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Jon Bon Jovi: “There were certainly more talented guys”
“There were certainly more talented guys that you could find in every corner bar,” says Jon Bon Jovi to the German Press Agency in London. photo
© Jack Plunkett/Invision via AP/dpa
In the 80s, the US rock band Bon Jovi achieved their international breakthrough. According to frontman Jon Bon Jovi, it wasn’t so much due to musical talent.
“There were certainly more talented guys that you could find in every corner bar,” said the 62-year-old to the German Press Agency in London. “But we had the work ethic. I was totally focused on making it happen for 40 years, not once, but over and over again.”
New documentary series “Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story”
The new documentary series “Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” (from April 26th on Disney+) shows how the young Jon Bon Jovi made a name for himself in the New Jersey club scene at the beginning of his career and also made a name for it Area-born superstar Bruce Springsteen impressed.
“It certainly didn’t hurt where and when we were born,” said Bon Jovi, who comes from a working-class family. Thanks to Springsteen’s success, record companies were specifically looking for new artists in New Jersey. The third Bon Jovi album “Slippery When Wet” made the five musicians world stars, and the next hit album followed with “New Jersey”.
Keep the faith
“It showed we weren’t wrong,” said the singer. While many rock bands of the 1980s lost popularity or broke up in the 1990s, things went up for Bon Jovi with “Keep The Faith” in 1992, thanks in part to German fans. “Shortly before that, the Berlin Wall fell in Germany and this song meant a lot to many people in Germany and Europe. That was transferred back to America.”
Jon Bon Jovi is certain that the prerequisite for continued success is that you continue to have something to offer musically. “It really all depends on the songs. If you don’t have a song, then you’re nothing more than a pin-up and a poster in the middle of a magazine, if you’re lucky.” The key is to deliver good songs in every phase and with every album. That’s what the US rockers are planning to do in their anniversary year. The 15th Bon Jovi studio album “Forever” will be released on June 7th. The first single “Legendary” has already been released.