Jon Bon Jovi has released a statement confirming that his mother, Carole Bongiovi, passed away on July 9th at the age of 83.
Carol died at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, just three days before her 84th birthday. Holmdel Funeral Home.
“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with. Her spirit and positive attitude shaped this family,” Bon Jovi said. “She will be greatly missed.”
The cause of Carroll's death has not been made public.
NEW ORLEANS – JULY 25: Jon Bon Jovi, co-owner of the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul, and his mother Carol Sharkey attend the ADT ArenaBowl Awards Gala at the Louisiana Superdome during ArenaBowl XXII weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 25, 2008. (Photo by Mark Serota/Getty Images)
According to her obituary, Carol was an avid entrepreneur who founded a fan club for the band Bon Jovi and ran several businesses. She was a former Playboy Bunny and played many roles in her life, including serving her country in the United States Marine Corps, enlisting in 1959. It was there that she met her husband, Jon Bongiovi Sr.
Carol's funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Holmdel Funeral Home and all services will be private.
089910 32: Jon Bon Jovi and his mother attend the Grammy Awards in New York City on February 20, 1991. The Grammy Awards, the recording industry's most prestigious awards, are presented annually and bring together thousands of creative and technical professionals. (Photo: Steve Allen/Liaison) Getty Images
Throughout his adult life, Bon Jovi maintained an extremely close relationship with his mother, and said in interviews that his parents gave him “the ability to make his dreams come true.” The big problem November 2020.
The famous rock star spoke about how the unconditional support from his family helped him pave the way to the success he has today.
“Even if your skills are really bad, if you believe you are good, you can work hard and improve them,” he told the media, recounting an experience from his childhood.
“Growing up, I realized that was a great gift I inherited from my parents, who really believed in John F. Kennedy's belief in going to the moon. 'Yeah, sure, you can go to the moon. Just go, Johnny.' And I went,” Bon Jovi said in the interview.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 29: Jon Bon Jovi of the band Bon Jovi performs on stage during day 3 of Rock in Rio at Cidade do Rock in Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 29, 2019. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
He further said that as a teenager, his parents allowed him to take on gigs as long as he could meet his educational responsibilities.
“My parents were always supportive of me, which looking back on it was great, because even if I got home at 1 or 2 in the morning, I still had to be at school by 8 o'clock. They would just say, 'Just make sure you're on time to school. You know it's your responsibility, but pursue your dreams,'” Bon Jovi told The Big Issue. (Related: Unclear if Jon Bon Jovi will be able to take the stage)
According to her obituary, Carol is survived by her husband, to whom she was married for 63 years, three sons and eight grandchildren.
Carol's death comes less than two months after the rocker's son, Jake Bongiovi, secretly married “Stranger Things” actress Millie Bobby Brown.
