jagoda, bubnjar Nasko i Alen su podmladili bend i trebalo je isfurati novi imidž benda. Album „Stakleni hotel“ koji je izdao Diskoton Sarajevo sniman je u Beogradu 1980. Hit „Autostop“ je vratio Jagode u život. Mnogo gaža i tezgi se otvorilo po Slavoniji, Vojvodini,Dalmaciji, Istri, Makedoniji i Bosni. 1982 godina je bila prekretnica Jagoda poslje odrađenih 200 nastupa. Novi zvuk se pojavio u svijetu - AC/DC. Jagode žele promjenu. Alen i na nastupima dok su ih radili volio je odpjevati koju pijesmu od AC/DC. To bi zazvučalo dobro i rodila se ideja da se na tom nešto uradi.

1982. godine Jagode se sele u Bihać dalje od medija i kuju plan osvajanja Yu tržišta i pripremaju novi album sa sličnim AC/DC zvukom. U Alenu se otkriva i talent za pisanje tekstova te nastaju najveći hitovi „Motori“, „Šejla“, „Nasmiješi se“ i on preuzima ulogu frontmena i vodi bend u visine tadašnjeg Jugo roka. Album „Motori“ se prodaje u 400.000 primjeraka, bend pravi velike Yu turneje koje su bile rasprodane od Makedonije do Slovenije. Redaju se albumi „Čarobnjaci“, „Vatra“ i stvoreni su novi idoli te generacije. Odličan image, više zapadnjački nego Yugo. Klinke luduju za ljepotanima sa Une. Energija koju su imali na bini do tad nikad nije viđena na ovim prostorima. Tih godina Jagode postaju atrakcija. Osvajaju titulu najbolje Rock-grupe, imaju gitaristu godine i Alena kao Rock-pjevača godine.

Na turneji i promociji albuma „Čarobnjaci“ 1984. godine Alen tajno dobija poziv od Bijelog Dugmeta da im se priključi na novom projektu jer ih je navodno prvi pjevač napustio ili je bio odpušten. Pet do šest dana Alen je sam odlučivao. Jagode su imale predugovor za odlazak u London i pokušaj proboja na Zapadu pa je Alen Bregovića i kompaniju glatko odbio jer je vjerovao više u ono što je radio sa Jagodama.

1985. godine Jagode potpisuju ugovor sa kućom u Londonu i odlaze snimati album za zapadno tržište. Odsvirali su legendarni koncert u Marquee klubu, gdje su svirali The Beatlesi, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Rolling Stones. Legendarni Londonsi klub je bio svjetska atrakcija. Ko je tu svirao postao je i svjetska zvijezda. Aleksandar Meržek pomaže Jagodama oko tekstova na engleskom, a Alen po 12 sati provodi u školi da bi što bolje savladao jezik. Zbog malo svirki u Engleskoj i zbog financijske situacije Jagode se razilaze. Alen se vraća u Bosnu a neki članovi ostaju u Londonu.

Početkom 1986. Alen gažira sam po diskotekama i nakon četiri mjeseca čulo se o raspadu Jagoda. To čuli i članovi iz Bijelog Dugmeta pa odluče ponovo zvati Alena u band jer i sa drugim pjevačem sa kojim su odradili jedan album navodno nisu sretni pa je i on otišao. Dugme, veliki zalogaj, najveći bend sa ovih prostora, mnogo hitova, mnogo afera, mnogo tračeva. Da li zagristi mamac ili proći pored njega, Alen je odlučivao dva dana. Ako je izgubio Jagode ovdje nije imao što izgubiti. Trebalo je igrati utakmice u prvoj ligi. Pristao je. Bio je spreman i iskusan i imao je snage da zaigra i takve utakmice. Nije imao šta izgubiti, samo je mogao povećeti svoju popularnost i još izgraditi sebe kao pjevača. Prelazak je bio za medije atomska bomba. Dok se je u Sarajevu pripremao album Pljuni i zapjevaj... novinari su trčali oko studija da bi nešto otkrili, ali sve je bilo upakovano u do sad najveći projekt Bijelog Dugmeta.

Doba „Dugmeta“ 

Novine su pisale tad o najvećem transveru u rock n rolu. Najzad i taj bend dobija frontmena koji je sa sobom dovukao 800.000 curica. Projekt „kako prodati 1 000.000 ploča“. San Bijelog Dugmeta se počeo ostvarivati. Novinari su čekali na svoj red da bi dobili razgovor od nekoga iz benda. „Hajdemo u planine“, hit koji su pjevušili i stari i mladi. Dok se je album snimao, atmosfera u bendu je bila fantastična. Turneja prepuna. Bend je vidjelo oko 2.500.000 ljudi na neprekidnoj turneji od 6 mjeseci sa 150 koncerata. Album se prodao u 800.000 primjeraka i srušio sve rekorde Dugmeta. Alen od zarade sa Dugmetom 1987. kupuje kafić u Bihaću i rješava sebi egzistenciju. 1988. godine izlazi live album sa turneje Mramor, kamen i željezo(dupli) koji je sniman dva dana u Zagrebu. Dva koncerta po 14.000 posjetitelja. Sarajevo Zetra 25.000. Beograd Sajmište 30.000. Znala su se raditi i dva koncerta, jedan u 18 sati a drugi u 21 sat. 1987 godine pravi se pauza i svako je radio ono što je htio.

Solo karijera 

Omot albuma Nema meni bez tebe

Aferu o izlazku iz benda podnio je stojećki i okrenuo se mirnom životu sa manje buke i galame. Vrtjela mu se i ideja da više nikad ne stane na binu niti što snimi. Vidio je da bendu kola iz političkih razloga idu nizbrdo pa je bolje povući se sa vrha nego sa dna. Svoj prvi solo projekt „Haj nek se čuje čuje“ izdaje krajem 1989 i kreće šefovati sam sebi onoliko koliko umije. Nikad nije imao afere iza sebe jer je tako bio odgojen, volio je ono što radi i na bini je odrađivao sa svim bendovima kojima je radio profesionalno. Njegov glas je ostao u sjećanju mnogim generacijama i dan danas. U Bihaću 1990. otvara diskoteku Holivud gdje mu gostuju mnoge ličnosti sa estrade pa se tih godina bavi biznisom.

Krajem 1992. ratne godine u Bihaću i Bosni i Hercegovini izlazi iz opkoljenog grada i priključuje se estradi Bosanaca u dijaspori i izdaje album „Gdje je moj rođeni brat“. Putujući po svijetu i svirajući izbjeglicama otkriva patnje svog naroda i piše pjesme. Uradio je na hiljade humanitarnih koncerata za Bosnu i Hercegovinu. Sljedeći album „Bauštelac“ dovodi ga u dijaspori do najslušanijeg pjevača 1994. godine. Da bi zaokružio svoj rad od 1980. pa do 1994., okuplja bend i snima u dijaspori live album „Live eurotour 95./96.“ na kojem se nalaze najljepše pjesme koje je pjevao sa Jagodama i Dugmetom i sa svojih projekata. U to vrijeme je bilo teško objaviti u medijima izlazak nekog albuma pa se Alen više usmjerio na gostovanja po svijetu.

1997. oprema sebi studio za svoje potrebe i snima album „Samo nebo zna“. 1998. prvi put dobija poziv iz USA gdje radi dva mjeseca nastupe koje organiziraju iseljenici iz Bosne i Hercegovine. 2000. odlazi i u Australiju gdje njegovi nastupi prolaze zapaženo. Svih ovih godina Alen je proputovao pola svijeta, vidio dosta različitih kultura i ideja se rodila. Raditi album „Istok zapad sjever jug“. Prikuplja pjesme drugih autora, dograđuje svoje i ispravlja i pokušava različita mišljenja spojiti u pjesmu.

jon bon jovi

Bon Jovi is an American hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesakeJon Bon Jovi (John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.), guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald.^[1] The band's lineup has remained mostly static during their history, the only exception being the departure ofAlec John Such in 1994, who was unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald. The band became known for writing several rock anthems and achieved widespread recognition with their third album, Slippery When Wet, released in 1986. After touring and recording non-stop during the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus after the New Jersey Tour in 1990, during which time Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora both released successful solo albums. In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith. Their 2000 single "It's My Life", which followed a second hiatus, successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. Bon Jovi has been known to use different styles in their music, which has included country for their 2007 album Lost Highway. Their latest album, The Circle, was released on November 10, 2009 in the United States.

Throughout their career, the band have released eleven studio albums, three compilation albums and one live album, and have sold 130 million records worldwide. They have performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, and were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006.The band was also honored with the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009. Bon Jovi was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, but did not make it.

Formation (1975-1983)

Jon Bon Jovi	Richie Sambora	Tico Torres	David Bryan

Jon Bon Jovi began playing piano and guitar in 1975 at thirteen with his first band 'Raze'. At the age of sixteen Bon Jovi met David Bryan and formed a band Atlantic City Expressway. 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. By 1980, he formed another band, "The Rest", and opened up for New Jersey acts such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

By mid-1982, out of school and working part time in a women's' shoe store, Jon Bon Jovi took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin Tony Bongiovi was co-owner. Bon Jovi made severaldemos – including one produced by Billy Squier – and sent them to record companies but failed to make an impact. His first professional recording was lead vocal in "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which was part of theChristmas in the Stars album which his cousin co-produced.

Bon Jovi visited the local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the promotion director John Lassman, who accepted the song "Runaway" for inclusion on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was initially reluctant but 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" – known as The All Star Review – were guitarist 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 bassistAlec John Such (b. Alec John Such, November 14, 1952, Yonkers, New York, USA) ex-Phantom's Opera and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres. Tapped to play lead guitar was Bon Jovi's neighbor, Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake) who later formed the group Skid Row. Sabo was eventually replaced by Richie Sambora (b. Richard Stephen Sambora, July 11, 1959, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA). 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.

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 Franke 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, a 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.

Early years (1984–85)

Once the band began playing showcases and opening for local talent, they caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman, who signed them to Mercury Records and who was part of the PolyGram company. Because Jon Bon Jovi wanted a group name, Pamela Maher, a friend of Richard Fischer and an employee of Doc McGhee, suggested they call themselves Bon Jovi, following the example of the other famous two word bands such as Van Halen. This name was chosen instead of the original idea of Johnny Electric. Pamela's suggestion of the name was met with little enthusiasm, but two years later they hit the charts under that name.

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee they recorded the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, which was released on January 21, 1984. The album included the band's first hit single, "Runaway", reaching Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 followed by "She Don't Know Me" which was a song Mercury requested Jon record and include on the album as part of his deal. To date, that song remains the only track that has ever been included on a Bon Jovi album for which Jon does not have any writing credit.

The group found themselves opening for Scorpions in U.S. and for Kiss in Europe. In August 1984 the band made an appearance at the Super Rock Festival as a special guest in Japan. However, "Runaway" became a hit and Bon Jovi attracted the attention in Japan. Bon Jovi got the very first gold disc for their first album in Japan. The album peaked at #43 on the Billboard 200 album chart in U.S. and a year after its release, it was certified Gold by RIAA.

In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album 7800° Fahrenheit was released. The band released three singles "Only Lonely", "In And Out Of Love" and the ballad "Silent Night". The album peaked at #37 on Billboard 200 and certified Gold in U.S. While the album did not do as well as they'd hoped in terms of sales, it allowed Bon Jovi to get out on the road touring again. Their first Japanese performances as headliner which had been done immediately after the release of the album and eight shows in total became sold-out all, and the album hit the Top 5 and certified Gold in Japan.

In May 1985, Bon Jovi headlined venues in UK and Europe. 7800 Fahrenheit peaked at #28 in UK and #40 in Germany. At the end of the European tour, the band began a 6-month run of U.S. tourdates supporting Ratt. In the midst of that tour they managed to make appearances at the Texas Jam and Castle Donnington's Monsters of Rock concerts in England. Jon Bon Jovi also did a solo appearance at the very first Farm Aid in 1985.

Slippery When Wet (1986–87)

Main article: Slippery When Wet

In April 1986 Bon Jovi moved to Vancouver to record their third album.^[8] Six months of studio work resulted in Slippery When Wet. The album, produced by Bruce Fairbairn and mixed byBob Rock, was released in August 1986 and became Bon Jovi's breakthrough album. The first single, "You Give Love a Bad Name", became the band's first #1 single on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. The follow-up single, "Livin' on a Prayer" hit #1 as well, spending four weeks at the top position, both co-written with a young virtually unknown songwriter named Desmond Child (b. John Charles Barrett, 28 October 1953, Gainesville, Florida, USA) whose songwriting talents were recommended by KISS frontman, Paul Stanley. The songwriting partnership of Jon Bon Jovi/ Richie Sambora/ Desmond Child has continued to the present day. The album's third single "Wanted Dead or Alive" was a major Top 10 hit and still remains to this day, the Bon Jovi "National Anthem".

MTV wholeheartedly embraced Bon Jovi, whose camera friendly good looks and live concert videos helped catapult the band into superstardom. With the overwhelming success ofSlippery When Wet Bon Jovi had become the worldwide musical superstars they had been dreaming of. Slippery When Wet reached number one in Australia, Canada, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Switzerland and holds the record for the most weeks for a hard rock album at #1 in U.S., spending 8 weeks at #1 on Billboard 200. The album also hit the Top 10 in Austria, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United Kingdom, spending 107 weeks on UK Albums Chart.

In 1987, Slippery When Wet was named the top selling album of the year by Billboard^[9] and "Livin' On A Prayer" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance.^[10] In 1988, the band also won an award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band at the American Music Awards^[11] and an award for Favorite Rock Group at the People's Choice Awards.^[12]

When Slippery When Wet was released in August 1986, Bon Jovi was the support act for 38 Special. By the end of 1986, Bon Jovi were well into six months of headline dates in arenas across America. In August 1987, the band headlined England's "Monsters of Rock" festival. During their set Dee Snider, Bruce Dickinson and Paul Stanley joined the band to perform "We're an American Band". The band ended the year having headlined 130 shows in the "Tour Without End", grossing $28,400,000.

Jon Bon Jovi was asked what all this astronomical success meant, to which he answered, "Everything is bigger, and it moves twice as fast. You're recognized twice as often. This is bigger, the whole world gets bigger. You have to sell more records, be huger. You get smarter and you understand the business a little more, so it's more responsibility. You understand it now, and you want to make sure everything goes right".

Following the group’s success, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were asked to assist in producing Cher’s ‘comeback’ self-titled album in 1987. Jon and Richie co-wrote and sang backing vocals on Cher’s single "We All Sleep Alone" and also produced several other tracks on the album, later going on to co-produce Cher’s multi-platinum album Heart of Stone in 1989.