Jon Bon Jovi mourns the death of his beloved mother

Jon Bon Jovi has paid an emotional tribute to his mother following her death aged 83.

The music star announced his mom Carol A Bongiovi had passed away at the Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Carol was just a few days short of her 84th birthday, and Bon Jovi said the loss would be deeply felt among her family and friends.

“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with,” Bon Jovi, 62, said in a statement to People on behalf of the family. “Her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed.”

The cause of death was not immediately announced.

Carol, who was nicknamed Mom Jovi by followers of the rock band, was the founder of Bon Jovi’s fan club. She also operated several businesses, was a former Playboy bunny, and enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1959.

Carol met her future husband John Bongiovi Sr. while serving her country and the pair went on to marry and raise three sons – Jon, Anthony and Matthew.

The 2005 biography Jon Bon Jovi claimed Carol had been the one to nurture her son’s talents from an early age and encouraged him to learn music after buying him an acoustic guitar.

In 2020, Bon Jovi praised his parents for giving him “the ability to make the dream reality” and for supporting his desire to pursue a music career.

According to People, the family will hold a private funeral service at Holmdel Funeral Home.

Carol is survived by her husband, three sons and eight grandchildren.