Jon Bon Jovi’s mother, Carol A. Bongiovi, has died three days shy of her 84th birthday.
In a statement shared with People by Bon Jovi, 62, on behalf of his family, the music icon paid tribute to his mother’s many qualities. “Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family,” Bon Jovi said. “She will be greatly missed.”
The outlet reported that Carol, who was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, died on Tuesday, July 9, at New York’s Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey.
A former Playboy bunny who became an entrepreneur and operated several businesses, Carol founded Bon Jovi’s namesake band’s fan club. She was also a U.S. Marine veteran.
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While serving, Carol met her husband, John Bongiovi, Sr., and the pair eventually moved to Sayreville, New Jersey, to raise their family.
Carol had been married to John for 63 years, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Bon Jovi attributed his success to his parents during a 2020 interview with Big Issue. “Even if you truly weren’t any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it,” he told the outlet. “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 “Livin’ on a Prayer” hitmaker continued: “They were always supportive of me, which in retrospect, was incredible. 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.”
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The news comes after a period of elation for the Bongiovi family, with Bon Jovi recently opening up about his son Jake Bongiovi’s wedding to Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.
“They’re great, they’re absolutely fantastic, it was a very small family wedding and the bride looked gorgeous and Jake is happy as can be,” Bon Jovi said on BBC’s The One Show on May 28.
The pair tied the knot earlier that month in an intimate ceremony, with The Sun reporting on May 24 that they have plans for a “bigger ceremony” later this year.
Carol is survived by her husband, her three sons and daughters-in-law (Dorothea and Bon Jovi, Anthony and Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Matthew and Desiree Bongiovi), as well as her eight grandchildren.
