Jon Bon Jovi Loses Mom Carol Bongiovi At Age 83: 'She'll Be Greatly Missed'

Rock music legend Jon Bon Jovi's mother, Carol Bongiovi, has reportedly passed away.

She was pivotal in nurturing her son's musical passion and supporting his dreams. Carol had a diverse career, including roles as a Playboy bunny and U.S. Marine.

The singer recently honored her in the "Story of Love" music video and shared his gratitude on Instagram.

Jon Bon Jovi's mother's passing comes after he opened up about his struggles with vocal cord atrophy and long COVID and how he is relearning to sing again.

Carol passed away at the age of 83 on Tuesday, July 9, just days before her 84th birthday, at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J., as confirmed by People magazine.

In a family statement to the publication, Jon Bon Jovi said, "Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed."

During her lifetime, Carol, originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, was the founder of her son's band's fan club and a successful entrepreneur.

She had a diverse career, including serving as a Playboy bunny and enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1959, where she met her future husband, John Bongiovi, Sr.

The couple eventually moved to Sayreville, N.J., where they raised their family, and later settled in Holmdel, N.J., where Carol lived until her passing.

According to Variety, in a 2005 biography of Jon, Carol played a significant role in nurturing his musical interests from an early age.

The publication reported that she bought him an acoustic guitar and encouraged him to learn to play it. As he entered his teenage years, his passion for music grew.

The book also describes how Carol and her eldest son would stand in front of a full-length mirror, enjoying the fun of watching themselves perform songs together.

The singer last posted about his mother on Instagram on Mother's Day, May 11. In his tribute to her and his wife, he wrote: "To all the moms out there, thank you for always being there!"

He also shared a photo of himself and his parents from the 1990s and a picture of him and his wife.

Carol is survived by her husband of 63 years and their three sons and daughters-in-law: Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi, Anthony and Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Matthew and Desiree Bongiovi. She also leaves behind eight cherished grandchildren.

Funeral services will reportedly be private, with arrangements handled by Holmdel Funeral Home.

In a November 2020 interview with The Big Issue, Jon praised his parents for helping him turn his "dreams into reality."

"Even if you truly weren't any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it," the rockstar said. "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."

During the chat, Jon also reminisced about his parents' unwavering support, even letting him take late-night gigs at 17.

"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," Jon recalled, per Nationalworld.

In the music video for the band's 2021 ballad "Story of Love," the musician pays tribute to his parents, performing in front of a black-and-white photo of them in their youth.

Recently, Jon opened up about the illness that has been hindering his ability to perform. The Bon Jovi frontman, who rose to fame with his New Jersey band in the 1980s, revealed that he had been battling to preserve the voice that made him famous.

Speaking to Jon, The Sun newspaper in the U.K., Jon shared that he discovered nearly ten years ago that his vocal cords were atrophying, and he later suffered from long COVID.

"For years, I've known that everything depends on something that small. It's been horrible," Jon said.

Two years ago, the 62-year-old underwent a risky surgery that could have either restored his singing ability or ended it forever. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, but he had to relearn how to sing.

"It hasn't been a fun journey even to get to this point," he said of the experience. "But I've diligently done my rehab and therapies. I've had to relearn how to do things. I got the high notes back a long time ago, but then we forgot to work on the low stuff."

While discussing his vocal challenges, Jon noted, "So you're thinking, 'What the hell is wrong with B-flat to F? This is weird.' Suddenly, you're worrying about all the low stuff that you never thought twice about—ever!"