Jon Bon Jovi has released a statement mourning the death of his mother, Carol Bongiovi, who passed away on Tuesday (July 9th) at the age of 83.
On behalf of his family, JBJ released the following statement via People:
“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed.”
According to People, Carol passed away on Tuesday — just three days before her 84th birthday — at the Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey.
Carol served as the founder of the fan club for her son’s eponymous band Bon Jovi and was a serial entrepreneur and florist. She was also a onetime Playboy Bunny and a veteran of the US Marine Corps, having enlisted in 1959.
It was in the Marines where she met her future husband John Bongiovi, Sr. The couple would eventually move to Sayreville, New Jersey, to raise its family before later settling in Holmdel, New Jersey, where Carol resided until her death.
Discussing his parents in a 2020 interview with Big Issue, Jon Bon Jovi said that they encouraged him to pursue a music career from an early age, allowing him to accept gigs when he was only 17, for example.
“They were always supportive of me, which in retrospect, was incredible,” he said. “Because I could get home at 1 or 2 in the morning, and have to still be in school by 8 o’clock. They just said, ‘Show up on time for school, you know that is your responsibility, but pursue your dream.’”
His band is still going storng, having released a new album, Forever, last month. A Hulu docuseries about the band also premiered earlier this year.
Our condolences go out to Jon Bon Jovi and his family during this difficult time.