“Rock and Roll has been Deserted”
By Judith Mora
London, May 21 (EFE).-
Jon Bon Jovi, the lead singer of the band Bon Jovi, admits that “rock and roll has become deserted” in recent times.
He made this statement in an interview with EFE to present “Forever,” the commemorative album on the 40th anniversary of the American band.
But the leader of the band, founded in New Jersey in 1983 and debuted with their self-titled album in 1984, remains hopeful that his favorite genre will make a comeback.
He champions this hope with an optimistic and determined spirit in their 16th studio album, set for release on June 7.
John Francis Bongiovi Jr., his real name, exudes vitality in the single ‘Legendary,’ where, at 62, he cheerfully sings alongside his old friends David Bryan and Tico Torres.
“I got what I want cause I got what I need, got a fistful of friends, that’ll stand up for me, right where I am is where I wanna be,” says the rocker, formerly known for his long blonde hair, now shorter and white.
At Peace with His Present
“That’s good enough for me,” he told EFE in a hotel room in London.
“I think I’ve achieved everything on chart position and audiences and the roar of the crowd… What really matters in life, you know, when you get to a certain place, is that you love somebody and someone loves you back. And if you got your health, you win…you know, you win the prize.”
Married to his longtime girlfriend, Dorothea Hurley, and father of four children, the musician acknowledged that his enormous successes made it easy to feel satisfied.
However, he insisted that “when you write from the purest of the heart,” people relate to the songs and “make them their own.”
“If I think back to ‘Living on a Prayer,’ Tommy and Gina (the characters in the song) were every boy and girl. You know, that classic timeless story of boy meets girl. It’s my life,” he said.
Bon Jovi said that “Forever” was the first joyful album after a tough decade for him and the band – first with the departure of guitarist Richie Sambora in 2013, then his larynx surgery, and later the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that “This House is Not for Sale” (2016) was an album of statement of intent.
“After Richie had quit the band (2013), and we were moving forward, we had a lot to prove.”
The impact of the pandemic and the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of US police inspired him to compose the somber “2020,” an album of “social commentary.”
These circumstances were compounded by surgery in 2022 to fix an atrophied vocal cord, whose recovery has been “longer than I thought.”
Although he can sing, he doesn’t know if he will be able to perform live concerts.
Although he can sing, he doesn’t know if he will be able to perform live concerts.
“I will decide when I’m confident that I can do that two and a half hours a night four nights a week,” he told EFE.
However, he said it was not an insurmountable setback.
“I enjoy performing but I don’t live for performing. I’m not one of those guys that needs the applause of the crowd to feel validated…But you know, if I were up there and I couldn’t be healthy and I couldn’t have fun, what’s the motivation?”
Talent for the Future
In his current positive state, the vocalist and songwriter of one of the most legendary bands in the United States is confident that rock will regain its former popularity.
“It seems like rock and roll has been deserted. But I think, you know, it’s just been a cycle of music and it’s still alive and well, it’s just going through different changes,” he says.
He said he had faith that the music cycle would eventually revive interest in rock and roll.
“A band of young guys or girls could get together and bang some songs out that mean something to them, so they can then share them with the world.” EFE
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