Jon Bon Jovi, Forever Man

Jon Bon Jovi is upset with me because I made a mistake. He pointed out that I misquoted him about the emptiness of the Hollywood lifestyle and I also made an error about a building that used to be on his property. His assistant informed me that they had to remove the foundation of that structure, but Jon Bon Jovi interpreted my words as an implication that there was something wrong with his beautiful mansion that was built from the ground up in the late '90s. Later, he showed me a framed photo of a house growing out of a sturdy tree trunk, which was the artwork for his 2016 album, This House Is Not for Sale. This seemed to indicate that his home is built on solid ground, and there is nothing to worry about.

Bon Jovi, both the band and its frontman Jon, have been incredibly successful. They have made over $1.3 billion from touring and sold more than 120 million copies of their 15 albums (soon to be 16 with the release of Forever in June). They have been recognized for their achievements by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and winning a Grammy. Their music covers a wide range of topics, from the activities in strip clubs to the impact of labor disputes. Jon also pursued a brief acting career during the late '90s and early '00s, but he claims that his love for music prevented him from fully committing to it, similar to Madonna and David Bowie.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame and Garden State Parkway have given Bon Jovi recognition. The Jon Bon Jovi Service Area (exit 124) on the Parkway has a Sbarro and a hologram of JBJ talking about pork roll. The band's history, rise to fame, and success has been recorded, including JBJ's vocal-cord issues in 2022. A four-part Hulu documentary called Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story will premiere on April 26. Director Gotham Chopra summarizes the appeal of Bon Jovi, noting his sexy workingman persona that his cousins from India found attractive due to his crazy hair, fast cars, and hit song "Livin' on a Prayer."

In late March, I was scheduled to interview Bon Jovi as part of promoting his docuseries. However, he seemed hesitant and confessed to being frightened of the interview. Despite this, he joined me on a deep sofa where we could have an intimate conversation in his home. Bon Jovi appeared both relaxed and tense, sitting dominantly with his legs spread wide in a cream armchair. He exuded the demeanor of a president, but in a casual dress of jeans and a T-shirt. During the interview, he seemed calm and comfortable when we talked about his charitable endeavors and family life. However, when we touched on topics that he didn't like or disagreed with, he would grip and release a large hair clip. He would eventually let the clip snap shut in his hands.

According to the document and what he has told me, he believes that when a person reaches 40 years old, they begin to evaluate whether they have achieved what they wanted to. At 50, they start considering what kind of legacy they want to leave behind. By the time they are 60, he thinks that as the Chinese saying goes, they have become the person they were meant to be. This means that they have come to accept themselves, regardless of whether they are good or bad, spiritual or not, or feel fulfilled or not. However, if I interpret his words differently from his intended meaning, he becomes irritated.

Bon Jovi missed the target once more when he expressed his affection for American history and his "addiction" to Benjamin Franklin, who he reveres as "the mastermind of masterminds." Does this imply that Bon Jovi holds the same opinion of behind-the-scenes individuals, such as the band's loyal producer, Obie O'Brien, and Desmond Child, the co-writer of many of their greatest hits? "What made you say that?" Bon Jovi questions me, whilst staring sternly. Click.

On March 27th, 2024, a snapshot of Jon Bon Jovi was taken at his personal recording studio located in New Jersey.

He has a different comparison to explain his role in Bon Jovi. He says that Henry Ford didn't physically create the car, but rather came up with the idea. Everyone else in the band also made important contributions. Jon Bon Jovi is like Henry Ford in the band, while the other members are like workers on an assembly line. His collaborators agree with this comparison. Child, who is proud to have co-written their hit song "Livin' on a Prayer," which he calls the "national anthem of New Jersey," says that Jon Bon Jovi is gracious enough to allow them to be part of the group. Chopra says that Bon Jovi's keyboardist, David Bryan, told him that Jon is like the captain of the ship, while he is more like a passenger in cabin 37C, following wherever Jon goes.

This article talks about a person who was referred to as a "perfectionist" by his friend Tom Brady in an email. Bon Jovi follows Brady’s TB12 workout method and has a trainer named Felicia who was assigned to exercise him, give him massages and acupuncture all around the world. Initially, he had tried to hire Brady's trainer but was told that he already had a job. Presently, he trains with Felicia for 5-6 days a week, first thing in the morning. Earlier, he used to lift heavy weights and run extensively but due to numerous injuries during his career, such as shoulder, calf, plantar fasciitis, and meniscus tears, he now focuses on maintaining pliability through stretching and resistance bands. This helps him meet his precise work standards while continuing with his tennis routine. He says, "My goal is to play in the senior professional tennis handicap division".

Leading one of the most successful bands in the world for five decades is no coincidence. Bon Jovi has described himself as a "benevolent dictator," always striving to deliver the best experience to everyone. He takes care of himself because he's a performer and never wants to disappoint anyone. Although he may come off as unfriendly, his apparent rudeness might just be his way of expressing that someone isn't meeting his high standards. Bon Jovi believes that perfection doesn't always come from a perfect process, as he mentions to me in our less-than-perfect conversation.

After the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 22, 2017, Tom Brady was congratulated by Bon Jovi.

However, currently in Bon Jovi’s life, "pushing himself to the limits," as Brady mentioned, and taking charge of his life and how people view him cannot prevent the inevitable decline of his body or the exhaustion from years of being a musical icon, as he has done. It is unable to regenerate his vocal cords, which are as small as a thumbnail, and are said to “run the economy” according to Bon Jovi.

In the docuseries, there's a part where Bon Jovi reflects on how he used to sprint around stages and perform in an extravagant way. However, he now admits to feeling exhausted and claims that he was one of the best back in the day. Bon Jovi clarifies that it's not because he gets tired more easily now, but because, at his age, he wouldn't want to move around like he used to. Despite this, his body still looks fit and flexible, thanks to his healthy lifestyle and exercise routine.

Bon Jovi shared a funny story about a young bull and an older bull debating whether to run or walk down a hill. The moral is that with age comes experience and the opportunity to approach things differently. He also attended Tony Bennett's last show before the singer passed away from Alzheimer's at 96, and was impressed that he could still hit the high notes. Bon Jovi finds it inspiring to think that he could also be an exception like Bennett, even though he's 33 years away from that age and focused on touring with the body and voice he has now.

The docuseries shows us how we all cope with aging and the importance of our past selves. Despite Bruce Springsteen's belief that we should move on from our glory days, it's okay to hold onto them. It's no surprise that someone as successful as Bon Jovi still seeks something more than what earthly life has to offer. The lyrics of their new song "Legendary" emphasize the satisfaction of having what you need and a strong support system. It's about being content with where you are in life.

Bon Jovi worked on the new album 'Forever' with his band in their home studio.

In an old interview, Bon Jovi talked about the risk of becoming a legacy band like the E Street Band or the Rolling Stones. He explained how it feels when your prime years are over and you can no longer compete with the current top pop act. As a legacy band, it's all about attracting a certain crowd and playing to sold-out arenas. The hope is to gain new fans through word of mouth. Bon Jovi stated that he's not striving for pop radio success as he believes he's too old for that.

Bon Jovi describes himself as a person who is constantly evolving and improving. He acknowledges that he is fortunate beyond measure, but he is still driven to achieve more. Although he denies actively seeking validation or recognition, he still desires to create something that resonates with people. He is surprised but thrilled that his song "Legendary" is gaining popularity on Hot AC Radio, even though it was not written with the intention of becoming a hit. Despite his success, he remains humble and grateful for his accomplishments.

Thank you, goodnight is a fresh approach to striving for perfection in Bon Jovi's music. He asked Chopra, who helped create the production company Religion of Sports with Brady and Michael Strahan, to work with him on the project. Bon Jovi believes that Chopra's experience with sports and spirituality is something he can connect with since his father is also an advocate for alternative medicine. After meeting in February 2022, Chopra told Bon Jovi that if he were too involved in producing, it could end up being a vanity piece. So, Bon Jovi opted not to have final say in the editing process and chose not to be listed as a producer. Chopra admires Bon Jovi for being an intelligent businessman who understands the importance of not interfering too much in the filmmaking process.

In simple terms, Bon Jovi allowed Chopra to explore his personal and professional life without any interference because he didn't want the resulting content to be just a flattering depiction of himself. It's also likely that the fact that Thank You was produced by his friend Brady's Religion of Sports made him feel secure about not being portrayed negatively.

In the series, there are different opinions presented. One of them is from Doc McGhee, who used to be Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe's manager in the 80s. He acts as you would expect someone named Doc to act, and he smuggles drugs. Another is from Richie Sambora, a former guitarist and Bon Jovi's "perfect foil." Even though he isn't actually in Bon Jovi, he comes pretty close. In old videos, Sambora talks about the difficulty of working with Jon Bon Jovi. He says that even when he writes songs with Jon, he makes sure they are ones that Jon can sing well. Sambora also talks about getting fired from the group. Bon Jovi and others say it was because of Sambora's drug problems and not showing up for work, but Sambora says that Jon was in a bad mood about time and that he was busy taking care of his daughter when his ex-wife Heather Locklear was struggling with mental health issues.

Bon Jovi took the stage at Seibu Stadium to rock out for Super Rock '84 on August 12th, 1984 in Tokyo, Japan.

The band's history is shown alongside their upcoming 2022 tour in a documentary. Chopra didn't know about Bon Jovi's vocal issues when he suggested this structure. Although Bon Jovi always strives for perfection, there were times when he got frustrated and asked people to leave. Chopra noticed that Bon Jovi can be similar to Kobe Bryant in his attention to detail and tendency to be argumentative. He found that it was important to find other ways to communicate with him since fighting would not lead to a productive outcome. The documentary portrays Bon Jovi's passion and diligence, but not his combative side.

During the tour that lasted a whole month, Bon Jovi's singing voice declined significantly, which prompted his wife Dorothea to step in. The two have been acquainted since high school and will have been married for 35 years as of April 29th. Despite encountering the chaotic events that led to the album title Slippery When Wet during touring, their relationship remained intact. In the docuseries, Sambora revealed that they looked better than half the women they ended up with on the first tour, which Bon Jovi termed as "the American wet dream."

When people talk about Dorothea, Bon Jovi seems more relaxed. The way he smiles when Dorothea is mentioned is warm and friendly, not like the other smiles he gives during the conversation which feel like warning signs. It's like we have come to a mutual agreement that Dorothea is absolutely amazing. Chopra tells us that Dorothea played a vital role as an unofficial fact-checker behind the scenes. She helped anchor Bon Jovi's memories to the right context, which was important for the production. Dorothea's presence onscreen was refreshing, especially since she was one of the few participants outside of Bon Jovi's professional world and band hierarchy. She reminded us of a solid and real person when we saw Bon Jovi in his younger days with all the hair, women, and crazy stories. It's worth mentioning that Dorothea was and still is amazing too! In the docuseries, Bon Jovi talks about why he eloped with Dorothea in Las Vegas in 1989 after touring with the band for six years. He said he needed a higher high in life and Dorothea was his answer. The series shows footage of them taking a motorcycle trip where Dorothea set a rule that they could only stay in motels costing less than $30 a night. It was her idea to start the JBJ Soul Kitchen too, which is a pay-what-you-can restaurant that now has four locations in New Jersey. When I met her, she was casually leaning on a doorframe wearing ankle-high slippers. She was plotting about how to get a friend who recently won part of a billion-dollar lottery to donate some money to the charity.

The tour was difficult for her husband, as even the friendly local newspapers were giving harsh reviews. The St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote a negative review of their April 3 performance, stating that although it had everything you would want from a Bon Jovi concert, Jon Bon Jovi's vocals were very poor. They questioned why no one had spoken to him about it, but speculated that it may be because he is in charge. After a show in Nashville, where they were sponsored by Bon Jovi's rosé collaboration with one of his children, he assessed the performance backstage for Dorothea. He felt it was good, scoring it in the "high 80s," but she disagreed.

According to Chopra, Dorothea is possibly the one individual who possesses the insight and courage to express that to him. After I bring up the notion that it would be tough to take criticism from a loved one about not performing well, Bon Jovi makes a pointed remark saying he doesn't require his wife to laud him constantly.

"He said it was terrible. It was terrible that they had to stop the tour. It was terrible that his wife had to tell him he wasn't doing well. It was terrible that he had to have surgery on his vocal cords because they had weakened so much. It was terrible that even his strong work ethic couldn't guarantee he could perform for two and a half hours a night, four nights a week. Bon Jovi emphasizes that this experience was awful. However, his new album, Forever, is fantastic, and he turned his terrible experience into music. Unfortunately, it would be dreadful if he can't tour due to his current vocal limitations. He will only be able to tour if his voice recovers, which isn't forthcoming yet."

Bon Jovi believes that some things are beyond his control, as he quotes the phrase 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.' He mentions that he is a recovering Catholic and mentions the guilt associated with the Catholic religion. Bon Jovi has his own way of connecting with his beliefs, which is different from the fact that he believes his vocal cords are in God's control. Recently, he sang "Prayer" at a vocal therapy session, clarifying that there is a misconception about his voice, as he can hit the high B's and C's without any problem. Bon Jovi's speaking voice sounds stronger now than it did in the documentary.

Bon Jovi stated that he won't be performing on tour unless he's fully healthy. He expressed gratitude for the privilege to perform, and emphasized that he's not interested in taking people's money when he can't deliver a great show. Despite some people telling him that fans would still pay to see him perform, he wants to ensure that he's able to give his best performance. In a related event, Deepak Chopra questioned Bruce Springsteen if he's still as good as he was in his younger days. Springsteen admitted that he's not as good, but he still considers himself a rock star.

A while back, Bon Jovi viewed an unrefined version of Thank You, Goodnight. He expressed his emotional response with mirth and sorrow as he watched it all unfold in front of him. Evidently, it was like being present at your own coming-of-age ceremony or farewell. It all depends on one's perspective.

Bon Jovi has recordings of the early album sessions in his home studio.

When I asked Bon Jovi who he is without his touring icon persona, he confidently replied, "This is just what I do, it doesn't define who I am." He recognizes that there is more to him than what we see on stage. There's no frustration in his voice like when I previously missed my cues. Bon Jovi expresses gratitude and confidence in his response. He points out that even a perfectionist like Tom Brady is not just defined by his on-field achievements. Although, Brady won't be able to attend the Super Bowl without a ticket just like how Bon Jovi won't be a touring icon without the concerts.

Bon Jovi recently shared that he has a changed perspective on how to approach each day. He no longer lives by the phrase "Seize the day," rather he embraces the day with an open mind and positive attitude. He used to wake up with an aggressive attitude ready to fight, but now he welcomes the day with open arms like a friendly hug.

Despite all the talk about his philosophy, where he likens himself to a river that always adapts and changes direction, and how he plans to spend his post-touring life with family, wine, and charity work, it's apparent that Bon Jovi isn't simply going to sit back and let fate determine his future. And for anyone who thinks otherwise, he doesn't mince words - as he quoted Benjamin Franklin, "Screw them."

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Anna Peele is a professional who specializes in writing about culture and editing content. She has authored articles for various publications, including Esquire, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, and New York Magazine.