Jon Bon Jovi issued a statement confirming that his mother, Carol Bongiovi, died July 9 at the age of 83.
Carol died at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey, just three days shy of her 84th birthday, according to the obituary shared by Holmdel Funeral Home.
“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.”
Carol’s cause of death has not been publicly shared.
NEW ORLEANS – JULY 25: Co-owner of the arena football league’s Philadelphia Soul Jon Bon Jovi and his mother Carol Sharkey attend ADT ArenaBall Awards Gala at the Louisiana SuperDome during ArenaBowl XXII weekend on July 25, 2008 in new Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
Carol founded Bon Jovi’s band’s fan club, and was an avid entrepreneur that operated multiple businesses, according to the obituary. She was a former Playboy bunny, and her many roles in life included serving her country in the U.S. Marine Corps, enlisting in 1959. It was there that she met her husband, John Bongiovi, Sr.
Holmdel Funeral Home has been entrusted with Carol’s funeral plans, and all funeral services will remain private.
089910 32: Jon Bon Jovi and his mother attend the Grammy Awards February 20, 1991 in New York City. The recording industry”s most prestigious award, the Grammy is presented annually and brings together thousands of creative and technical professionals. (Photo by Steve Allen/Liaison) Getty Images
Bon Jovi maintained a very close relationship with his mother throughout his adult life, and credited both his parents with giving him “the ability to make the dream reality,” during an interview with The Big Issue in November 2020.
The famous rock star spoke about how the unconditional support he had from his family helped him shape the path of his current success.
“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 he described his childhood experiences.
“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,” Bon Jovi said in the interview.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 29: Jon Bon Jovi of the band Bon Jovi performs on stage during Rock In Rio day 3 at Cidade do Rock on September 29, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
He went on to say his parents allowed him to take on gigs when he was a teenager, as long as he maintained his educational responsibilities.
“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,” Bon Jovi told The Big Issue. (RELATED: Jon Bon Jovi Remains Uncertain About His Ability To Take The Stage)
Carol is survived by her husband of 63 years, their three sons and her eight grandchildren, according to the obituary.
Carol’s death comes less than two months after the rocker’s son, Jake Bongiovi, secretly tied the knot with “Stranger Things” actress Millie Bobby Brown.
