David Bryan: ‘Jon Bon Jovi Wasn’t Singing Great And It Wasn’t His Fault’

David Bryan talked about Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal issues in a recent chat with Don Jamieson and Keith Roth’s ‘Rockstrap’ podcast. Roth asked the keyboardist if Bon Jovi would hit the road again, saying it was an unanswered question in their new documentary. He replied:

“Well, I mean, it’s in the documentary. Everybody learned. You know, Jon’s vocal issues. We had gone out for a little bit, and right after the pandemic, and it was tough. He wasn’t singing great, and it wasn’t his fault, and he went to the doctor, and he figured it out he needed the surgery.”

His words went on:

“So, he got the surgery almost two years ago, and that’s what it shows in the documentary. So, he has a reason why that he wasn’t singing so great. So, they show that and then the progress that he did from that point. Like, it maybe took a year.”

There’s Hope For New Live Performances

Jon’s 2022 surgery aimed to fix a shrunken cord that was dominated by a stronger one and causing problems with his singing. The vocalist needed a long recovery period after the operation but still recorded the band’s latest album, ‘Forever.’ Bryan recalled:

“Then, we started doing band practice, maybe like two days a month, and his progress was, you know, it was rough at the beginning, and he was great and then work itself all the way. So great that we went and recorded the record. So, he could walk in and sing a song great for a couple of hours. But [getting] ready for a two and a half hour tours [is] a different world.”

He was positive about a Bon Jovi tour in the upcoming years:

“So, we’ve been rehearsing. We just rehearsed this last week, and we did three hours a day, singing his ass off. So, you know, he’s mentally there. He’s physically there to sing and working on stamina. And, well, I think next year, the next couple of years we’ll be touring, and he’ll be back. Because he wants to show the world, the Jersey way, ‘Suck it!’”

The Vocalist May Retire

Jon Bon Jovi himself showed eagerness to hit the road with his band and perform live. But the singer also noted that he still needed time to recover. His June interview with The Guardian read:

“It’s a work in progress. There’s no miracle. I just wish there was a f**king light switch. I’m more than capable of singing again. The bar is now: can I do two and a half hours a night, four nights a week? The answer is no.”

He previously shared about his future with Bon Jovi (per the Sunday Times):

“This is the first time I’m saying this. If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I once was… then I’m done. And I’m good with that.”

The band’s last album, ‘Forever,’ came out in June 2024. The documentary, ‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,’ a few months ahead of its release to make up for lack of live shows.