Celebrating four decades of hits with the release of his band’s new album ‘Forever’, Jon Bon Jovi reflects on how his priorities in life have changed over the years.
The group debuted in 1984 with their self-titled album and went on to achieve huge global success two years later with their third studio record ‘Slippery When Wet’, featuring hits such as Livin’ On A Prayer and You Give Love A Bad Name.
On their new song We Made It Look Easy, the band reflect on their journey so far as ‘a hell of a ride’ and share the poignant sentiment: ‘Sometimes the things you want ain’t what you need‘
Speaking at an album playback in London, Jon addressed the line, saying: “One thing that you realise with time and age is that what really matters is not what you used to think mattered.
“You know: the car, the house, the dollar sign, the fame… it doesn’t mean anything! Of course, you’ve got to be able to pay the bills, but what really fucking matters is your health and the people that love you. That matters more to me now.”
It comes after a decade of health issues and vocal problems that began for the singer in 2015. He first noticed he was singing out of tune but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Finally, a doctor diagnosed an atrophying of one of his vocal cords and the singer underwent major surgery to have a permanent implant affixed to the damaged cord.
But the outcome wasn’t a sure bet and Jon committed to a rigorous daily schedule of vocal exercises, which made him reevaluate his priorities. “Health scares are the great equaliser, right? I think if any of us could ask the good Lord for one thing in the world, it would be health,” he added.
“My health had been taken away from me for no good reason and I had to come to terms with that. There was a lot of reflecting during this period and although I’m not through it yet, I feel like I’m on the way, so I had to take good hard look and say, ‘Wow – if it’s over, how do I feel about it?’”
In a review of the album, RETROPOP praised ‘Forever’ as “a standout record that’s fresh, slick and quintessentially Bon Jovi”.
