ER
GETTING old doesn’t scare me: Jon Bon Jovi on aging, legacy and knowing ‘when it’s time to go’ Jon Bon Jovi has done and seen it all in his nearly four-decade career. And he’s got the coiffed silver locks to prove it.
“Let me tell you, I’ve earned this gray hair,” says the rock legend with a laugh. “I’ve been through enough pain and healing to be here. Professionally, I’ve survived trends that have come and gone, and I’ve even had to mourn the loss of a bandmate who just wasn’t effective anymore. And that was tough.
He’s referring to long-time Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who publicly struggled with substance abuse issues for years and abruptly left the band in 2013. Bon Jovi, 58, says he last spoke with Sambora at the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2018. Since his departure, the remaining members have only grown “closer and stronger,” says drummer Tico Torres.
Adds keyboardist David Bryan: “Our bond is unbreakable. Jon has grown as a person, as have we, and he has definitely grown as a songwriter.
“This (album) says, ‘I have a clear vision, I’ve been through the pain and now it’s a new day,'” Jon Bon Jovi said.
Q: Why do you think the band has had such longevity?
JBJ: “We’ve connected with generations of people and I’ve never tried to be more than what I was. I’ve evolved, I’ve grown in the public eye, and I’m certainly not trying to write the same song we did in 1984, ’85, ’86.
It was my desire to evolve and grow into who I am today, and so I couldn’t rewrite “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Blaze of Glory” or “Always. The legacy of the band is cemented.
These songs mean a lot to a lot of people, and I am grateful for that. It’s a gift that God gives you the job you wanted when you were a kid and that I still get to do it. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. [sources/photo special]
