With Jon Bon Jovi today celebrating his 53rd birthday, we've decided to take a look at some of the things you may not know about the star. From a huge phobia to his childhood sweetheart Dorothea, we're peeling back the layers and taking a look deeper into the life of one of the biggest rockstars the planet has seen.
Credit: FAMOUS
1. Exhausted at one stage whilst touring, this manifested itself into a phobia of elevators for Jon, who on the advice of Dorothea - his wife - took a three-year sabbatical after his band's 1988 New Jersey tour.
"On the road, all the band would get into the hotel elevator together several times a day. When I got home, I found myself walking up 50 flights of stairs to avoid the elevator.
"I'd also sit on the porch, drunk and confused, wondering what I was doing. My wife could see I needed help.
"It was the classic cliche; that every rock band goes through. You reach the point where John Bonham drank too much and Kurt Cobain killed himself. I can see why Britney Spears lost her mind.
"You hit a crossroads and you have to turn left or right. In the end, though, it wasn't hard for me to work things out for myself."
2. At one stage in his life, he decided to deal drugs as well as dabble in them, but soon gave up
"I did the drug thing very young and wised up very young too, because I was into drugs a little too much," he told Men's Health in an interview.
"I was entrepreneurial even then, buying quarter pounds of dope and trying to make a couple bucks. But then, did you ever smoke dope that was laced with PCP and then have that whole summer of hallucinations? It was f**king awful. I was the guy who bogarted the joint all the time, ran right through the screen door, and was like, 'Woah!' I f**ked up, man. That's good though. That's why I've never been a drug guy. I've always felt I didn't have the mental stability to handle drugs."
3. Despite admitting he's had 'lapses', he still remains married to Dorothea Hurley
Following their wedding at the Graceland Wedding Chapel on April 29, 1989, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley's marriage has not been without scrutiny.
As childhood sweethearts, their future always looked set in stone, but Jon admits that he's not always been the best partner he could have been, stating in past interviews: "I've not been a saint. I've had my lapses."
4. Jon's band was originally going to be called Johnny Electric
It was a wise friend who suggested Jon's group follow Van Halen's example, instead taking their lead singer's name as their own. We certainly couldn't imagine the band as anything BUT Bon Jovi now!
5. Jon was born John
Deciding to drop the 'h' when he went into the world of music, Bon Jovi was actually born John Francis Bongiovi Jr., on March 2, 1962 in New Jersey, raised by parents Carol and John Bongiovi.
6. 'Livin' On A Prayer' almost never made the 'Slippery When Wet' album
After some convincing from Richie Sambora (and a group of teenagers), Bon Jovi was finally convinced to change his mind and put the tune on the album, after reworking the song with new drums and a bass line. It was first originally recorded and included as a hidden track on '100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong'.
7. 'Livin' On A Prayer's fictional couple 'Tommy and Gina' were based on a real-life situation
Co-writer Desmond Child experienced a relationship in the 70s with his then-girlfriend Maria Vidal, with he working as a taxi driver, and Maria working in a diner. Tommy and Gina were later revealed, according to Songfacts.com, to be based on this real-life situation.
8. Many of Bon Jovi's albums have changed names
Working titles for subsequent albums following their debut 'Bon Jovi' - originally 'Tough Talk' - include some corkers.
'Wanted Dead Or Alive' later became 'Slippery When Wet', whilst 'New Jersey' was originally slated to be released under the title 'Sons Of Beaches'.
'Revenge' became 'Keep The Faith', and a mischievous Richie Sambora gave some joke titles to what became 'Cross Road', including 'Elvis Is Dead But We're Not', 'Free Beer' and 'Not Bad For 5 Guys From New Jersey'.
9. Jon's not just a singer, but a movie star as well
You can see his work mostly in little-seen independent flicks such as 1998 title Homegrown and 2000 release Row Your Boat.
Following this he went on to star in television series Ally McBeal and The West Wing, before returning to music in 2007 and adapting his style to the country genre.
10. Jon isn't the easygoing guy people assume him to be
"My dominant mood? It would seem like borderline crankiness, but that's not it at all. I'm usually just very pensive and thoughtful. I mean, Richie's the happy one. He comes in the room and it lights up because he's there jerking everyone off. I come in and talk black and white, Xs and Os, dollars and cents. And then I gotta go. Let's go. And my mind is always rolling with other things, which doesn't mean I'm not being attentive. I am. But I'm also thinking. Right now, I'm thinking, my wife is down at the apartment and my team has an important game tomorrow, and I want to know what's going on with the band, and by the way, we gotta play this club tonight and is Richie going to be okay? And, truthfully, I'm also sitting here thinking, I gotta pee." he said, speaking to Men's Health.
Despite all that he's a man who loves his fans. Jon Bon Jovi - Happy Birthday!