After 40 years, 130 million albums sold, thousands of filled stadiums and countless dodged lows, Bon Jovi is still standing. On Disney+, you can now see the four-part docuseries Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story. Gentlemen's Watch spoke to Jon Bon Jovi about his legend status, the secret recipe for staying mentally healthy and whether he will ever perform again.

Text: Jorrit Niels Image: Disney+/Hulu; Jaquet Droz

"I hope the docuseries helps people who are on their own journey," 62-year-old Jon Bon Jovi tells us via Zoom. "There are always ebbs and flows, ups-and-downs. I hope it inspires, because it's crazy to realise that we started in a pre-CD era, survived the streaming era and now even have another radio hit with Legendary."

The new album Forever is the first time in a long time that Bon Jovi wrote from joy. "Our previous record 2020 came out during COVID and shortly after the murder of George Floyd. The one before that was This House Is Not For Sale, the first record without our guitarist Richie Sambora. Two albums I'm immensely proud of, but the material was tough. Forever is more positive, joyful, I can't wait for you to hear it."

'Part of our continued success is that I'm not trying to be what I used to be'

That album will be released on 7 June. For now, the focus is still on Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story. Before becoming a world-famous rock star, Jon Bon Jovi was a kid in Sayreville, New Jersey, where he played in bands with his friends. That evolution, from playing in local clubs to frontman of the world-famous Bon Jovi, is shown in the new four-part docuseries on Disney+, a retrospective on the musician's life and career, with the painful extra, his voice problems.

Because when Jon Bon Jovi agreed to let director Gotham Chopra follow him to delve into his history, Jon did not expect that this would bring him to a major low point in his career.

The band was touring, and despite doing all he could to stay strong vocally, the lead singer of 'Livin' on a Prayer' struggled through the songs. He couldn't hit the notes like he used to. All sorts of therapies and remedies followed, but to no avail. It led to a major vocal cord surgery from which the singer is still recovering.

How did you find making the docu, intimidating or liberating?

"You know, I started thinking about the band's 40th anniversary four years ago. I dug through my archives and realised I had a huge hoarder am, because apparently I really do collect ál-les!"

Such as?

"I found bags full of unreleased songs, sometimes as many as 30 or 40. There are a few possible hits from the 80s and 90s that I thought: why have I never put these on records? I started going through everything to create a virtual audio & video museum. I wanted to immortalise that, look back on it. Then I approached Gotham Chopra (son of Deepak ed.) because I liked his series on American footballer Tom Brady so much. In it, you saw that Gotham understood what a team is all about and what a family is. We talked at length about that, but that was also the immediate end of our creative discussion."

You entrusted the rest to his craftsmanship?

"Exactly. I was busy with my voice problems and our new album Forever. In doing so, I also absolutely did not want it to be a puff piece became. You know them by now, those so-called tell-all documentaries, but influenced by the subject itself and a cleaned-up version of reality. I wanted to show EVERYTHING about us as a band and the run-up to it. Including discussions, setbacks, temptations as a budding rocker and other obstacles that life tests you with."

Was it nostalgic to see it again?

"Can't tell you. It was very emotional when we saw a rough edit, but I haven't seen the final four parts yet. And I actually don't necessarily need to. Maybe one day I'll see it on TV, maybe not. What I wanted has succeeded: a document about what we have achieved as a band, told in an honest and sometimes raw way, warts and all. All our personal truths are in this."

'If you don't tell the truth, the lies catch up with you'

How was watching that rough version?

"As part of my healing process, after my vocal cord surgery, we rehearse every month with the whole band. Six months ago we watched it, with all the guys in a room at my house. There weren't more emotional middle-aged men together in New Jersey at that time!" (grinning) "It was so moving to see what we went through together."

Looking back all the way to the beginning, you as a helper/cleaner/controller in the recording studio The Power Station... Where did you learn the most?

"Everything takes you to the next step. To here. One thing I have learnt over a 40-year career is that if you don't tell the truth, the lies always catch up with you. You won't remember who tricked you. It is always best to just tell the honest truth. Then you can remember what you said. I don't mind living that truth. Part of our continued success is that I am not trying to be what I used to be. This is not the 1980s. Even though I enjoyed everything this rock 'n roll star got in his path in the beginning, I'm not on a nostalgia tour here. There's a new album coming out that I'm very excited about. But I'm not going to dye my hair, and that kind of nonsense."

While watching the docu, you see how ambitious you were, even when you were already very successful. You wanted more, better and had a huge focus to move forward. Was that always there?

"I think so. It's that pure American attitude: commit and give your all and then it will come your way when you have the means to deliver. When I noticed that Runaway became a hit when we personally dropped this single by radio stations, I realised that many things are manufacturable."

Although that drive will be gone after 40 years, right?

"I still have the desire to make new music. I am immensely proud of our new record Forever. But ask me if I still have the desire to live out of a suitcase for 240 gigs...? No. But I still love nothing more than writing and making music. We got better at it through experience and that still gives me the most satisfaction. If you do it right, a song outlasts you and leaves you with something forever. Then also, when you hear that a song turned someone's life around or mattered; that goes beyond your wildest dreams. I still don't contain that."

'I scoured my archives and realised I am a huge hoarder'

But the leader who never loses sight of the next goal is still there.

(the familiar broad grin) "Which is sometimes quite a challenge I can tell you. But even though I've always had a strong vision, without the immoderate commitment of the band members and crew around it, it would never have succeeded. I said in the beginning: why do you say 'oh, that's a record by The Rolling Stones?' We also had to develop a sound where you would immediately say 'this is a Bon Jovi record'. If that's good, then for long-term success you don't need genius, you need perseverance."

And the business aspect, did that always come easily to you?

"In all my humility, I think we have always made the right decisions and given ourselves a comfortable life. More than I ever expected as a young boy, going to see Bruce Springsteen and being inspired by his work. Who would have ever thought that now I can say that I regularly get in the car with him on weekends and we just go for a tour. A coffee stop on the way and back again and just nattering the whole time, with no phones!"

But you also had to be tough sometimes. For example, when guitarist Richie Sambora left the band due to family circumstances...

"And quite suddenly. I learned to write songs and make songs. This is a band I put together, which he joined last. He definitely played an integral role for a long time, but then he left us very suddenly 10 years ago. There was a before, so there will be an after. With all due respect, and I mean this fondly: when he left the band, we were deeply saddened. And I still am if I'm honest. But there was never any doubt that we would continue."

Do you regret anything?

(laughing) "Hmm, the 80s! Those baby pictures, those garish clothes, that huge hair... All public property by now. But oh well... with all the success that came after that, I gladly take that for granted."

A great time, which turned into the 90s with Nirvana and the grunge movement... How did you deal with that?

"My reaction was to welcome them. A musical addition that was needed and kicked the big rock bands of the 80s with their giant haircuts. It was high time. The 90s were also a time of change for me. I cut my hair, turned 30, got married and had a child. I became a different man, more mature. I saw the world. From the Berlin Wall falling to the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. From there Keep the Faith, where we managed ourselves as a band. We had a vision as a band of what the 90s could be like if we developed ourselves. And it worked. We thrived."

The band and yourself are often described as legendary, iconic. Whether you are an actor or artist, do you ever fully realise the impact you have on people's lives?

"No and never will. Of course I hear stories from people and have met them over the decades. It's still special to hear when someone learned English through our albums, for example, or that they met the love of their life on the dance floor when one of our songs was on. Yet you never realise the real impact. How could you, because it's too intangible. I'm more like a fictional character in their lives."

Your recovery from vocal cord surgery can be seen in the docuseries. Have you set a deadline for yourself when it comes to performing?

"No, I thankfully have the luxury of not having a deadline. I would love to tell you that a miracle is imminent, or that after a certain time it is like a light switch flips because I have been a good boy... but alas. It has now been 22 months since the surgery took place. What you see in the docuseries has now been a year. I am now much further along my path to recovery. It's so slow, but the singing is much, much better. However, what I want is to perform for 2.5 hours, four days a week. As long as I can't do that, then I won't tour."

What does such a thing do to a singer?

"It was terrible. Your voice is your instrument. Can you imagine if one vocal cord was literally dying? The strong one then pushes the weak one, and I then sing out of tune. I am proud to be a singer. I have sung with Pavarotti. I know how to sing. Now it's like an athlete who has to relearn how to run. With a Gore-Tex implant to rebuild my vocal cords. I'm now well into the daily process towards recovery, but it was really frightening."

After all, was there any chance it would make things worse?

"That was the scary thing. I spent a long time looking for a realistic doctor, not one of those guys who promise you golden mountains and then ruin the operation."

In the docu, you say you never want to become the 'fat Elvis'.

"If I am not at or close to my full 102 per cent, I stop. Nothing is more embarrassing than tapping into old success and leaving the difficult notes to someone else. You probably know those bands. I personally find that an insult to everything you have achieved before that. I really have hopes that another live chapter is forthcoming. Like the Stones, who are still touring at 80+, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at 70+ and us with U2 as over-60s. If you feel you can, keep going. We've worked hard enough for that. I think we've weathered the last 40 years pretty well. I would now like to see an episode five of the docu was, because so much has happened since we finished. I am so much further along."

But you will never jeopardise your legendary legacy?

"Or the joy we always felt during concerts. I can no longer put myself through the mental torture of having a deficit that I didn't cause myself. Try to imagine the anxiety when you go on: why doesn't your instrument work? How do I compensate? But in February I sang at a non-profit and I that went really well. The next morning was the first time in a decade that I woke up without anxious or disapproving voices in my head. There was no doubt, there was no fear. There was progress."

Thank you, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story can now be seen on Disney+

CV

Name: John Francis Bongiovi Jr.

Date of birth: March 2, 1962 (62), Perth Amboy, New Jersey - USA

Residence: New Jersey, USA

Private situation: Married (four children)

Trivia: Released 15 albums with Bon Jovi and 2 solo albums - Acted for a few years not without merit in, among others. U-571, Sex and the City, Ally McBeal, Moonlight & Valentino, Pay it Forward - Part of the Songwriters Hall of Fame - With Bon Jovi part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Has more than 2,700 concerts to his name in 50 countries for 34 million people - Commits to poverty and homelessness with the JBJ Soul Foundation.

Album Forever is on 7 June 2024 appeared.

Watch

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