JON Bon Jovi’s mother Carol Bongiovi has died at 83, just three days before her birthday.
Jon, 62, paid heartbreaking tribute to Carol after she passed away at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family,” Jon told PEOPLE.
“She will be greatly missed.”
Carol, who was a former Playboy bunny, was the founder of her son’s eponymous band’s fan club.
She enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1959, where she met her future husband, John Bongiovi, Sr.
The couple moved to Sayreville, New Jersey, where they raised their children.
They later settled in Holmdel, New Jersey, where she lived until her death.
Holmdel Funeral Home is in charge of Carol’s funeral, which will be private, PEOPLE reported.
Carol is survived by her husband of 63 years and their three children – Jon, Anthony, and Matthew.
Jon previously talked about his parents’ “incredible support” of him growing up when he wanted to become a singer.
“Even if you truly weren’t any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it,” he told The Big Issue in November 2020.
“As I got older I realized 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.”
The musician recalled how his parents would take him to gigs when he was 17.
Jon recalled how his parents supported his dreams by allowing him to take gigs when he was 17.
“They were always supportive of me, which in retrospect, was incredible,” he said.
JON and Dorothea Bongiovi met at Sayreville War Memorial High School and began dating in 1980, three years before Bon Jovi formed.
The couple briefly split in 1985. During that time, he dated Diane Lane for five months.
Jon and Dorothea reconciled shortly after and dated up until 1989.
During the band’s New Jersey Syndicate Tour, they spontaneously got married in 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
They welcomed their first child and only daughter – Stephanie Rose – in May 1993.
Dorothea gave birth to their first son – Jesse James Louis – in February 1995.
In 2002, Jon almost missed the birth of his third child – Jacob “Jake” Hurley – because he was on tour in New Orleans.
They welcomed their fourth and final child – Romeo – in 2004.
Jon credited Dorothea in 2016 for helping him through the departure of Richie Sambora from the band.
In 2024, Dorothea accompanied Jon to the MusiCares Person of the Year gala and later the premiere of his Hulu documentary, Thank You, Goodnight.
“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.”
Jon is married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley.
They have four children together – daughter Stephanie, 31, and sons Jesse, Jake, and Romeo.
The Sun exclusively revealed that model Jake wed Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown in May 2024 in a secret, intimate ceremony.
Jon attended the low-key nuptials, along with Millie’s parents.
Last week, he shared his excitement about the marriage in an exclusive chat with The Sun.
“My grandkids will be more English than Italian or my other heritage! How crazy is that?” the rock icon exclaimed.
“Suddenly, your kids are married and then they’re telling you about the prospect of grandbabies… woah! There’s no chapter in my book that went this far.”
