Page 3 Profile: Jon Bon Jovi, Musician

Jon Bon Jovi (AP)

Hey, I recognise that denim-clad beefcake…

Of course you do. It’s veteran rocker John Francis Bongiovi Jr, aka Jon Bon Jovi, who’s penned such classics as “Livin’ on a Prayer”, “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Keep the Faith”. His band has released 12 studio albums and sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling groups in history.

Impressive. So what’s he up to now?

Making dreams come true, it would appear. On Saturday he walked Australian bride Branka Delic down the aisle and gave her away at the altar after she petitioned him to participate in the wedding via the website she set up, bonjoviwalkmedowntheaisle.com. He proved his nice-guy credentials by accompanying the 34-year-old superfan down the aisle of the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, the same church in which he tied the knot with his high-school sweetheart Dorothea 24 years ago.

Lucky gal. Men want to be him, ladies want to be with him.

Quite. Well, maybe 20 years ago. Still, he might no longer be topping those Sexiest Stars On The Planet polls, but he continues to wield power nonetheless: In the 2008 US presidential election he campaigned for Barack Obama who subsequently named him as a member of The White House Council for Community Solutions.

Wow, that sounds important.

Actually it dissolved in 2012. But don’t worry, the US government’s loss is the music world’s gain. Remember, he sure can belt out those power ballads. In fact, he’s currently rocking stadiums across the US with the band’s high-grossing Because We Can tour alongside heading the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.