Before Jon could even get out of bed on Monday morning, the phone started ringing off the hook. The first phone call, the one that made him get out of bed was David. Mrs. Bongiovi brought the phone to Jon while he lay there in just his white linen pajama bottoms. Jon whispered, "Who is it?" His mom smiled and said, "It's David." Jon reached up and took the phone from his mother with one hand and folded the pillow in half with the other. He laid back and said, "Hey man, what up? Why are you calling so early in the morning?" He wasn't serious, or even upset. David said, "Are you serious, it's 11:00, your mom must really love you - mine would never let me sleep this late." Jon laughed and said, "Don't be jealous, what's up? David can't believe that he needs to tell Jon this, as he thought Jon would have him self in a position to hear the great news. David very calmly says, "Have you not been listening to the radio?" Jon was a little confused, "Why would I be listening to the radio?' David, with excitement in his voice said, "I have been up since 7:30 and I have heard your song at least 6 times now. People keep calling in and asking about who you are and where they can get more. Dude, you gotta listen - turn your radio on." Jon sat up in bed and thought 6 times already today? Reaching over he flips his radio on. It's a commercial for Dentyne gum so he turns it down a little to finish talking to David.
"Are you there?", questioned David. While nodding, Jon says, "Yeah, I'm here. Just kinda foggy right this second." Jon wanted the commercials to be over so he can listen to for HIS song. The song he wrote about the people and the things he seen on the streets of New York City. Young girls getting off the bus at Port Authority, with hopes of becoming a model, rock star or anything that will make them famous. Girls as young as 14. It was a sad sight, yet he was able to draw inspiration from it. Runaway was going to be Jon's make it or break it song. He draws inspiration from the most unlikely places, yet it works for him.
David asks, "What are you going to do today? Are you afraid to leave the house? There might be groupies outside your door." They both laugh and Jon thinks, that would be nice. Jon tells David he's got to get off the phone, he needs to take a leak. They hand up and Jon goes into the bathroom , goes to the bathroom and then brushes his teeth. He looks in the mirror and sees his hair is a mess, so he just runs his fingers through it. Hmmm, good enough. Grabs a t-shirt and heads down to have some breakfast. He has a busy day planned, so he might as well get a jump on it. The phone rings. Jon looks at his mom with puppy dog eyes and says, "Can you get that?? I really don't want to talk to anyone." His mom gives him that look that says, You can't avoid her forever. Jon sits down at the kitchen table and his mom hands him a cup of coffee. She sits down across from him and says, "Well, I heard your song this morning and I must say - I am very proud of you. You can hit them high notes." Jon smiles and says, "Do you really like it or are you just saying that cause you're my mom?" She pinches his cheek and says, "It's a great song, hon. This is your break." Again, the phone rang. She answered, "Hello." The voice on the other end said, "Mrs. Bongiovi, can I please talk to Jon?" Mrs. B politely asks, "Who is this?' The voice on the other end said, "It's Lizzy, Mrs. B. I really need to talk to him." Mrs. Bongiovi covered the mouth piece on the phone and said to Jon, "Honey, she keeps calling. You need to tell her something. This is like the 10th time she's called since you got home on Saturday." Jon rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh that was much like irritation and reaches for the phone.
"Hello?", he wasn't pleasant. Liz was a little shocked that he got on the phone. "Hi honey, how are you?, she asks, acting like there is nothing wrong. He says, "What do you want Liz?" She didn't know how to respond, so she mumbled, "How are you?" Jon wasn't in the mood for small talk, not with her anyway. He replies, "Liz, what can I do for you? I really don't have time to chit chat?" She again was caught off guard. In 17 months he never even raised his voice at her, let alone treat her like a stranger. But he didn't want to talk to her. "What did you do this weekend? I tried calling a few times." Jon did not want to get into it over the phone. He didn't want to get into it period. He knew sooner or later that he would have to, just not now. "Liz, I really don't have time for this - I need to get ready and get out of here. Can I call you later?" She was thankful he said what he said, although it left her with unanswered questions. She knew he'd call back, but when? In her poutiest of voices, she said, "OK, call me when you can. What are you going to go do?" She knew it was none of her business, but she had to ask. And he didn't want to tell her. He ended up telling her that he had a meeting with a guy this afternoon. That's all he would tell her. She said, "Okay, I'll talk to you tonight. I love you." And she hung up the phone. With the receiver still in his hand, he muttered Yeah, I love you too. He takes the last gulp of his coffee and sets the cup in the sink. His mom is standing there leaning against the counter, he kisses her on the cheek and says, "This is going to be the best day ever." She turns to him and says, "Oh yeah, why's that? What am I missing?" She slightly chuckles and she knows the answer is going to be good. There was never a dull moment in the Bongiovi house. With her husband and three sons, there is never a dull moment. She really knew he was excited about his song being played on the radio and she knew he had plans for the day - but what's going to make this day so great? Walking out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Jon yells, "Mom, do you know if dad is at the shop?" She responds, "Yes, he's there until 3. Are you stopping in?" He tells her yes and then heads upstairs to shower and get ready.
The drive down to Asbury Park typically wasn't long, however, after 4 inches of snow - the roads get slippery and people tend to panic. Jon took the Garden State Parkway down, much easier and the state is real good at keeping that road clearer than the others. He had his radio set to WAPP and there it was - Jon is hearing himself on the radio. New York City radio. He instantly got chills, his amazement was overwhelming. He was pumped. The announcer explained that it was Jon Bongiovi and he was part of an upcoming contest featuring homegrown talent. OMG - he couldn't believe it. He was on the radio!! He was going to be a star, he could feel it.
Jon arrived at the Stone Pony a little earlier than expected. Maybe it was the adrenaline high that helped him navigate his way quicker than normal? He parked out front and walked in the door. It was early afternoon on a Monday - the place was dead. That's what he was hoping. Jon was friends with the owner, Lance. Jon was able to convince Lance to let him hold auditions for his band there, during the day when business was slow. Today, Jon and David were meeting this guy they kept hearing about. He is supposed to be an amazing guitarist, with the ability to play many other instruments. He was auditioning to be lead guitarist. He was supposed to audition at 3pm, here is is 3:10 and he's late. Jon does not like when people are late, unless it's himself.
At 3:30 the doors open and in walks a guy with long hair and a guitar on his back. Jon and David were sitting at the bar with Lance and Debbie. When they heard the click click of cowboy boots on the floor, they all turned around to look. Jon said, "Well, well - this must be our 3:00 audition?', looking at his watch. The stranger walk up to all of them and says "Hi, sorry I'm late - I'm Richie." He extends his hand and shakes everyone's hand - a true gentleman. Jon says, "Why are you so late man?" Richie didn't have a good excuse. All he could say was, "It was hell getting down here from the city."
Richie Sambora was a recorded musician and a session musician from Woodbridge, NJ. The three of them had the same circle of friends, but never met until today. David and Jon were putting a band together and they heard nothing but great things about Richard Sambora. So, David invited him to audition for the then un-named band. After the introductions, Richie was invited to sit down and join them while they had s drink and smoked cigarettes. Lance started telling Richie about Jon's song being played on the radio today. Richie got excited, tapped Jon on the shoulder and said, "No way man, that was YOU? I heard it this morning and loved it. When they were talking about who it was, I had no idea I'd be coming down to meet you. Great song! It's going to be a hit, for sure." Jon smiled, graciously thanked him and they went on with the business at hand.
David and Jon picked two songs ahead of time that they wanted Richie to audition with. They thought a seasoned and professional musician should know these two songs, as they both were known for the guitar riffs. Jon asked Richie to set up and take the stage. The stage at the Stone Pony was nothing more than a section of raised floor, with a couple of amplifiers on it. Richie hopped up his guitar, took position and started to warm up. He went on and did that for a few minutes. When he felt he was ready he said, "Okay, what do you want to hear?" Jon looked at David and said, "Let's hear some Smoke On The Water. You know that one, don't you?" Without responding or even acknowledging what Jon had just said - Richie tore into Smoke On The Water and NAILED it. When he finally finished the song, he grabbed the strings to stop all sound. Looked at the 4 of them and said, "What do you think?" Jon and David were more than impressed, they were in awe. Richie couldn't have played it any better if he were Ritchie Blackmore. The four of them applauded and Richie bowed, and said, "What's next?" Lance piped up and said, "Did you hear Jon's song in it's entirety today? Richie shook his head yes, and said, "Yes." Lance said, "Give that a shot." Jon looked at Lance like he had two heads? All while wondering if Richie could do it. Richie was pretty nervous at this point and asked Jon, "Could you sing a little bit of it?" Richie needed the recollection, and he needed if fast. He remembered it was about a runaway, but the riff's were escaping him. So, in pure rock star fashion, Jon started singing the chorus and Richie blended right in. Richie played the guitar like he owned the music and he and Jon did the whole song together. Jon thought this song is going to kick ass live. I can't wait.
When they were done cracking each other on the ass and giving one another high fives, they all went and sat at the bar. Richie ordered a rum and coke and Debbie made him a stiff one. David, being a little excited, said to the group, "I think it goes without saying that we want you to join us Richie. Are you interested?" David looked at Jon to see if he approved or disapproved. It wasn't easy to see. Jon said, "I agree with David. We would love for you to join us. We are still working on a bass player and a drummer." Richie looked at David and said, "What do you play?" David laughed and said, "I play the keyboard when I'm not trying to get into medical school." Everyone got a chuckle out of that. Richie told the guys that he had some friends that already play in a band and he could see if they would like to audition? He knows they aren't happy there. Jon asked "Are they playing anywhere local, soon?" Thinking they could go check them out, under cover. Richie wasn't sure, but he's find out and let Jon know. They all finished their drinks and parted ways. David needed to get to class, Lance and Debbie needed to get the bar ready to open. Jon had nothing planned and nothing to do - so he walked across the street and just watched the ocean for a while.
It was all coming together, and it was coming together nicely. And Jon was alone.
"Are you there?", questioned David. While nodding, Jon says, "Yeah, I'm here. Just kinda foggy right this second." Jon wanted the commercials to be over so he can listen to for HIS song. The song he wrote about the people and the things he seen on the streets of New York City. Young girls getting off the bus at Port Authority, with hopes of becoming a model, rock star or anything that will make them famous. Girls as young as 14. It was a sad sight, yet he was able to draw inspiration from it. Runaway was going to be Jon's make it or break it song. He draws inspiration from the most unlikely places, yet it works for him.
David asks, "What are you going to do today? Are you afraid to leave the house? There might be groupies outside your door." They both laugh and Jon thinks, that would be nice. Jon tells David he's got to get off the phone, he needs to take a leak. They hand up and Jon goes into the bathroom , goes to the bathroom and then brushes his teeth. He looks in the mirror and sees his hair is a mess, so he just runs his fingers through it. Hmmm, good enough. Grabs a t-shirt and heads down to have some breakfast. He has a busy day planned, so he might as well get a jump on it. The phone rings. Jon looks at his mom with puppy dog eyes and says, "Can you get that?? I really don't want to talk to anyone." His mom gives him that look that says, You can't avoid her forever. Jon sits down at the kitchen table and his mom hands him a cup of coffee. She sits down across from him and says, "Well, I heard your song this morning and I must say - I am very proud of you. You can hit them high notes." Jon smiles and says, "Do you really like it or are you just saying that cause you're my mom?" She pinches his cheek and says, "It's a great song, hon. This is your break." Again, the phone rang. She answered, "Hello." The voice on the other end said, "Mrs. Bongiovi, can I please talk to Jon?" Mrs. B politely asks, "Who is this?' The voice on the other end said, "It's Lizzy, Mrs. B. I really need to talk to him." Mrs. Bongiovi covered the mouth piece on the phone and said to Jon, "Honey, she keeps calling. You need to tell her something. This is like the 10th time she's called since you got home on Saturday." Jon rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh that was much like irritation and reaches for the phone.
"Hello?", he wasn't pleasant. Liz was a little shocked that he got on the phone. "Hi honey, how are you?, she asks, acting like there is nothing wrong. He says, "What do you want Liz?" She didn't know how to respond, so she mumbled, "How are you?" Jon wasn't in the mood for small talk, not with her anyway. He replies, "Liz, what can I do for you? I really don't have time to chit chat?" She again was caught off guard. In 17 months he never even raised his voice at her, let alone treat her like a stranger. But he didn't want to talk to her. "What did you do this weekend? I tried calling a few times." Jon did not want to get into it over the phone. He didn't want to get into it period. He knew sooner or later that he would have to, just not now. "Liz, I really don't have time for this - I need to get ready and get out of here. Can I call you later?" She was thankful he said what he said, although it left her with unanswered questions. She knew he'd call back, but when? In her poutiest of voices, she said, "OK, call me when you can. What are you going to go do?" She knew it was none of her business, but she had to ask. And he didn't want to tell her. He ended up telling her that he had a meeting with a guy this afternoon. That's all he would tell her. She said, "Okay, I'll talk to you tonight. I love you." And she hung up the phone. With the receiver still in his hand, he muttered Yeah, I love you too. He takes the last gulp of his coffee and sets the cup in the sink. His mom is standing there leaning against the counter, he kisses her on the cheek and says, "This is going to be the best day ever." She turns to him and says, "Oh yeah, why's that? What am I missing?" She slightly chuckles and she knows the answer is going to be good. There was never a dull moment in the Bongiovi house. With her husband and three sons, there is never a dull moment. She really knew he was excited about his song being played on the radio and she knew he had plans for the day - but what's going to make this day so great? Walking out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Jon yells, "Mom, do you know if dad is at the shop?" She responds, "Yes, he's there until 3. Are you stopping in?" He tells her yes and then heads upstairs to shower and get ready.
The drive down to Asbury Park typically wasn't long, however, after 4 inches of snow - the roads get slippery and people tend to panic. Jon took the Garden State Parkway down, much easier and the state is real good at keeping that road clearer than the others. He had his radio set to WAPP and there it was - Jon is hearing himself on the radio. New York City radio. He instantly got chills, his amazement was overwhelming. He was pumped. The announcer explained that it was Jon Bongiovi and he was part of an upcoming contest featuring homegrown talent. OMG - he couldn't believe it. He was on the radio!! He was going to be a star, he could feel it.
Jon arrived at the Stone Pony a little earlier than expected. Maybe it was the adrenaline high that helped him navigate his way quicker than normal? He parked out front and walked in the door. It was early afternoon on a Monday - the place was dead. That's what he was hoping. Jon was friends with the owner, Lance. Jon was able to convince Lance to let him hold auditions for his band there, during the day when business was slow. Today, Jon and David were meeting this guy they kept hearing about. He is supposed to be an amazing guitarist, with the ability to play many other instruments. He was auditioning to be lead guitarist. He was supposed to audition at 3pm, here is is 3:10 and he's late. Jon does not like when people are late, unless it's himself.
At 3:30 the doors open and in walks a guy with long hair and a guitar on his back. Jon and David were sitting at the bar with Lance and Debbie. When they heard the click click of cowboy boots on the floor, they all turned around to look. Jon said, "Well, well - this must be our 3:00 audition?', looking at his watch. The stranger walk up to all of them and says "Hi, sorry I'm late - I'm Richie." He extends his hand and shakes everyone's hand - a true gentleman. Jon says, "Why are you so late man?" Richie didn't have a good excuse. All he could say was, "It was hell getting down here from the city."
Richie Sambora was a recorded musician and a session musician from Woodbridge, NJ. The three of them had the same circle of friends, but never met until today. David and Jon were putting a band together and they heard nothing but great things about Richard Sambora. So, David invited him to audition for the then un-named band. After the introductions, Richie was invited to sit down and join them while they had s drink and smoked cigarettes. Lance started telling Richie about Jon's song being played on the radio today. Richie got excited, tapped Jon on the shoulder and said, "No way man, that was YOU? I heard it this morning and loved it. When they were talking about who it was, I had no idea I'd be coming down to meet you. Great song! It's going to be a hit, for sure." Jon smiled, graciously thanked him and they went on with the business at hand.
David and Jon picked two songs ahead of time that they wanted Richie to audition with. They thought a seasoned and professional musician should know these two songs, as they both were known for the guitar riffs. Jon asked Richie to set up and take the stage. The stage at the Stone Pony was nothing more than a section of raised floor, with a couple of amplifiers on it. Richie hopped up his guitar, took position and started to warm up. He went on and did that for a few minutes. When he felt he was ready he said, "Okay, what do you want to hear?" Jon looked at David and said, "Let's hear some Smoke On The Water. You know that one, don't you?" Without responding or even acknowledging what Jon had just said - Richie tore into Smoke On The Water and NAILED it. When he finally finished the song, he grabbed the strings to stop all sound. Looked at the 4 of them and said, "What do you think?" Jon and David were more than impressed, they were in awe. Richie couldn't have played it any better if he were Ritchie Blackmore. The four of them applauded and Richie bowed, and said, "What's next?" Lance piped up and said, "Did you hear Jon's song in it's entirety today? Richie shook his head yes, and said, "Yes." Lance said, "Give that a shot." Jon looked at Lance like he had two heads? All while wondering if Richie could do it. Richie was pretty nervous at this point and asked Jon, "Could you sing a little bit of it?" Richie needed the recollection, and he needed if fast. He remembered it was about a runaway, but the riff's were escaping him. So, in pure rock star fashion, Jon started singing the chorus and Richie blended right in. Richie played the guitar like he owned the music and he and Jon did the whole song together. Jon thought this song is going to kick ass live. I can't wait.
When they were done cracking each other on the ass and giving one another high fives, they all went and sat at the bar. Richie ordered a rum and coke and Debbie made him a stiff one. David, being a little excited, said to the group, "I think it goes without saying that we want you to join us Richie. Are you interested?" David looked at Jon to see if he approved or disapproved. It wasn't easy to see. Jon said, "I agree with David. We would love for you to join us. We are still working on a bass player and a drummer." Richie looked at David and said, "What do you play?" David laughed and said, "I play the keyboard when I'm not trying to get into medical school." Everyone got a chuckle out of that. Richie told the guys that he had some friends that already play in a band and he could see if they would like to audition? He knows they aren't happy there. Jon asked "Are they playing anywhere local, soon?" Thinking they could go check them out, under cover. Richie wasn't sure, but he's find out and let Jon know. They all finished their drinks and parted ways. David needed to get to class, Lance and Debbie needed to get the bar ready to open. Jon had nothing planned and nothing to do - so he walked across the street and just watched the ocean for a while.
It was all coming together, and it was coming together nicely. And Jon was alone.
And so they begin to form what they will be known as, Bon Jovi.
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