Allison Nield has no idea what the world was like before MTV. Nield, a Modena Park resident, was born on Oct. 6, 1980. MTV was born 10 months later, on Aug. 1, 1981.

If nothing else, that should help explain her infatuation with one Jon Bon Jovi, the aging heartthrob from New Jersey who has thrilled female audiences and big-time record executives alike since the mid-1980s with his special brand of pretty smile-driven rock 'n' roll.

His band, Bon Jovi, has experienced a renaissance of sorts in recent months, buoyed by the 2000 release of the album Crush (the band's first collective effort in five years) as well as the follow-up tour LP One Wild Night Live.

The kids have flocked toward Bon Jovi, at times only to flee from the band later, but Nield has remained a fan through it all. That's why MTV couldn't have chosen a bigger fan for its One Wild Night With Bon Jovi contest.

Nield was picked from among 80,000 entries, according to MTV spokeswoman Eileen Shell, to win a private Bon Jovi concert in her hometown. The show was held July 30, two days after the band's tour-ending performance at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The event was held in the relatively small Electric Factory at Seventh and Willow streets in Center City. MTV sent a limousine to pick up Nield and some companions at Nield's home before the show. In all, the contest winner gave out 100 tickets to her nearest and dearest friends -- or those who jumped first to get in line.

In addition to the show, Nield won the obligatory onstage introduction and backstage visit with the band.

Ironically enough, Nield didn't even remember entering the contest when she was told that she had won.

"Honestly, I didn't remember entering," she said. "I stopped entering contests. I got frustrated because I never won."

IT'S MTV CALLING

Nield explained that she received an e-mail about the contest as a member of the Bon Jovi fan mailing list and returned it. A few weeks ago, the West Chester University student returned home from her internship as a medical technician at Elkins Park Hospital to find a message on her answering machine. She returned the call to contest officials.

"They told me I was a finalist and asked me a couple of questions. I knew it was something about (Bon Jovi) playing a concert," Nield said.

Days later, contest officials called again, this time to inform her that she was the lucky winner. If MTV had been hoping for a passionate, borderline obsessive fan of the band, the cable network couldn't have made a better choice. The contest was part of MTV's 20th-birthday promotions.

Nield began following the band years ago, although she missed the release of most of its biggest hits in the mid-1980s.

"I was about twelve," she said. "I stole a tape from my older sister."

The rest is history. Nield likes the album Slippery When Wet the best, especially the tracks You Give Love a Bad Name and Living On a Prayer.

She was too young at the time to really get into the concert scene, however. So she bided her time.

"Their last tour was 1995," she said. "I had all of their CDs, but I wasn't into going to concerts because I was so young. But I kept telling everybody, 'I know they're coming out with another album. And you know if they're coming out with a new album, they're going on tour.'"

That album, Crush, appeared last October. It features the successful single It's My Life. Nield attended her first Bon Jovi show last November at the First Union Center. She also attended the band's performance at the Tweeter Center amphitheater in Camden on July 24.

"Unfortunately, I missed the first two songs because of traffic, and I was on the lawn, very far away (from the stage)," she said. "They were amazing. And they covered a lot of stuff."

RIDING IN STYLE

Nield had no such seating problems at the private show. Most of the crowd was composed of fan club members, according to MTV officials. But Nield and her pals were the guests of honor. She chose her two sisters, her boyfriend and two girlfriends to join her in the limo.

As for the rest of the tickets, it was pretty much first-come, first-serve.

"About half of it is family. All of my cousins are all fans, although not as big as me," she said. "The rest are all friends from West Chester. They're fans because I made them. I told them, 'Whoever calls me first can go.'"

Nield claims very eclectic taste when it comes to popular music. She also holds up the Beatles and Jim Morrison's Doors in high esteem. Posters of both acts are on Nield's bedroom walls.

Of course, the bigger-than-life poster of Jon Bon Jovi wearing a crown of roses dwarfs the rest of the lot.

"I only got it because it's big," she said.

Nield also has written down Bon Jovi song lyrics on index cards and posted them in her sanctuary.

The decorations have followed her from her high school days at Archbishop Ryan, out to West Chester and back home as she completes her undergraduate work at the local hospital.

"I was all ready to repaint that room," said Barbara Nield, the winner's mom. "Then here comes Allison back home. But it's all right with us."

Allison's collection of band memorabilia includes ticket stubs, photos, other promotional items and even return-address labels with the front man's photo on them.

"That's a little psychotic," she said.

"I spend all of my money on him. I would have liked to have gone to more concerts, but I can't afford it."

As long as TV and radio stations keep sponsoring promotional contests, there's always hope.