27 February 2013
Newsdesk
Jon Bon Jovi reveals that his latest album is a testament to the times.
The 50-year-old rocker is preparing for the release of his twelfth studio record What About Now, which will hit shelves March 12.
Jon wrote songs with the plight of common people in mind.
“[It has] a strong social overview,” he explained to USA Today.
"We were heading into the end of [President Barack] Obama's first term, and America was in recovery but still teetering. Europe was teetering, too; austerity plans were or weren't going to take effect. So it's sort of a snapshot of that period, though I hope it will also be timeless."
Jon opened a non-profit restaurant named Soul Kitchen as part of his charitable foundation in 2011.
The community eatery doesn’t advertise prices on its menus and instead asks guests to either hand over money or volunteer work to pay for their meal.
Jon is proud of his philanthropic endeavours.
"There are those who advocate, and those who do," he said.
"I'm not trying to slight my peers, but there is a difference between using a soapbox and actually getting your hands dirty. I've spent not only years and millions of dollars but hours and hours and hours of my time doing what I do, and that's very different from what anyone else is doing.
"I had to stop washing the dishes after a while — not because I didn't really, truly get joy from standing in the back participating, but because we realised that I was taking a job away from a person who could find dignity in that, who needed that sense of empowerment."
