Happy Birthday, Jon!

From yet another of your 100,000,000 fans...HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY JON!

You will likely never see this message, but I know I reflect the sentiment of many when I say I truly hope your day is as special as you are.

That you are surrounded by family and friends, and all who love you.

That you can revel in the fact, even for one moment, that you are in the minds and hearts of millions today, who are sending you the same wishes and thoughts from all around the world.

That this milestone does not make you feel old, just older.

And most importantly, that you have many, many more.

Best of birthday wishes to my favorite rock star of all time. Enjoy it!!
xx

From the man (Jon) himself...

JBJ did a little blogging for us here - thanks for the shout out, Jon! And so happy to see that a new record is coming together...happy, yet laughing at you because I TOLD YOU you were a liar. :) (Psst...you are fully allowed to lie about things like this!)

As posted on Facebook:

Greetings to all. Happy 2012! I hope everyone had a fine holiday and that you're all ready for what we hope will be an exciting 2012. Since we spoke last I've been informed that over 15 million Bon Jovi followers are out there monitoring our activities. Thanks. Considering we're not actively touring and don't have a record out that is amazing. The Circle Tour was beyond our wildest dreams. 4 million of you saw the tour and made us the biggest tour on the planet in 2010 and #2 in 2011... it's only fair we let some of the other bands have some of your attention in 2012 but don't worry, we are writing up a storm and have a really good record coming together. Richie and the guys are all happy and healthy. At least that's what they tell me... Thanks for the posts regarding my blogged demise. As I write this I am very much alive but I died online December 19th, 2011 and it was a wild 60 minutes. Fortunately my family was all together when the calls came in and we quickly dispelled the rumors. Besides all the well wishes 'dying' is soooo overrated. We all have so much to live for so make the best of each day. In 2012, I look forward to the Soul Kitchen helping those who in these difficult financial times need help from their neighbors. Remember, a helping hand up is not a hand out. Empowering your neighbor is not entitling them. You'd be surprised how many people today are either in need or on the verge of economic assistance. WE have the power to make a difference. Find something or someone that moves you... you can make a difference and I promise it will make you and that neighbor in need feel something magical. Don't fall into the negative. Don't assume the press or those in the media know better or know more. Follow YOU. Partisanship, is just ignorance in disguise. Ok, enough of my thoughts. It's time to go to work. I'll fill you in on any one off shows like Bamboozle in Asbury Park as the dates come together. Until then root for your favorite team, who ever that may be and look out for your favorite band, we know who that should be. See you round... JBJ

Tropical holiday

The Bongiovi family spent Christmas in St. Bart's as usual aboard a yacht, tanning on the beach, or snorkeling in the blue waters. Not my idea of Christmas, but definitely a damn fine holiday...especially considering the view of a certain rockstar. ;)

Enjoy.

Rumors of Jon's death have been greatly exaggerated.

What a weird evening. I come home to Facebook statuses saying "I HOPE Jon Bon Jovi isn't dead!" and 'Can it be true?!" and "Come on, people, stop spreading lies - Jon's livin' on a prayer!"

Confused as heck, I did the only rational thing to do in this day and age.

I Googled it.

Turns out some moron thought it would be funny to spread the rumor that JBJ was found in a coma in a Jersey hotel, taken to the hospital, and later died of cardiac arrest.

Shortly afterward, a photo appeared of the new angelic Jon in front of a Christmas tree with a handwritten sign:



He still looks damn good for a guy who died of cardiac arrest.

Advil: Something for the Pain

Jon's new Advil commercial has debuted - check it out!


Watch here

JBJ interview about NYE movie

Vogue thinks JBJ is a bad dresser

But then again, they think 99% of the planet dresses poorly. Keeping up with the fashion times is next to impossible, with it changing every 6 months.

They've taken an extraordinary amount of time to highlight his "poor" dress choices and compare it to a style they think he should wear - complete with photos, and an endearing message.

Source



From Vogue.com:

There’s one thing we don’t understand about the world of rockstars. They rise to fame because they are able to embody – like nobody else – the spirit of an era. They have it in them (in their movements, in their voice, in the way they wink) and they even act on it: they write lyrics, music that comes to life precisely because they shape in front of our eyes what we feel in every moment, our frustrations just like our uncertainties. Their fame, in other words, comes from their inborn capability of representing the present. And this is precisely true especially about fashion, which they wear like nobody else, defining it as only they know how, a metaphor of the moment.

Then something happens and the cd skips. Like in Sorrentino’s latest movie, This must be the Place, the rockstar continues to drag on his usual part, detached from the world that evolves and imprisoned in a role that he has created all by him self. We’re bordering a Pirandello-esque humor.

Even without arriving to the extremes portrayed by Sean Penn, Jon Bon Jovi is quite near this group. He still remains a worldwide important star (he continues to go on in impressive tours and catching the attention of millions of people thanks to appearances at events and TV series). His humanitarian commitment is more than praiseworthy (we’re referring especially to his association, the Soul Foundation). Yet we can’t really call him any longer an icon of the present.

As proof of it, it’s enough to look at his clothing, which is still built around leather jackets, boots and “comfort” jeans, as trendy in the early Nineties. The look was fashionable twenty years ago, when we were actually exited about flared leather pants, to the point even Armani showed them on the catwalks. Unluckily, though, our passion has long burnt out and has no longer nothing new to say. Plus, on Bon Jovi it even has a comic effect. It seems as if he’s trying to convince himself he is after all a star. Or, perhaps, it’s a marketing strategy for the upcoming movie New Year’s Eve, where he plays the part of a rockstar in a love story with Katherine Heigl (who should also take a step forward and shape up or she will end up the rest of her life in the stereotype of the romantic frustrated woman of the beginning of the century).

A reason for which we feel obligated to offer some corrections. If you really want to continue wearing a leather jacket let it be in chamois or with zippers and intriguing openings. If you really want to combine black with blue, the latter should be a smoky midnight blue. If you are wearing an elegant jacket, let it be in velvet and tapered as a glove. Pay attention to the fit and forget about hair dye, which doesn’t suit you. Even Zac Efron has given up that self-confident fringe. So choose a short haircut.

If you want to stay a rockstar, you must embrace change, Mr. Jon Bon Jovi.

Ironic last remark, Vogue, considering Bon Jovi has been around for 30 years - and the only way that could have been accomplished was by embracing change. Their music has morphed with the times, and that's the most important part. Or so most of us think.

Jon image from New Year's Eve

In case you haven't seen it. ;)

Vote JBJ as Hottest Man of 2011

Droolers of "HRH" unite. The UK site, SoFeminine, is holding a contest for the 100 hottest men of 2011 -- and one celebrity winner, chosen by the fans, will be crowned king.

JBJ is up for the running (who's surprised?), and currently has an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars.

You can vote only once per day, so get to it!

JBJ doing an ad for Advil

Apparently Jon is filming an ad for Advil (which I assume is only in the States).

*For international readers: Advil is an anti-inflammatory pain medication.

From redbankgreen.com

A production crew swarmed the Jon Bon Jovi-supported Soul Kitchen on Monmouth Street in Red Bank Monday morning as the pop star prepared to shoot a commercial for pain-reliever Advil that will tout the not-yet-officially-open pay-what-you-can restaurant.

So what will this commercial entail? And what does it have to do with the Soul Kitchen?

NFL Kickoff with JBJ

Set your DVRs! From rbr.com:

To celebrate the kickoff of the 2011 NFL season, NFL Network and NBC Sports will present a one-hour NFL Kickoff 2011: Back to Football special Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 PM ET on NBC.

Features Jon Bon Jovi performing 'America the Beautiful' from NYC firehouse & kickoff highlights of Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum & Maroon 5. NFL Network & NBC Sports talent preview Week 1.

To celebrate the kickoff of the 2011 NFL season, NFL Network and NBC Sports will present a one-hour NFL Kickoff 2011: Back to Football special Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 PM ET on NBC.

The show, a joint NFL Network/NBC Sports production, will feature football, music and a tribute to 9/11 first responders.

JBJ & Friends Benefit - NYC

From Polyprep.org:

Jon Bon Jovi & Friends Benefit Concert
Join us for Jon Bon Jovi & Friends in concert
to launch Poly Prep's new initiative
for Learning Support & Enrichment.

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Time: Pre-Concert VIP Reception & Dinner
General Admission: 6:30 PM

Location: Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway, NYC

Ticket Levels

Tier #1 - Banquette Seating In Orchestra: $50,000 Per Table
16 Plus Tickets Included Per Table
5:30 PM Early Arrival
Floor Access Closest To Stage
Hors d'Oeuvres
Top-Shelf Open Bar, Including Beer and Wine
Buffet Dinner From 6:00 PM-7:30 PM, Including Dessert Buffet
Full-Page Digital Journal Acknowledgement
Listing As "Lead Guitar Sponsor"
Concert From 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
Tax-Deductible Amount: $44,000

(SOLD OUT!) Tier #2 - Promenade Table Seating: $1,000 Per Seat (SOLD OUT!)
6:00 PM Arrival
Floor Access 2nd Closest To Stage
Top-Shelf Open Bar, Including Beer and Wine
Buffet Dinner From 6:00 PM-7:30 PM, Including Dessert Buffet
Quarter-Page Digital Journal Acknowledgement
Listing As "Rock'n Roller Sponsor"
Concert From 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
Tax-Deductible Amount: $675

Tier #3 - 1st Balcony Stadium Seating: $500 Per Seat
6:30 PM Arrival
Closest Stadium Seating To Stage
Pre-Concert Beer and Wine Open Bar
Listing As "Member-of-the-Band Sponsor"
Concert From 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
Tax-Deductible Amount: $375

Tier #4 - 2nd Balcony Stadium Seating: $300 Per Seat
6:30 PM Arrival
Pre-Concert Beer and Wine Open Bar
Listing As "Major Fan Sponsor"
Concert From 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
Tax-Deductible Amount: $225
The entire family is welcome to attend.

If you have any questions about our benefit concert, please contact Maureen Sapega, Director of Parent Relations & Special Events, by email or by phone at (718) 836-9800, ext. 3080.

Register at the website.

Jon in Croatia

Thanks, Hath, for these pictures!

Jon's looking nice and tan -- and how the hell does he know how to operate THAT camera?! LOL that was my first thought seeing these!

JBJ on "Nightline"

WOw, I totally forgot about this. *duh*

Thank you to Debee1015 for uploading this, and Queenie for reposting it so I saw it! LOL

JBJ ABC Interview Nightline

Interesting article. Sounds like this will air on Monday, August 1 on Nightline - at 11:35 pm EST. (8:35pm PST)

From abcnews.go.com:

The first topic that arises in an interview with Jon Bon Jovi -- if the interviewer is female -- is, of course, the hair. The music must wait.

The story of the singer's iconically feathery mane leads back to Bon Jovi's father, a marine turned hairstylist. "He created it," Bon Jovi said in an interview with ABC News' Lara Spencer.

Bon Jovi, 49, went on to make an important distinction: "[My hair] was very famous, but you know what? Bono had a mullet. I never had a mullet. Mel Gibson had a mullet. … I was Cousin It. I just had a big ball of hair. … Fortunately I still have it. … There's no weave in there, baby."

The rock superstar was being escorted by five police motorcycles from Newark, N.J., to New York City. He had been in Newark fulfilling his role as the only celebrity on President Obama's White House Council for Community Solutions, something he prides himself on almost as much as his roots in the Garden State.

"New Jersey shaped who and what I am. Growing up in Jersey gave you all the advantages of New York, but you were in its shadow. Anyone who's come from here will tell you that same story. … It dates back to Sinatra. Anybody -- Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello -- they all had to fight for what they did, and this is where they came from," Bon Jovi said.

Bon Jovi, the band, is beginning the European leg of its "Circle" tour following 16 months of concerts throughout the United States. After three decades, they are still thrilling fans and selling out arenas with their 1980s' anthems like "You Give Love a Bad Name."

The tour was the top-grossing tour of 2010, bringing in more than $200 million and easily outselling some of the biggest current names in music. It has been more successful than the tours of Kanye West, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber put together.

"Yeah, that's not even the same league," Bon Jovi said.

He explained longevity in the music business via an analogy: "Everyone else is here for what we call a cup of coffee. … When you become Billy Joel and Elton John, or U2" -- or Bon Jovi -- "then you sit around and you're enjoying dessert."

Bon Jovi said he has always been this confident. Now it's backed up by numbers. When he was starting out and hoping for his first break, it was backed up by sheer determination -- and a catchy rock song.

"I went to a radio station on Long Island in 1982, and thank goodness for me, it was so new that there was no receptionist. So the DJ opened up his booth, and took my tape and listened to it and thought it was a hit song," he said.

He had sent the tape -- containing the song "Runaway" -- to record companies for nearly a year, with no response. "This guy was on the air at a new station, and he loved music. So he answered the door when a kid knocked on it."

The band has stuck together through each other's good times -- like keyboardist David Bryan winning a Tony in 2010 for the musical "Memphis" -- and stumbles. The day of the interview, Bon Jovi was going to see guitarist Richie Sambora, who had just been released from rehab.

Bon Jovi likened the relationship to brotherhood. "It's a very close relationship when you're in a band for that many years. … You've experienced things together that you didn't experience with your own siblings or your spouse. You've lived in a cocoon that only the other members of that organization have lived in," he said.

Still, brothers can fight and go years without speaking. Further explaining the band's success, Bon Jovi switched his analogy to football. "Everybody has the same dream. Everybody believed. Everybody still followed the quarterback, and, you know, knew what integral role they were playing within the team."

Bon Jovi's personal life has had the successful longevity his music has. He's been married for 22 years to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea. They have four kids, including a daughter who is off to college in the fall. She's just about the same age her dad was when he started singing hits like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive," which still get standing ovations today.

With his 50th birthday a few months away, Bon Jovi has been expanding his efforts beyond the rock star lifestyle. The White House council is one example. His Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has helped build hundreds of houses for poor families, and he frequently performs at charity events for organizations such as the New York Police Department.

After 30 years in and out of hotel rooms, Bon Jovi has learned to streamline. This applies to his famous hair, now much shorter, as well as his clothing.

"I carry one bag -- [fewer] than everyone else in the band ever did. … I'm a guy. Guys will take one pair of jeans, five T-shirts and three pair of socks and that'll get you by for 10 weeks. When I'm on stage, I hope they're washing these jeans once a week, because that's about it!"

JBJ on "In the Studio"

Thanks for posting this on Facebook, Johnna!

JBJ did a short interview on politics with In the Studio - from inthestudio.net:

REDBEARD: Jon, in a September 1989 interview, you told me that your politics and religion have to be kept private. When did you change your mind in that regard, and more importantly, why?

JON BON JOVI: I really see myself as a concerned citizen (now), and a father of four and a husband, and certainly an ambassador of pop culture in this world. As I traveled near and far to Africa, Asia, Europe, I’ve seen just from afar that people love America. They really love the culture. They love the music we have given them. They love the idea of the dreams that we have given them. And I’m sad to say that, in places where I went fifteen years ago and was greeted as that ambassador of culture, I would have second thoughts about going to(now) . Not necessarily for fear of my own safety but perhaps for somebody on a road crew. And it’s a shame, because I love this country immensely. And I don’t get involved in politics as much as I do in philanthropy, because I’m a firm believer that 50% of the people are against you just because they believe you vote with a certain political party. I don’t want to be the man at the party, I want to be the guy who makes a difference, that believes in the ideals of what this country was founded on. The more I read of Thomas Jefferson andAbraham Lincoln and George Washington, and especially John Adams who was not as well known to me until recent years, that I realized that this is a magical place, a mystical place that is worth defending. Not the way it was represented by George W.Bush and Dick Cheney. And if that’s going to cause me some pain, as it has, then so be it. I’m just reporting in as a concerned citizen.


RB: Are you saying that declaring your political beliefs threatens your career?

JBJ: Nothing like the Dixie Chicks not getting played on the radio. Even though I may not have agreed with the Bush administration, & didn’t vote for them, I never slagged the man in office simply out of respect for the office of the Presidency of the United States. And for that reason alone, we as Americans have to forget about “red”(Republican) and “blue”(Democrat) and we all honest to God have to become “purple” and try to have compromises so that we as a nation can continue on and go forward, not only for us but for our kids. Regardless of my beliefs, I don’t sit on my stage at night and talk politics. You come to see me perform. I don’t use my platform as a place to talk politics. And yet there have been times, places, and people who have chastised people in my line of work for speaking out. I am one that believes that dissent is in fact patriotic, and we should question our leaders. Because if you don’t, you’re nothing more than a sycophant. Just because a person’s in office doesn’t mean he knows all the answers. This is still a democracy.

JBJ & Dot cruise with Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones

What a celebrity sighting for these lucky paparazzi. And what a yacht-full...wish *I* was there with them!

JonBon and Dot were seen in St. Tropez, France with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones today:

Good luck to JBJ

Wishing best of luck to Jon this morning in his knee surgery - which is taking place in Ireland, if you all haven't read this article yet.

It's about 8 am in Great Britain now (ironically, I AM up at their time today!), so he should be heading in soon. Here's hoping everything goes well, and wishing you a speedy recovery, Jon!

Take care of yourself, and rest up before you hit Istanbul. The fandom is thinking of you! x

Jon talks surgery, tour, and Tom Cruise

I don't think that has even shown on the west coast yet...? And if it has, I'm not surprised. Every night when I get home from class, I find I've missed something. LOL.

Anyway, for those (like me) who are behind - enjoy.




From ExtraTV:

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi sat down in London with "Extra" special correspondent Laura Whitmore to talk about the band's mega world tour, Richie's return to the stage, his upcoming knee surgery, and Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages."

Bon Jovi has been traveling the world on the band's "Circle" tour since February 2010 -- one of the top-grossing tours, banking $150 million (grossing more than tours by Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry combined) and playing to over 3.6 million fans! Being at the top was definitely Jon's goal when the band started playing gigs in the early '80s. Jon explains, "Make no bones about it. When I was a kid I wanted to be a Rolling Stone. That's the level you get to live in three decades later and you deserve to have those things said about you."

Life on the road has not been without the bands ups and downs. Guitarist Richie Sambora left the tour in late April 2011 to enter a rehab treatment facility, but the band continued with their scheduled dates throughout North American and Europe. Sambora returned in early June and Jon told Whitmore that he's thrilled to have Richie back. "It's always good to have Richie at my side. He's doing great. There's dark clouds in everybody's worlds and he came through them. He's doing well. He's happy, he's healthy and he's focused."

The band has been rocking for over 27 years, and is truly dedicated to their live performance. After crossing the globe and reaching 15 nations, the band has yet to cancel a show on this tour -- and an injury to the front man definitely will not hold them back! Jon suffered a painful knee injury on June 17th while performing in Helsinki Olympic Stadium. "It was raining we were outside. It was nothing that abrupt... it just sort of gave out and tore." Jon tells to Whitmore he'll be undergoing surgery later this week in Dublin, adding, "Fortunately, we have a week off. So the doctor claims I'll be alright for Istanbul 8 days later." Although he'll go on with the show, he's not worried about his knee, joking, "I can't dance anyway, so it's not gonna hurt anybody.'


Tom Cruise and Bon Jovi Are Pals

Another performance Jon is anticipating is Tom Cruise in the movie adaptation of "Rock of Ages." Tom turned to Jon for advice. "He and I actually went out and he was very intense about 'how do you do this?' I said, 'Relax man, you're Tom Cruise, you can learn how to sing a song, don't worry about it!'" He added, "Knowing Tom Cruise from a far, everything that he does, he does to 11... a little rockstar analogy with a wink."

But will the movie star be able to transform to a rock star? Jon definitely thinks Cruise has what it takes. "I'm pleased, I'm curious. But I'm confident that it will be on the "Extra" clip -- Tom Cruise singing 'Wanted Dead or Alive' will be in the trailer -- I'm pretty confident in that." Jon is definitely not worried that Cruise will try to emulate his stage performance or characteristics. "I don't think that he's gonna be worried about duplicating my things -- it'll be an amalgam of stuff. In the meantime, I think it's pretty neat."

Will he go and see the movie? "I don't know about that. I lived it, I don't need to see the movie. I was there the first time."

JBJ & RS 'stronger than ever'

From hairbandrock.com:

Richie Sambora's partnership with Jon Bon Jovi is apparently stronger than ever, especially after Sambora sought treatment in rehab earlier this year.

Bon Jovi recently told Seven Days, a UK magazine, that "it was great for Richie to go and take care of himself knowing full well he was not being fired or punished. He needed and wanted to seek help. Now he's focused, re-energized and everything is great. Our partnership is as strong as ever."

After Sambora checked into rehab in Los Angeles in April, the band issued a statement supporting his efforts to battle the bottle. The band's statement also revealed that they would continue to tour with a fill-in guitarist, which caused some diehards to wonder if Sambora's footing in the band was unstable. However, Sambora left rehab after a month of treatment and rejoined the Bon Jovi tour overseas.

Bon Jovi would not go as far as to intimately address the nature of the progress Sambora has made. "How can I comment on that without knowing the disease? I think he's very cognizant of the situation and loves his mother, daughter and band more than anything in the world," Bon Jovi said. "I'm very proud of his efforts. He's still my dearest friend."

Sounds like the Bon Jovi-Sambora partnership still has many miles left on the odometer