Carol A. Bongiovi (née Sharkey), the mother of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, has died just three days shy of her 84th birthday.
The Livin’ On A Prayer singer, 62, confirmed the sad news and revealed his mother died on July 9 aged 83 in New Jersey in a statement to People.
“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed,” Bon Jovi said in a statement on behalf of his family.
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Carol died at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, according to multiple reports. No cause of death has been given.
Affectionately known to fans as “mum Jovi”, Carol once even made an appearance in one of Bon Jovi’s music videos in 2021.
She was seen in a black-and-white portrait alongside husband John Bongiovi Sr in the Story of Love video.
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She was also the founder of the Bon Jovi band’s official fan club.
Carol is survived by her husband John, her rocker son and other two children, Matthew and Anthony Bongiovi, as well as eight grandchildren.
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She met her husband in the 1950s when they were both working in the Marine Corps. The pair married shortly after meeting.
During her lifetime, Carol also founded and operated several businesses and she was one of the first-ever Playboy bunnies.
Bon Jovi previously spoke about his mother’s influence on his music career, telling The Big Issue in 2020 that she and his father worked hard to help make his rock dreams come true.
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“What I got from my parents was the ability to make the dream reality,” he explained.
“Even if you truly weren’t any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it. As I got older I realised 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.”
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