JON BON JOVI once dreamed that his New Jersey-based band would become the next Rolling Stones.
The fact that Bon Jovi survived the early nineties - when grunge rock bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam overshadowed pop metal - shows they certainly have what it takes for international stardom.
But unlike the Jagger and Richards rock 'n' roll grandfathers - who have survived without much change to their music (except slightly more sophisticated concert settings and videos) - the New Jersey cowboys have new things to offer.
'By the end of the 'New Jersey' tour [in 1990] we were zombies and nobody said goodbye when the tour ended. We got on different planes going to different places. Nobody gave a damn,' the front man said.
When they came back with the album Keep the Faith in 1992, the glam-rock-pretty-boy image vanished and in came the rough look (scowls, beards and somewhat sleazy hair-dos) and profound lyrics.
Even though Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet and New Jersey helped shape rock in the '80s, there was no guarantee of continued success.
