Bon Jovi remains optimistic after vocal surgery | Present

When Jon Bon Jovi agreed to let director Gotham Chopra follow him around with a camera to make a documentary about the history of his band, Bon Jovi, he didn’t anticipate that it would portray him at a low point in his career.

The band was on tour, and despite doing everything he could to be vocally ready, the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer struggled with the songs and couldn’t hit the notes the way he used to.

Critics noticed and wrote about it. A review from the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota, said, “He felt like he had forgotten how to sing.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bon Jovi said the reaction at the time was “heartbreaking.” After exhausting holistic options, he saw a doctor who told him that one of his vocal cords was atrophying.

“This was unique. It wasn’t a nodule. The strong (vocal) chord was pushing the weak one and suddenly my disabilities were exacerbated,” Bon Jovi said. He underwent major surgery and is still recovering.

“Every day is like doing push-ups with weights and getting them both the same size and working together.”

This year has been a turning point. In February, he performed for an audience for the first time since his surgery at the MusiCares Person of the Year benefit, where he was also named Person of the Year. The band’s upcoming album, “Forever,” hits stores June 7, and its first single “Legendary” is available now.

Chopra’s four-part series, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” premieres Friday on Hulu.

In a Q&A session, Bon Jovi talked about his voice, his famous hair, the music industry and his work ethic.

Interview with Bon Jovi

For its part, the AP news agency conducted an interview with the singer where he explained his process in music, among other topics. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: The work you do behind the scenes is like that of a quarterback between football games. Do you still rehearse at that intensity? How are you now?

BON JOVI: I’m doing very well. The album was easy to make. The process has been constant. Would I like it to be like a light switch? Yes. I told the doctor, ‘I want to flip the switch and get this over with.’ But that’s not how it works. Just like an athlete coming back from a torn ACL or whatever, he takes time. The therapy remains intensive and yet I am confident that he will progressively improve.

AP: In the docuseries we learn that your father was a barber. You’ve always been known for having good hair, especially in the 1980s. Does that come from your dad?

BON JOVI: Not so much that you sit down and say, ‘I have this idea.’ In reality, I was a byproduct of what the ’80s were like. Those were my baby photos. I love laughing at them. Now, at least I can jokingly say, ‘After 40 years of career, I still have all my hair.’ That is something good. Genetics works in my favor.

AP: Do you ever think about acting again?

BON JOVI: Yes, oftenly. My day job is getting in the way again. The truth is that I have a great album coming out, and I hope to go on tour, so I don’t have time for that. And I respect the craft too much to think that I’m going to walk onto a set and hit the nail on the head and call that acting.

AP: Your work ethic stands out on “Thank You, Goodnight.” We see that in the early days you slept in the recording studio. Where does it come from?

BON JOVI: If you’re not going to be great, the guy who’s coming tomorrow night is going to be better. This is not a career you should take lightly. There are a million young people waiting to take your place. And there are no guarantees in this business… You have to win hearts to earn people’s hard-earned money. If you ask them to stay with you for four decades, that’s a task. You better be one of the greats or else good luck.

AP: Richie Sambora is interviewed in the series. Fans love to see it. Do you think they would perform together again?

BON JOVI: We never had a big fight. He resigned 10 years ago. It’s not that we’re not in touch or anything, but he was choosing, as a single father, to raise his child. The door is always open if he wants to come up and sing a song. I mean, there’s a lot of them that we co-wrote together. That’s a big part of our lives. There is no animosity here.

AP: Many musicians are selling their music catalog. Would you do it?

BON JOVI: For some, it makes sense because they need it. For some, it makes sense because they want to. It just seems to me that (Bon Jovi’s music) is my baby, and I have no desire at this point in my life to even consider it.

AP: You are one of New Jersey’s favorite sons, like Bruce Springsteen. It’s a point of pride for New Jersey residents that you’re from there, but did you move to Florida?

BON JOVI: Part time! My driver’s license still says New Jersey. I still vote in New Jersey.

AP: The music industry is a singles market now. Did you ever consider releasing a few new songs and not a full album?

BON JOVI: Look, I’m the complete opposite. I can only release one album. I do everything I know how to do. I have to tell the full story. It has to be a beginning, a middle and an end because that is who we are and what we are.

AP: How would you describe the new album?

BON JOVI: What manifests is joy. My goal with this record was to capture joy, which over these past few years has been difficult, whether it’s the dark cloud of COVID the world experienced or my own personal journey. With this album, I think we captured the joy.