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Jon Bon Jovi has made a career out of hit songs like Wanted Dead or Alive and You Give Love a Bad Name, and his path to stardom has been full of friendships, connections and hard work.

The superstar rocker has been loved for decades by fans who appreciate both his musical performance and love for the community. With a net worth of $410 million, the 60-year-old front man still has fans packing the seats in sold-out concerts.

How did Bon Jovi build a successful career, lasting decades?

The Beginning

Born John Francis Bongiovi Jr., the rocker comes from a close-knit Italian family out of New Jersey. Despite a middle-class upbringing, (dad was a barber and mom was a florist), Jon knew stardom was in his future. He was always interested in music and began playing guitar and piano in bands at the early age of 13. By high school, the singer was opening for bigger local bands alongside longtime keyboardist and friend David Bryan.

Forming The Band

Using a cousin’s recording studio, Bon Jovi could see what was needed to keep moving forward. Continuing a friendship with Bryan after graduation, Bon Jovi contacted him in 1983 and brought in original bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. According to Celebrity Net Worth, not long after, famed guitarist Richie Sambora joined the group and their first single, Runaway, became a massive hit.

Building A Career

As the band continued to serve up hit after hit, audiences fell in love with the connection they sense in concerts and the relatability in the bands’ songs. According to Biography, their popularity soared when the band became known for their power ballads and rocking guitar solos. Their first two albums were released in 1984 and 1985, but when 1986’s Slippery When Wet hit radios, the Bon Jovi band skyrocketed to global success.

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His Work In Films

Bon Jovi has dabbled in acting as well. Though writing songs and performing is his first love, he’s enjoyed roles in films such as Destination Anywhere, starring Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg and Pay It Forward alongside Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey. He’s also appeared in a variety of television shows, including The West Wing and Ally McBeal.

A Successful Sports Franchise

The rockstar has long-since had an interest in sports team ownership. In 2004, Bon Jovi and a group of investors founded AFL team, Philadelphia Soul. Bandmate Richie Sambora also owns stake in the team. After AFL shut down operations and reopened in 2011, the singer didn’t return with the program as owner, but he does continue to support the team. It’s not uncommon to see the familiar front man bidding for stake in other sports like the 2014 attempt to purchase NFL’s Buffalo Bills, but that deal fell through as well.

Accolades And Recognition

Today, the Bon Jovi band has released 14 albums, spanning from 1984 to 2020. Both as a solo artist and as a band, Jon boasts a Grammy Award, several American Music Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a BRIT Award.

The songwriter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and has continuously made the lists of Billboard’s most influential and People’s Sexiest Rock Star. The band was inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

A True Family Man

The one person remaining a steadfast fan since the mid-1980s is Bon Jovi’s wife of more than 40 years, Dorothea Hurley. During a 1989 stop on the bands New Jersey Syndicate Tour, the pair stole away to Las Vegas and married at Graceland Wedding Chapel. Together they have four children: Stephanie, Jesse, Jacob and Romeo.

The star recently opened up to People about his high school sweetheart and how they’ve kept their marriage strong despite the normal pitfalls celebrities face in relationships. His commitment to family and appreciation for their partnership has been consistent and the couple genuinely respect and like each other.

Caring For The Community

Bon Jovi founded the JBJ Soul Foundation in 2006, fighting poverty and homelessness by opening a community-based restaurant where customers can pay what they can afford or volunteer their time for an hour to pay for their meal. The JBJ Soul Kitchen operates in two locations in New Jersey today and have even donated free meals to families effected by natural disaster or government shutdowns.

In addition, the foundation has helped provide 1,000 units of affordable housing and supportive housing in 11 states for those in need of assistance.

When Jon Bon Jovi sets his mind to something, odds are, he’ll accomplish his goals.

READ NEXT: 10 Celebrities With Big Hearts And Their Own Charities

Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Biography, People