When Jon Bon Jovi agreed to let director Gotham Chopra follow him with a documentary camera to delve into the history of his band, Bon Jovi, he didn鈥檛 anticipate it would catch him at a major low point in his career.
The band was launching a tour, and despite doing all he could do to be vocally ready, the 鈥淟ivin鈥� on a Prayer鈥� singer struggled through songs and couldn鈥檛 hit the notes the way he used to.
Critics noticed and wrote about it. A review from Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota, said: 鈥淚t felt like he had forgotten how to sing.鈥�
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bon Jovi said the reaction at the time was 鈥渉eartbreaking.鈥� After exhausting holistic options, he saw a doctor who said one of his vocal cords was atrophying.
鈥淭his was unique. It wasn鈥檛 a nodule. The strong (vocal cord) was pushing the weak one around, and suddenly, my inabilities were just exacerbated,鈥� said Bon Jovi. He underwent major surgery and is still recovering.
鈥淓very day is sort of like doing curls with weights and just getting them both to be the same size and to function together.鈥�
This year has been a turning point. In February, he performed for an audience for the first time since his surgery at the MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala where he was also named Person of The Year. The band鈥檚 next album, 鈥淔orever鈥� hits stores June 7, and its first single 鈥淟egendary鈥� is out now. The four-part, 鈥淭hank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,鈥� debuts Friday on Hulu.
In a Q&A, Bon Jovi talks about his voice, his famous hair, the music industry and his work ethic.
Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: The work you put in behind-the-scenes is like a quarterback in between football games. Are you still rehearsing at that intensity, and how are you now?
BON JOVI: I鈥檓 doing great. The record was easy to do. The process has been steady. Would I like it to be a light switch? Yeah. I said to the doctor, 鈥業 want to flip the switch and be done with this.鈥� It鈥檚 just not how it works. Like an athlete coming back from an ACL tear or whatever, it just takes time. The therapy is still intensive and yet I鈥檓 confident that it gets progressively better.
AP: We learn in the docuseries that your father was a barber. You鈥檝e always been known for having good hair, especially in the 1980鈥檚. Does that come from your dad?
BON JOVI: Not in as much where he sat down and said, 鈥業鈥檝e got this idea.鈥� Really, I was a byproduct of what was the 80s. Those were my baby pictures. I love laughing at them. Now, I can jokingly at least say, 鈥楢fter 40 years of a career, I still have all my hair.鈥� That is a good thing. Genetics works in my favor.
AP: Do you ever think about acting again?
BON JOVI: I do, on occasion. My day job then comes back to get in the way. In truth, I鈥檝e got a big record coming out, and I鈥檓 hoping to go out on the road, so I don鈥檛 have time for it. And I respect the craft far too much to think I鈥檓 going to walk on a set and hit my marks and call that acting.
AP: Your work ethic stands out in 鈥淭hank You, Goodnight.鈥� We see in the early days you would sleep at the music studio. Where does that come from?
BON JOVI: If you鈥檙e not going to be great, the guy that鈥檚 coming in tomorrow night is going to be better. This isn鈥檛 a career that you should take lightly. There鈥檚 a million other young guys that are waiting to take your spot. And there are no guarantees in this business鈥ou have to win hearts in order to win people鈥檚 hard-earned dollar. If you鈥檙e asking them to stay with you for four decades, that鈥檚 a task. You better be one of the greats or else good luck.
AP: Richie Sambora is interviewed in the series. The fans love seeing him. Do you think you will ever perform together again?
BON JOVI: We never had a big falling out. He quit 10 years ago. It鈥檚 not that we鈥檙e not in contact or anything like that, but he was choosing to, as a single dad, raise his child. The door is always open if he wants to come up and sing a song. I mean, there鈥檚 many of them that we co-wrote together. That鈥檚 a great part of both of our lives. There鈥檚 no animosity here.
AP: A lot of musicians are selling their music catalog. Would you?
BON JOVI: For some, it makes sense because they need to. For some, it makes sense because they want to. I just find (Bon Jovi鈥檚 music) to be my baby, and I have no desire at this juncture in my life to ever even consider it.
AP: You鈥檙e one of New Jersey鈥檚 favorite sons like Bruce Springsteen. It鈥檚 a point of pride for New Jersey residents that you鈥檙e from there, but you moved to Florida?
BON JOVI: Part-time! My license is still New Jersey. I still vote in New Jersey.
AP: The music industry is such a singles market now. Did you ever consider just putting out some new songs and not an entire album?
BON JOVI: See, I鈥檓 the opposite. I can only put out an album. I do all I know how to do. I have to tell the complete story. It has to be the beginning, a middle and an end because that鈥檚 who and what we are.
AP: How do you describe the new album?
BON JOVI: What comes through is joy. My goal with this record was to capture joy which for these last few years has been difficult, whether it鈥檚 the dark cloud of COVID that the world experienced or my own personal journey. With this record, I think we captured joy.
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