Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi is officially ready to reclaim the stage. As part of the band's highly anticipated Forever tour, Bon Jovi will kick off a nine-night residency at New York's Madison Square Garden starting July 7, before heading across the Atlantic to play three spectacular nights at Wembley Stadium on September 4th, 6th, and 9th. The shows mark the frontman’s first live dates since undergoing vocal-cord surgery four years ago.
In a revealing new interview with People.com, the singer opened up about the emotional and physical hurdles of his recovery. When a doctor explained that one of his vocal cords was atrophying, the singer found it deeply confusing. "I never did anything to hurt the cords; I didn't have any excesses," he told People.com. "I'm a trained vocalist. I've practiced the craft."
Despite the setback, his determination never wavered. "I'm fully recovered," he proudly declared. "It was longer than I'd ever expected, but it had to be right. We never lost faith." He credits his bandmates for their unwavering loyalty during the long hiatus. "They never doubted me and never looked for work or decided to retire," he shared. "The sacrifices that each one of them have made to be there for me is on a whole 'nother level. They said, 'No, we're with you.' Every day of every rehearsal they were there with me. My love for them has only deepened."
For the New Jersey native—who credits his roots for his work ethic, noting that "Jersey gave us perspiration... a reason to sweat and to aspire"—this return to live performance is deeply profound. "It's not about perfection. It's about excellence," he explained. "It's like this whole spiritual communion between the band and me and the audience."
Ultimately, the health scare shifted his entire outlook on life. "I used to always have my nose to the grindstone... never living in the today," he admitted. "This forced me to not only live in the today but be appreciative for every today that's still here... This is as real as it gets. That's joy."
