Sayerville, New Jersey’s favorite son, Jon Bon Jovi, has been honored by the Garden State with a newly named service area now bearing his name. Tapinto.net reported that Bon Jovi was one of nine New Jerseyans commemorated, with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority renaming the Cheesequake service area, at Exit 124, for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Others receiving the honor included Frank SinatraWhitney Houston, and James Gandolfini.

Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement: “This is about putting New Jersey greatness on full display. This is the first part of an extended statewide exhibition of New Jersey heroes throughout our state. From military heroes on the Battleship New Jersey to historical figures on the New Jersey Turnpike to science and technology trailblazers at Newark Penn Station, New Jerseyans will find pride in our contributions to society and the world.”

First Lady Tammy Murphy added: “By highlighting the past achievements of New Jersey residents, we aim to encourage hope for the future success stories of our great state, and maybe even inspire the next Jon Bon Jovi to achieve all that they can through the opportunities afforded in New Jersey.”

A total of nine service areas have been renamed:

Montvale: James Gandolfini Service Area
Brookdale North: Larry Doby Service Area
Brookdale South: Connie Chung Service Area
Vauxhall: Whitney Houston Service Area
Cheesequake: Jon Bon Jovi Service Area
Monmouth: Judy Blume Service Area
Forked River: Celia Cruz Service Area
Atlantic: Frank Sinatra Service Area
Ocean View: Toni Morrison Service Area

DID YOU KNOW???

  • Earlier this month, Bon Jovi‘s 2000 hit, “It’s My Life” has reached a whopping one million views on YouTube, marking the band’s first video to reach the milestone number. uDiscovermusic.com reported that although the track was originally issued on the band’s Crush album, the Mark Isham-directed video wasn’t uploaded to YouTube until June 16th, 2009.

FAST FACTS

  • Bon Jovi‘s 2020 album was issued on October 2nd, 2020 and peaked at Number 19 on the Billboard 200, with the set reaching Number Three on the magazine’s Top Rock Albums chart.   

CHECK IT OUT: Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora in 1992 performing “Livin’ On A Prayer” acoustically on MTV’s Most Wanted: