Bon Jovi

Nov 14 2024

Bon Jovi and Pitbull perform brand new single “Now or Never at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards in Miami, FL

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Mar 14 2024

BON JOVI ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM FOREVER OUT JUNE 7th
NEW SINGLE “LEGENDARY” + VIDEO OUT NOW

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Mar 14 2024

BON JOVI ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM FOREVER OUT JUNE 7th
NEW SINGLE “LEGENDARY” + VIDEO OUT NOW

LISTEN TO “LEGENDARY” | WATCH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

PRE-ORDER FOREVER HERE

BON JOVI, Grammy Award®-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, and one of history’s most iconic acts, continues their 40th anniversary celebration, with the release of “Legendary,” new single + video out now via Island Records. The monumental new track sets the stage for BON JOVI’s upcoming 16th studio album, FOREVER, arriving on June 7, 2024. The new album is now available for pre-order HERE where fans can find exclusive colored vinyl options, CDs, cassettes, and limited edition signed copies. An extremely limited run of Ocean Waves colored vinyl will include a one-of-a-kind instant photo of Jon.

In conjunction with last month’s 66th annual Grammy Awards®, Jon Bon Jovi was named 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year and was honored with an all-star tribute concert at the L.A. Convention Center featuring Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge, Sammy Hagar, Jason Isbell, Jelly Roll, Pat Monahan of Train, and many others.

“This record is a return to joy. From the writing, through the recording process, this is turn up the volume, feel good Bon Jovi,” said Jon Bon Jovi.

The commemoration of BON JOVI’s 40th anniversary year continues tonight at the SXSW Conference, when HULU premieres Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. The career-spanning four-part docu-series will have its official debut on HULU on April 26th. This marks the first-ever docu-series on the band’s history that has been made with full cooperation from all past and present members of BON JOVI. The docu-series is a ROS production, the banner of filmmaker Gotham Chopra. For further info, please see the HULU press announcement HERE.

BON JOVI: FOREVER – track listing

Legendary
We Made It Look Easy
Living Proof
Waves
Seeds
Kiss The Bride
The People’s House
Walls Of Jericho
I Wrote You A Song
Living In Paradise
My First Guitar
Hollow Man

Feb 02 2024

Jon Bon Jovi named the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year

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Feb 02 2024

Jon Bon Jovi named the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year

MusiCares named Jon Bon Jovi as the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year. He is the honoree of the 33rd annual Person of the Year benefit gala. Proceeds from the event provide essential support for MusiCares, the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week.

Bon Jovi, Brandy Clark, Damiano David of Måneskin, Melissa Etheridge, Goo Goo Dolls, Sammy Hagar, Jason Isbell, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, Larkin Poe, Mammoth WVH, Pat Monahan, Orianthi, Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, The War and Treaty, and Lainey Wilson performed at the MusiCares tribute to Bon Jovi’s legacy and his impact on rock and roll since the 1983 inception of his eponymous band. The benefit gala was hosted by GRAMMY-nominated comedian Jim Gaffigan. Joining the evening’s host were presenters Gayle King and GRAMMY Award-winning musician Kylie Minogue.

“MusiCares is thrilled to honor Jon Bon Jovi at the 2024 Person of the Year Gala,” said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. “His remarkable contributions to rock and roll have not only left an indelible mark on the music industry, but also in the hearts of countless fans around the world. Furthermore, his long-standing commitment to serving food insecure and unhoused individuals inspires us all. We’re looking forward to celebrating him and the many ways he has made a difference in this world.”

In addition to his extensive musical achievements, Jon Bon Jovi is recognized for his impactful philanthropic work. In 2006, he established the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, an organization dedicated to disrupting the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness. The organization’s objective is to recognize and maximize the human potential in those affected by hunger, poverty and homelessness by offering programs that provide food and affordable housing while supporting social services and job training programs. As a health and human service charity, MusiCares is proud to shine a light on Jon Bon Jovi’s impactful philanthropy and hopes to raise awareness for these important human rights issues.

“I’m truly humbled to be this year’s MusiCares honoree. MusiCares’ work with music professionals is vitally important in creating much needed support and wellness programs that cultivate a healthier and more vibrant community for us all.” said Jon Bon Jovi. “Philanthropic work has been a cornerstone of my life and has always run in tandem to my music career and achievements. Nearly two decades ago when I formed the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchens, I saw firsthand and continue to see today the impact of charitable community-based work. I know this for sure: helping one’s community is helping one’s self.”

Since 1991, money raised from this gala goes toward MusiCares health and human services programs that assist the music community with physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventative clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.

MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts. For more information please visit: www.musicares.org.

Apr 07 2022

Bon Jovi Kick Off Spring 2022 Tour

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Apr 07 2022

Bon Jovi Kick Off Spring 2022 Tour

Arena rock is a genre of music that will never die, as long as crowds convene inside hockey arenas around the country to sing along to our favorite anthems from our favorite artists. That’s exactly what took place when Bon Jovi kicked off their 2022 tour in Omaha, NE at the CHI Health Center on Friday, April 1st, for their first public in-person concert since the pandemic started.

Bon Jovi brought their New Jersey flare to the heartland, led by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi is an expert showman, first and foremost. He has a young soul to him, and on Friday, he pulled off an incredible Mick Jagger-like crowd control with the audience that was both engaging and entertaining.

It was also Bon Jovi’s first official concert since the pandemic started – they’d had to cancel a planned 2020 run – and it was clear they were very excited to finally play in front of a crowd. “It’s been a long time since I said good evening,” said Bon Jovi, before they kicked into “You Give Love A Bad Name.”

As for the rest of the band, they were in top form. Phil X has had some major shoes to fill playing lead guitar for over five years, but he does it flawlessly. During “Keep the Faith,” he impressively went through three guitars during the whole song, breaking one of the strings during the process. Elsewhere, Tico Torres was a beast behind the drum kit, while you can hear David Bryan’s signature synth sound from a mile away. Also, is it possible for guitarist/producer John Shanks to be made a permanent member of Bon Jovi? The man shared lead guitar duties and was a phenomenal rhythm player, earning the spotlight more than once during his guitar solos.

The band also paid tribute to Ukraine, performing “It’s My Life,” a song that has been adopted as an anthem for Ukrainians, and “We Don’t Run,” which was being filmed as part of a Global Citizen special. Elsewhere, they dusted off songs released over the past couple of decades, including five cuts from their latest album, 2020, with Jon Bon Jovi stating he is “proud of this album.”

Finally, they ended their main set with the iconic “Livin’ On a Prayer,” which immediately had the whole arena singing in unison. At last, it was time for the two-song encore, starting with “Love’s the Only Rule” and ending with “Bad Medicine.”

Bon Jovi remain one of the most influential rock bands, while proving arena rock is far from dead. Sometimes, you just want to sing along to a great hook, and that’s exactly what you’ll get on this run.

Tickets for the rest of the tour are available via Ticketmaster and BonJovi.com.

Consequence of Sound article: https://consequence.net/2022/04/bon-jovi-concert-review-2022-tour-setlist-photos/

Photos Credit: Dustin Jack

Jan 08 2022

Bon Jovi 2022 Tour announced for April

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Jan 08 2022

Bon Jovi 2022 Tour announced for April

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Bon Jovi announced today the Bon Jovi 2022 Tour, produced by Live Nation and sponsored by Hampton Water. The tour is scheduled for arenas this coming Spring. Tickets will go on-sale to the general public for most markets beginning Friday, January 14th at 10:00am local time. For early access to ticket and VIP packages, The JBJ Experience member pre-sale will begin on Tuesday, January 11th at 10:00am local time.

The band spent much of the past two years recording and releasing new music, while also creating livestream performance content and launching Bon Jovi radio for their fans. Bon Jovi’s 2020 was one of the most critically acclaimed album releases of that year with USA Today calling it “BRILLIANT” and Associated Press highlighting the depth of lyrics within the songs that “chronicle pain, loss, fear and death from the coronavirus, police killings and mass shootings.”

Bon Jovi remains one of the most prolific and sought-after tour tickets in live music today, and getting back on tour was a top priority for the band. “We have all missed touring and we know that nothing can replace the energy of a live show for the fans or the band,” said Jon Bon Jovi.

TOUR DATES:

Friday, April 1	Omaha, NE	CHI Health Center
Sunday, April 3	St. Paul, MN	Xcel Energy Center
Tuesday, April 5	Milwaukee, WI	Fiserv Forum *
Friday, April 8	Charlotte, NC	Spectrum Center
Saturday, April 9	Raleigh, NC	PNC Arena
Monday, April 11	Greenville, SC	Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Wednesday, April 13	Savannah, GA	Enmarket Arena
Friday, April 15	Tampa, FL	Amalie Arena
Saturday, April 16	Ft. Lauderdale, FL	FLA Live Arena
Tuesday, April 19	Indianapolis, IN	Gainbridge Fieldhouse *
Thursday, April 21	St. Louis, MO	Enterprise Center
Saturday, April 23	Austin, TX	Moody Center
Tuesday, April 26	Houston, TX	Toyota Center ^
Thursday, April 28	Dallas, TX	American Airlines Center
Saturday, April 30	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena ^

* On-Sale date January 21st
^ On-Sale date February 4th

The JBJ Experience member pre-sale for Milwaukee and Indianapolis will begin on Tuesday, January 18 at 10am local time and will go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 21 at 10am local time.

The JBJ Experience member pre-sale for Houston and Nashville will begin on Tuesday, February 1 at 10am local time and will go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 4 at 10am local time.

Mar 03 2021

Jon Bon Jovi Conversation to Precede AXS’ Broadcast Premiere of Concert Film

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Mar 03 2021

Jon Bon Jovi Conversation to Precede AXS’ Broadcast Premiere of Concert Film

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi will sit down for an exclusive interview March 20 with Spotify’s head of rock, Allison Hagendorf, for “AXS TV Presents: A Conversation With Jon Bon Jovi,” followed by the broadcast premiere of the band’s only concert performance of 2020, “On A Night Like This — Bon Jovi 2020.”

“We released our new album during such a unique year and without a tour we had to find a different way to perform these songs for our fans,” said Bon Jovi. “AXS TV has been a great partner and I’m looking forward to everyone getting the chance to watch this special showcasing the band’s first and only time performing 2020 live together.”

The pre-show event will air prior of the broadcast premiere of “On A Night Like This – Bon Jovi 2020” at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Filmed in quarantine in a studio in Nashville, the film features first-time performances of tracks from the band’s 15th studio album, “2020,” including “Limitless,” “Beautiful Drug” and “Do What You Can.” The film offers fans a glimpse into how the band managed and weathered the storm during a global pandemic, with backstage footage and interviews interspersed throughout the film.

The wide-ranging interview with Hagendorf will explore the past year, with a focus on how Bon Jovi navigated the musical waters in unprecedented times, which resulted in the band delaying the release of its record, cancellation of a tour and Bon Jovi writing two songs inspired by the unfolding events in the nation. The chat will also delve into how the band was able to eventually find a way to film the concert and segments for “On A Night Like This,” and Bon Jovi’s personal focus on passion projects doing his own part to help with the Covid-19 crisis. As a bonus, viewers can submit their own questions in an AXS TV sweepstakes, where several will be selected to be answered in a “Fans Ask” segment.

“I first interviewed Jon nearly a decade ago in New York, and it is truly an honor to have the opportunity to sit down with him once again,” said Hagendorf, host of the Spotify podcast “Rock This With Allison Hagendorf.” “It is such a treat for fans, including myself, to hear firsthand about the band’s personal journey during this challenging past year. I was fascinated to learn how these moments, both big and small, culminated into their latest body of work, and I cannot wait to share it with AXS TV’s audience when the interview premieres on March 20.”

“AXS TV has quickly risen as a premier multiplatform brand sought out by acclaimed artists and entertainers. We are proud to be able to offer them strong promotional partnerships such as this, which empower them to share their latest projects directly with a massive audience of dedicated music enthusiasts,” said Sarah Weidman, head of original programming, development and multi-platform content for AXS TV. “AXS TV is honored to join forces with Bon Jovi to bring ‘On A Night Like This’ to television for the first time as part of a multiplatform event — giving our viewers the best seat in the house for an unforgettable evening featuring an exclusive interview with Jon Bon Jovi followed by a unique performance from one of rock’s most legendary bands.”

Both the interview and the concert will be available across all AXS TV digital platforms immediately following the broadcast premiere, with an encore presentation airing Sunday, March 21 at 10 p.m. ET on AXS TV.

Oct 26 2020

Jon Bon Jovi Has Had a Hard Year, Too

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Oct 26 2020

Jon Bon Jovi Has Had a Hard Year, Too

GQ.com

Sometimes it takes an artist to reflect an event back at us, so we can truly see and feel it. It could be a photo taken by a journalist or a witness, like the Falling Man from 9/11. Or it could be a film, like Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, which brought home the reality left in Katrina’s wake. This year, Jon Bon Jovi’s trying to show us who we are with his new album 2020, which tackles the pandemic, political divisiveness, and police violence, among other fractures in the current American landscape. It’s his attempt to, as he puts it, “bear witness to history.”

This is Bon Jovi’s second record since longtime writing partner and guitarist Richie Sambora abruptly left the band during a world tour back in 2013, amid some personal challenges and family struggles. He talks about 2020 as his first time stepping out from behind the rock star person, and it’s a more personal, less glam record than we’ve heard from him before.

But this is still Jon Bon Jovi: 2020 opens strong (first words: “Wake up!”) and grabs you immediately with its straightforward pop-rock clarity. The album is unusual and maybe necessary and inspiring—it became a kind of personal musical life raft this summer during a difficult stretch for my family. When I watched Jon perform ‘Do What You Can’ and ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ for a benefit he organized for first responders and front-line workers in his home state of New Jersey this summer, it felt as if Bon Jovi could connect the dots between the different voices struggling to be heard in America, and help lead by example through this tumultuous time.

Bon Jovi has also put his money where there were suddenly more mouths to feed than ever and fewer hands to do the work. Since March, both he and his wife could be found most days at the two community restaurants and massive food bank supported by his foundation near his homes in hard-hit New Jersey and Long Island. During the unending months of lockdown, he helped support thousands who needed it, and now he’s delivered a credible soundtrack of American life this year. GQ spoke to Bon Jovi about 2020 and 2020.

GQ: What was the process for this record, now that you’re calling all the shots?

Jon Bon Jovi: Well, I turned the record in and then Covid happened and shut the world down. So I knew that if I was gonna have a topical record in 2020, I better write a Covid song. That’s ‘Do What you Can.’

I was inspired by the health care workers, the students who sacrificed, the grocery store clerk who became an essential worker, the caregiver, the unsung heroes who stepped up to help their neighbors and those who simply wore a mask, not because it was a political tool but because it was a sign of respect for their fellow man.

Then of course the George Floyd incident hit, BLM, so then I sat down to write ‘American Reckoning’ and, finally, at that time I said Amen, the album is now complete. I took the two, let’s call them love songs, off the record and put on ‘Do What You Can’ and ‘American Reckoning’ and I said now there is my 2020.

You say that as if it’s easy to write pop songs about a pandemic and systemic racism and police violence.

I think experience has probably given me that ability, to be honest. Now I find that I have nothing left to really prove, and I have nothing to hide. And the world is in such a place that I felt that I could bear witness to history, as long as I was willing to be that witness. I am but a witness to history.

The events I touched on in 2020 touched me. Topics such as veterans dealing with PTSD, gun control, inequality, racial injustice, and many others have an unbiased seat at this table. I didn't take sides on any of these important issues. I just reported on them factually. That was my technique throughout the process. Make it very obvious what the song is about and where I stand, but don't wave a finger, don't be accusatory, that was what I set out to do.

Truthfully, I'm at a point in my career where I know what I do for a living but it doesn't define me; it’s just what I do.

Do what you can. So, what does define you, as a man?

Well, being a father, being a philanthropist. Being the guy that was working in the food bank today and needs a shower desperately and probably should see a doctor for the fuckin hernia that I’m sure I have [laughs].

The model at my restaurants, JBJ Soul Kitchen, is that those in need volunteer for their meals and earn a certificate that will feed up to four family members. Due to the pandemic, we couldn't have any volunteers work. But we still had mouths to feed. So Dorothea and I worked five days a week for two months before we went to Long Island and opened a food bank that fed 6,000 people a month there.

From May through the summer, we worked there every day we were open. We’ve been working since the pandemic began, whether it was at the Soul Kitchen or at the foodbank here on Long Island, giving the food to seven pantries that myself and our foundation have been funding.

When you consider the people who are hungry, they dont give a shit that I play music [laughs]; they’re grateful that I'm the guy that’s giving them the palette of food every week. They never ask me about a record. They ask me about, you know, “Is the egg noodles coming next week?” “Are we getting more fruit?” And that’s what I did this morning, from about seven o’clock today till about noon.

The lyrics include what seems like fairly religious imagery: “On a night like this, one prayer, one wish,” “Is there something more? There is an open door, What are you waiting for?” Was that intentional or connected to all this somehow?

I came through that very Catholic upbringing. I went in and out of Catholic school a couple times and did have a problem with what had become the organized Catholic church, the stuff with the priests and altar boys. Not personally mind you. It was from the outside looking in, I wasn’t touched by it. We were removed from it.

Eventually I found spirituality. And now I think that I revert back to, whether it’s just prayer and my connection, for a yearning for that kind of simpler time of my youth? But I do it more now than I ever did. I look toward some kind of higher power.

Someone else I interviewed recently told me he’d finally started trying to “pray into himself.”

Yeah, I think that’s right. You know, shine a light within and that will shine outwardly and enlighten your actions and how you reach the world around you.

Like the line “shine a light” in “American Reckoning.” Who is the record for?

Me! [laughs] For me. I did this record to get back to the reason why I wanted to do it again. I’d been going through a tough period. In light of what happened with Richie and his kids, his leaving us like that, and not staying to talk. It was very hard for all of us. And it took its toll on me.

The band is a family inasmuch as we had grown up together, done everything together, we had ups and downs, but we never deserted the ship. Whether it was work, or the death of parents or divorces or fame or confusion. We had alcoholism, it got to the point where we had to make decisions that weren’t in the interests of the band, that was for sure.

And so anyhow we came through it. And This House Is Not for Sale [the first release after Sambora left the band] was a kind of waving my fists in the air, saying “I refuse to let my house crumble,” but it’s tough finding people who want to go out there and then showing them how to play the songs and write the songs and have something to say.

It certainly wasn't going to be a big pop record because I’m just not in that place. So then I needed to get in touch with that gift that I have for writing songs. So I’ve worked very hard, whether it was on the record or lately on myself or my relationship with Tico and Dave, so that we got stronger as a unit. And it turned out to be really great, because we got tighter and as a result we felt we, the collective we, did no wrong.

In a strange way my forgiveness for Richie allowed me to grow, and David to grow, and Tico to grow into who we are today. Because we were forced down a different road. You don’t blame someone for that, you sort of have to say thank you, because it helps you continue your little journey. Sometimes someone has to get off an exit in order for you to continue this journey.

There was no fourth leg on the table. And by the way, we had 80 more shows left on that tour. But we did it. And it was very successful.

Having been through this personal rough patch, I really want to know: What’s your philosophy of life these days?

Philosophy? I think that my goal is just to try to be a better version of myself every day. Just try to do something to better yourself. Even if that something is just... sleep. You know? Just something to make yourself better, I don’t mean a better singer or a better rock star. A better person.

That’s important, especially now. I’ll be honest: I’ve had a very tough year myself. Middle age is rough. You got the kids to take care of, the parents getting older—you’re in the “middle.”

Yeah. How old are you?

48.

A lot happens between 48 and 58. I sort of joke that 50 is the last decadent birthday, but by 58 you have a different kind of perspective. And I’m not old enough to start thinking about mortality, I think that’s still another ten, twelve years ahead of me, but the idea that we’re not the kid in the room anymore.

48, 58—you’re sort of accomplishing or have accomplished the great things that you’re gonna do, and that’s all well and good, but what matters more is what you’re building with your family. Because those two chapters, you can’t fuck up either one of those or they’re gonna scar you.

Fix those circumstances and get them right now, start writing your own chapters. Live with them. Make them something worth reading again.

How are your kids?

No real problems. Stephanie is doing well and works in television. The youngest is fully committed to playing the guitar and wanting to learn how to write. He just took a step where he can really play the guitar. That’s what came out of Covid for him, six months in the wood shed. Jake is gonna go to Syracuse for acting. He spent the past year studying. And Jesse has the wine business—very successful, if you like a good rosé.

We talked about family, religion, music—Jersey law requires me to ask you about football and politics. I know you’re a fan of at least one of those things. But you seem to code switch between worlds and get along with lots of different people.

I don’t think that I get along with lots of different people [laughs]. But yeah, football was something that was a common thread in our house, whether it was my father or my uncle, you could find them Sunday watching the Giants. And then my relationships through my celebrity allowed me to meet people on the Giants, which then led me to my relationship with a young man who is now an old man by the name of Bill Belichick. Last night I had dinner with Robert Kraft, who is one of my dearest friends.

Is he still mad at Tom Brady?

He’s not mad at Tommy! No!

Unlike football, politics is not anything I ever grew up with. My family was not involved at all. My wife’s family was probably more involved in politics. And we’ve met a number of politicians over the years. Whether the current governor, or the previous governor, Chris Christie.

I’m friendly with Chris. Although we didn't have to agree with each other’s politics all the time, we could certainly talk as fellow New Jerseyites with things in common that we wanted to do for people there. So you could have a conversation with somebody, regardless of what side you’re on.

Do you think people are still listening to each other? Are you worried about the current political climate? You have a song on the record, “Blood in the Water,” about it.

I think the division that’s evolved in the last four to six years is an America that I'm afraid for. Bickering among political themes has become something that’s dividing families—parents and kids, husbands and wives. I’m worried about how we come together as a country. [A silent pause.] I’m so scared. I’m so scared. I’m scared.

Yeah. Me too.

When I grew up, the idea of the middle class in Sayreville, it was hardworking, blue collar, really white, but a really good hardworking solid town made up of second-generation, primarily European immigrants. Believed in this kind of John Kennedy mantra of we can do anything we wanna do, we can go to the moon, and so I grew up in this very innocent wonderful kind of time. And then I came to be old enough to vote and Ronald Reagan was telling everybody that there should be a car in every driveway and a chicken in every pot, telling Gorbachev to tear down that wall. It certainly wasn't the day and age my kids are growing up in now.

But it also allowed us to dream ridiculously big, because we didn't know any better. You know I’ve told this story many times before: Bono grew up thinking about the Orangemen marching, and we grew up thinking about Little League and Pop Warner. It was many years after the race riots, many many years after the work of MLK, RFK, Malcolm X. It was a different era.

Now my kid just graduated from college. Those poor kids missed out on graduation, the prom, turned 18 at home, given one hour of outdoor time, they were born out of 9/11. That’s a shit hand to be dealt. But on the other hand, I think they’re going to be that next great generation, because they have to be. Are they going to have the same opportunities? What are the chances they’re going to have a chance to sell 130 million albums?

Is that possibility even out there anymore? How different are things now?

The pandemic changed lives. Everyone has their own story. And hopefully out of a crisis comes the next generation’s innovators, inspired, and engaged, ready to lead by example and move into an era of ‘we,’ not ‘me.’

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Oct 22 2020

Jon Bon Jovi: “I’m The Posterboy For White Privilege”

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Oct 22 2020

Jon Bon Jovi: “I’m The Posterboy For White Privilege”

AmericanSongwriter.com

“Let’s face it, I’m the posterboy for white privilege,” says Jon Bon Jovi a few weeks before 2020 is ready to drop. Started long before COVID-19 shut down the nation, George Floyd galvanized Black Lives Matter and Breonna Taylor’s death and lack of reckoning further called into question certain police practices, the once-and-always heart throb to generations of arena rock fans realized that the album he was making with the band that wears his name, that was already leaning into a more cultural awareness than a lot of straight-up rock & roll, could be so much more.

Recognizing the epidemic levels of gun violence – especially mass shootings, the notion of kids without meaningful homes, food and opportunity, vets with PTSD, the state of fear, anxiety and anger, 2020 started out topical. Then it got real.

“Chances are with the police, they’re giving me an escort somewhere,” he continues. “I’ll never know what it’s like to have ‘the talk’ with my children (about what to do it if stopped by police). But this is a call to action. Watching (George Floyd’s death), I was so taken by this, it hit me so hard…”

His chagrin turned to songs.

“American Reckoning.” “Lower The Flag.” “Brothers In Arms.” “Unbroken.” “Let It Rain.” “Blood In The Water.” There’s a tension to them, a sense of a live electric wire down on a rain-covered street; dangerous, hard to handle, yet the sparking wire absolutely must be addressed.

If “Limitless” and “Do What You Can” took on “Livin’ On A Prayer” faith and positivity, while “Beautiful Drug” and “Story of Love” offered the realities of how all the different kinds of love unfold for classic Bon Jovi fans, the 58-year old rocker needed more from 2020. Not just more “hey, watch me be serious,” or “hey! let me be a big rock star!!!” more, but more helping people shake off the stupor induced by emotional-button-pushing so they could plug into their fellow humans.

“I set out to make a topical record,” concedes the earworm king of “It’s My Life,” and “You Give Love A Bad Name” on the phone from Jersey. “The first song was ‘Blood in the Water’ two years ago. The names have changed, but the story hasn’t…

“Because the song’s not just a moment in time, I wondered ‘Would it be dated?’ It starts with Storme Daniels and the line ‘a storm is coming…’ – and it’s not (dated).

“The immigration problem with kids in cages, Russian hacks, which we’re going to be seeing again. At one point, it’s Guiliani or Barr, Michael Cohen, all the people who’ve stood up for him…”

Not that he’s taking sides. Aware enough to know, he realizes preaching to the choir doesn’t help.

“I’m just the narrator. You know my position, there’s no need to go there. But ‘Lower the Flag,’ ‘American Reckoning,’ just the facts tell the story,” he pauses, thinking about the conflicting voices and confusion around all of us. Left, right, liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Anarchist, Kanye: so many points of view, so little grounding.

“I don’t know where to tell you to view the unspun truth. Either side of the aisle, the news, social media, it’s hard to find the truth. We’re politically divided, and unable to have testing because no one wants to find the common ground.

“But what if this – any of these songs – happened to someone in your life?”

Empathy. Not a buzzword for ‘80s and ‘90s arena rockers, yet “Unbroken” found him working to understand the reality of PTSD, injured vets and the power of service animals. He admits, “I never served. This came from a phone call from my publisher, asking if I’d be interested in writing a song for a small documentary about soldiers with PTSD…”

Not even edited, the director shared a couple clips, sent over some facts, talked about the mission of both the film and the story being told. In a world often looking away from those who served, Bon Jovi – whose parents met in the Marines – knew the landmines would be in repeating the canon of post-military songs.

“I was very conscious of Billy Joel’s ‘Saigon,’ Bruce’s ‘Born in the USA,’ ‘Sam Stone,’ but the kids in this movie… they weren’t drafted, they signed up for a better way of life. When they put on that uniform, it was something they’re so identified by and with, when you take it away from them, it’s like Superman’s cape is gone.

“So in talking to some of the people, someone told me, ‘You’re either broken, or you’re put back together.’ That struck me, so I made it a hymn, or a prayer for all of us.”

A prayer for all of us. What could be more necessary in times like these?

Considering the delay, providence given the addition of “American Reckoning” as a reality check with urgency that doesn’t tell anyone how to think, 2020 somehow didn’t miss its moment. While so many people’s music has seen its meaning shift during the shutdowns, the waiting, the pause and the inability to tour, JBJ got lucky.

For him, the gap only made his new record more necessary, more of the moment and more urgent. If “You Do What You Can” is a fizzy rocker empowering whatever difference you can create, the rest of the album opens up perspectives for the state of America no matter what side you’re on.

Oct 09 2020

Q&A: Jon Bon Jovi On Speaking Out On Powerful ‘2020’ And Still Being A Fan Of His Heroes

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Oct 09 2020

Q&A: Jon Bon Jovi On Speaking Out On Powerful ‘2020’ And Still Being A Fan Of His Heroes

Forbes.com

"It's a long way from 'You Give Love A Bad Name' to 'American Reckoning.'" Jon Bon Jovi says laughing. Don't misunderstand, tThe Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame frontman is very proud of his storied past.

As he says during our 45-minute Zoom call to discuss the band's superb new 2020 album, he stands behind the band's seminal hits, like "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer. But now at age 58, he isn't trying to recreate his past.

" I said this when I was 25, 'When I'm 50 I don't want to be painting my fingernails black and writing bitch on my belly,'" he says laughing.

So on this new album he has written some of the most powerful and compelling songs of his storied career, including "American Reckoning," which directly references the George Floyd killing this past May, and "Lower The Flag," a forceful song about the gun violence epidemic in America.

I spoke with him about the writing of the album, remaining a fan of his heroes, including his friend "Beatle Paul," his philanthropic foundation and his favorite lyricists.

Steve Baltin: Do you feel a sense of prophecy in these songs?

Jon Bon Jovi: I'll give you a great example of a prophecy is "Blood In The Water." It was the first one in the summer of '18 and I could walk you through it. "A storm is coming," Stormy Daniels. "Let me be clear/the walls around you are closing in," could've been last night's debate. So whether it was Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen and General Flynn to the impeachment hearing to the Russian hack at the end of it, which was in '16, that's relevant now, this same storyline, to me, is a revolving door of characters. I did think for a period of time, "Oh my god, this is gonna be dated. No one is gonna know who I am referencing." But it doesn't matter because it was as relevant this morning after last night's debates. So that song, to me, specifically, is a prophecy, it's timeless.

Baltin: Another song I really loved is "Unbroken," which falls in the tradition of great anti-war songs.

Bon Jovi: A song like "Unbroken" will always be timeless because soldiers will always be coming home and dealing with this. I had a conversation with a director [Josh Aronson] of a very small, but moving documentary called To Be Of Service. And he had asked me to write a song hoping that my name and his bet that I could write "the" song could bring attention to this issue. And I wanted my spin to be the pride that men and women have when they put that uniform on. And then the issues they have once they take it off. When you think about how identified a soldier is when he walks down the street that's a great sense of pride in the world in which live today. It's not the Vietnam era with the young men and women returned to be spat upon. Nowadays they're heroes and they come back and we all appreciate what they give. When you take that uniform off, you put the Superman costume back in the closet and yet you're having to deal with the traumas. And I still wanted to find that thing that made them want to keep doing it and be proud of what they did. So in the very last line, when it says, "You asked me was it worth it to be of service in the end/Well the blessing and the curse is/Yeah, I'd do it all again." And the responses I have gotten to that differentiate it from [John] Fogerty writing Vietnam-era songs or Bruce [Springsteen] writing "Born In The U.S.A."

Baltin: If I remember you are also a huge Tom Waits fan and "Day After Tomorrow: is as good an anti-war song as you will find.

Bon Jovi: I adore Tom Waits, Waits and [Leonard] Cohen, two of my favorite lyricists absolutely. He's a genius. Some people just think of "The Heart Of Saturday Night" or if they really think they're witty they go, "You know, he wrote 'Jersey Girl.'" (Cracks up) Yeah, I know. I love a good storyteller and he is one of the greats.

Baltin: One of the things I love about this album is it's built around just telling relatable stories. And it's funny because people may think you haven't spoken out before on these issues. But even "Livin' On A Prayer" is very much a story.

Bon Jovi: It is a story song. The thing about a song like that, which was the timeless boy meets girl, we will win in the end, fill in the blank with the names and then they become you, the story has been told. What I loved about this is I didn't make these my story. This is just the truth being reported, just facts and moments in time that I either lived or watched or read about. So I really didn't have much of an interest in writing a pop song in the true sense of a pop song with that boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. It wasn't inspiring.

Baltin: Writing is a subconscious thing often. So were there moments on there you didn't realize how deeply you felt about things until you made this album?

Bon Jovi: Oh yeah. "Lower The Flag" and "American Reckoning" come to mind off the top of my head. Both issues that obviously I felt very deeply about and that I could articulate. And to be able to articulate them not only in conversation , but in a song. These weren't things that I had ever tackled before, but I was cognizant of. And to get it to a place where I'm very proud of the presentation so I'm able to share it, it's a long way from "You Give Love A Bad Name" to "American Reckoning" (laughs).

Baltin: Are you more comfortable with it as you've gotten older since most every artist seems to get more comfortable and confident with themselves as get older?

Bon Jovi: For clarity, in truth, I adore "Runaway" and "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer." And that's absolutely positively who and what I was and what I wanted to say. And it's all I knew how to say at that time. I wasn't looking to do more than that. And because I've been around so long this is who I am at 58 years old. That's not who I was at 21 and 25. So this has just been the journey I'm on. Here I am today. If a listener picks up an album and expects "Livin' On A Prayer" part six, you're not gonna find it here. I don't want to rewrite it. That was then.

Baltin: Do you feel, and this ties in with your charity work, as you've gotten older it's more important to focus on and share that?

Bon Jovi: Because we've taken the foundation to such a place I never thought we would, where that motivation comes from, it really wasn't instilled me as a kid. Not to the place I do it now. My parents weren't political or involved in the community. It's something that evolved in me with my wife, which is why. And it happened as I grew and grew up. No one should blame a twenty-year-old for having single-minded focus on wanting to be the lead singer in a rock band and singing about that. Amen to it. But if I were 58 and still writing songs about that I think it would be a waste of an opportunity. I said this when I was 25, "When I'm 50 I don't want to be painting my fingernails black and writing bitch on my belly" (laughs). And so we stood out from the genre from whence we came and I'll stand here in front of you with gray hair and a 32-inch waist and say, "It's who I am, that's where it's at. I'm not pretending and dying my hair and getting Botox on the 'Where are They Now' tour." I'm not interested. I'd rather walk away and leave a good-looking corpse than try and chase the past. To me, that would be a sin.

Baltin: Are there artists you admire for the way they evolved and aged gracefully? And of course saying that about John Lennon feels ironic because he didn't get to age gracefully. His evolution was in such a short time.

Bon Jovi: Boy, what he did. I have the absolute incredible, heaven-sent gift to actually be able to say I'm friendly with Paul McCartney. And I get to spend a lot of time with him in the summers. And I jokingly tell him that John and George just went back to their planet. It just doesn't make any sense. John went from "She Loves Ya" to "Imagine." Who would've thought that in that boy was that man?

Baltin: I love that you refer to it as a heaven-sent blessing to be friendly with him. What would your childhood self think about being friendly with Paul McCartney?

Bon Jovi: I refer to him as Beatle Paul all the time. Wherever I'm at with him it's "Hey, Beatle Paul, hey Beatle Paul." And one night he actually said to me, "Why do you do that?" And I said, "Because I'm too old to call you Mr. McCartney and I'm too in awe to think that I could call you Paul. I'm too reverent." And he's like, "Okay." That was one amazing but true story. I'm such a fan of a lot of people. When I met Tom Waits it was the same way. I was like, "No, you don't get it. I have tried to write 10 of your songs for the last 30 years." I was like that with [Bob] Dylan and with Bruce [Springsteen], from the time I was a little boy. So a lot of those guys that I still look up to in that kind of way.

Baltin: What is the one Tom Waits song you wish you could have written and why?

Bon Jovi: "Who Are You." That just immediately came to mind, the same way Dylan's "I Want You" is one of those kind of songs, or "Just Like A Woman." But you know, "Who Are You?" F**k! And I love "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," Bone Machine, they're all so good. "Hold On," what a great f**king song. "Come On Up To The House," "The House Where Nobody Lives," oh those f**king lyrics, awesome. Oh yeah, you and I could go deep on this.

Baltin: No songwriter is ever satisfied. But you hit moments you feel you are coming closer to where you want to be. Did you find those on 2020?

Bon Jovi: I'm too close to the album today to tell you a song, but this album says that for me. I'm just a little too close to it right now because I'm literally working on the live film we shot of it and editing. I'm too close. But I'm so proud of it as a whole. One thing that Covid did was it allowed me to go back and listen to a whole bunch of the albums. Some of it was better than I thought. Some of it wasn't as good as I hoped, but the body of work still holds up to me.

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