“Looking back on it, the marriage was the greatest deal I ever made,” Bon Jovi said.
Jon Bon Jovi is a loved rock star. He is best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the rock band Bon Jovi, which came together in 1983. Bon Jovi, 61 now, has released 15 studio albums with his band and 2 solo music albums in his personal credits. He has also appeared in a few television shows and films, establishing his name as an actor as well.
While his professional life is known and celebrated by many, his personal life is also full of love and joy. During a stop in Los Angeles on Bon Jovi’s The New Jersey Syndicate Tour in 1989, Jon secretly went to Las Vegas with his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley. There, the two eloped and they haven't looked back since. The couple was criticized when they got married. They’ve stayed by each other's side through it all. The pair have been happily married for nearly 34 years.
From eloping to Las Vegas on April 29, 1989, to launching a charitable foundation together, Jon and his wife Dorothea share a beautiful companionship. Starting as high school sweethearts and then when Bon Jovi was launched into immense success, Jon wanted to marry Dorothea immediately, according to Men’s Health
They were married at the hands of an Elvis impersonator at the Graceland Wedding Chapel and the couple is still madly in love decades later. “We make it work,” Dorothea told PEOPLE. But not everyone was happy with this decision. Jon was finding great success in his career, but getting married made fans feel that the desirable musician was suddenly completely unavailable. “When I came back from Vegas my manager was furious,” Jon said. “He was like, ‘America’s boy is now married… that’s not a good career move.’ The record company was also desponded’,” he added, per The Mirror.
But Jon had no regrets. “Looking back on it, the marriage was the greatest deal I ever made,” he said. Fortunately, Bon Jovi continued to be successful, and Jon also continued to make his mark in his solo music. Even though Jon has tons of female fans swooning over him, it did not bother Dorothea. “I think it’s great they love the music,” she said. “They love the band and are so loyal. Dorothea typically attends Bon Jovi concerts. “I usually stand on the side (during his concerts and watch,” she told PEOPLE. “The songs all sound great, but then you hear them live!”
The couple has built a beautiful life together. They have four children, one daughter named Stephanie and three sons named Jesse, Jacob and Romeo. The couple also runs various charitable organizations. According to TODAY, the couple works together at their two Soul Kitchen restaurants, which help provide hot meals to those in need and The Jon Bon Jovi Foundation, which focuses on affordable housing.
“She’s the glue,” Bon Jovi said. “I’m the crazy visionary with all kinds of things flying, and the seams are splitting. She’s the one following me with the glue and the thread and needle, keeping it all together.”
“Somehow, I became the poster boy for a long-married rock star,” Jon said. “But I’ll accept the mantle because I’m so happy.” Their marriage is the epitome of love, trust, and friendship.
References:
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19556608/jon-bon-jovi-is-more-complicated-than-you-think/
https://people.com/music/jon-bon-jovi-wife-dorothea-marriage-secrets/
https://www.today.com/popculture/jon-bon-jovi-wife-reveal-why-their-27-year-marriage-t104728
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jon-bon-jovi-reveals-claim-13496378
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Alexandra Wyman
