Jon Bon Jovi may be the most well-known member of his family, but the musician’s brother, Matt Bongiovi, also has a successful career in show business.
Bon Jovi fans get to know Bongiovi a bit better in “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” which came out April 26. Here’s everything you need to know about Bon Jovi’s talented brother.
His last name is Jon Bon Jovi’s real last name
Fans of the band Bon Jovi know its frontman as Jon Bon Jovi, but the singer was born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. While the musician uses a different spelling of his last name professionally, his brother stuck with their family legal last name, Bongiovi.
Matt Bongiovi has worked with Jon Bon Jovi for several decades.
Bongiovi has worked behind the scenes with his brother’s wildly successful rock band, Bon Jovi, for several decades in a series of roles and appears in the band’s docuseries.
While talking about the band’s longevity, Bongiovi offers some insight into its success.
“I think the band was able to ultimately stand that test of time because they evolved with the times, but (kept) true to themselves,” he said.
Old footage from the early days of Bon Jovi’s career shows a younger Bongiovi speaking to a journalist about his plan to become a manager for the band.
“I’d grown up in the organization, everything from production assistant — you know, learning my bones on the road —to working in the management office and various roles in between,” he said in a current day interview for the docuseries.
Bon Jovi then sheds some light on his brother’s involvement with the band.
“He was sort of like the little kid that would hang around but because he always hung around, he was listening and he was learning,” he explained.
While recalling Bon Jovi’s rise to fame, Bongiovi spoke about his experience watching everything up close.
“To see that magic that was happening in his home, in the room that, you know, that’s where that song was written, growing up around that was pretty wild to watch that evolve,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bon Jovi offered up a strong endorsement of his brother’s contributions to the band.
“He has blossomed into an incredible man. He is no longer the little boy or assistant to anybody,” he said.
In 2018, Bongiovi celebrated 25 years of working with Bon Jovi and shared a photo with the band on his Instagram page.
During the docuseries, Bongiovi reflects on what it was like to watch the band struggle when Richie Sambora didn’t show up for a concert due to personal issues. He would later leave the band.
“Being in the role of tour manager, it was a scary moment cuz when you see somebody who was such a major part of this organization but to now no longer be there, we all as crew thought we were going home,” he recalled.
“Jon is very good at preparing for the worst. There is a reason why there was a second guitar player,” Bongiovi later said.
Over the years, Bongiovi has shared photos with his older brother on Instagram. In several of them, he’s standing by Bon Jovi as the musician performs, protecting him from the crowds.
“Always have his back,” he captioned one post.
Matt Bongiovi is a proud dad.
Bongiovi regularly shares photos of his children on Instagram. In December 2023, the proud dad posted a photo of his son, who he called his “best friend and mini me,” to celebrate his birthday.
“You make me proud every day,” he captioned the post.
In 2022, Bongiovi commemorated his son’s birthday with an assortment of pics, writing, “Happy Birthday my not so MiniMe, my son Rocco. You make me proud every day!”
Bongiovi also has two daughters. In 2020, he reflected on being a girl dad on National Daughters Day
“I am blessed with these two beautiful girls who make me proud to be called Dad. Riley and Bella, Daddy loves you 🥰,” he captioned the post.