Jon Bon Jovi Reflects on His Career: ‘I Was Never Any of the Clichés of Rock Stardom’

The rocker looked back on his 40-year career at a screening of his band’s docuseries, ‘Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story’

Jon Bon Jovi in New York City in September 2023. Photo:  John Nacion/Getty

Jon Bon Jovi is reflecting on his 40-year career.

Speaking during a Q&A at a screening of his band’s docuseries, Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, in Santa Monica on April 10, Bon Jovi, 62, opened up about his career and shared how he has never been a stereotypical musician because he knew “I had to wake up the next day and do it again.”

“I was never any of the clichés of rock stardom because I was very cognizant of having to do it again tomorrow,” explained the singer. “But that’s the fragility of something as big as your thumbnail. And I never took any of this for granted, never.”

“Like I said, it’s my 18th album and we worked as hard or harder on this album as I did on Slippery When Wet, in fact, harder because we’re not as naïve as we were in 1986 when we just went, and guess what? We just wrote … Now you’re working even harder and smarter.”

“But I do think sometimes about the athlete who eventually has to come to terms with a next chapter in their life, and I won’t ever have to face that next chapter,” he continued.

Jon Bon Jovi performs in Los Angeles in February 2024.Amy Sussman/Getty

Bon Jovi then went on to muse about the pressure that comes with being the frontman of an iconic rock band and fulfilling fans’ expectations.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s difficult. The old adage with me in the heyday is, and the singer went home, that was the end of every story and the singer went home.”

“We all go on the social media and we see pictures from our pasts or we see our heroes in our past, and then you want to touch that moment again. But that’s history,” he continued.

“Then you just have to be the best version of you now. And it’s impossible to go back to 1995 and be that kid again. I challenge him, but I can’t pretend to be that. You can’t do that. And I think the question is do we because of social media, get caught up in that we need to be younger, faster, sleeker, or are we going to be cool with being comfortable with who we are now? Just the best version of us now.”

David Bryan, Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres and Alec John Such in August 1987.Birmingham Post and Mail Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty

The rock act— which is fronted by Bon Jovi and also features keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X and bassist Hugh McDonald — announced their 16th studio album Forever last month. The record is due to be released on June 7 via Island Records.

Slippery When Wet, which went 12-times platinum, remains the group’s most successful album.

The band’s four-part docuseries, which features interviews with current and past band members like Bon Jovi, David Bryan and Richie Sambora, will be released on Hulu on Friday, April 26.

Elsewhere during the Q&A, the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer also offered an update on his health after undergoing vocal surgery in 2022.

“What you saw on film was shot last March in that scene when I couldn’t sing well, or two years ago when I was on the road,” Bon Jovi said. “I’m well into the recovery. I’m more than capable of singing. It’s just that for me, the bar is two and a half hours a night, four nights a week, before I say we’re going to go and do any shows.”

“So I’m well back on the road to recovery, not a day of its easy. Every day is a struggle, but I’m more than capable of doing it again,” he added.