Jon Bon Jovi has vowed he will “never become a victim of the music business”.
The 62-year-old ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ singer – born John Francis Bongiovi Jr – has revealed he watched in horror as one of his musical heroes Elvis Presley was “misguided” by his manager before his death aged 42 in August 1977 from a heart attack after years of a high-fat diet and an addiction to prescription pills.
He told The Sun: “The late Sixties Elvis in black leather suit? He was the sexiest man alive.
“At the end of his life though, he was misguided by his manager. I would never become a victim of the music business.”
Jon’s focus on longevity means it’s apt his band’s 16th studio album is called ‘Forever’.
He said about the title and his group’s long-standing dedication: “I was just thinking that everybody has given so much for so long – 40 years.
“Who knows if we'll be around for 50, let alone be making records? This was a good milestone to mark.”
Jon also opened up about how he thinks he has been the constant force that has kept his band together amid the highs of fame.
He said: “Some of the guys could go on a bender or some kind of trip, then wake up in the morning and say, ‘OK, cool, let’s go.’
“(Drummer) Tico (Torres) was not a good drunk. He was angry and he had to work through it.
“But, with a snap of his fingers, he gave up and hasn’t had a drink in well over 30 years.”
Jon added about how he has dodged the pitfalls of rock hedonism: “I simply did not have the mental fortitude for taking drugs.”
He said his focus on keeping his band together also ruined the highs of fame.
Jon added: “(Success was) confusing and not as pleasurable for me as it was for the guys in the band.
“For me, it was a case of, ‘How do I do this tomorrow night and the next night?’
“That took its toll on me emotionally. If there’s one thing I wish I could tell my younger self, it is, ‘Enjoy it more.’”
