SamboraBlog

On staying power and power ballads

For Jon Bon Jovi,after 20 years it'sstill all about fans

He's a middle-aged rocker from New Jersey who fills stadiums, sells records by the millions, and isn't Bruce Springsteen. No one can reasonably explain the enduring success of Jon Bon Jovi and his namesake pop-metal group -- least of all the man himself, who called last week between his shower and his shave in preparation for the first of three concerts at Giants Stadium. ``Clean socks and jeans. That's how Superman gets his powers," joked the well-coiffed frontman -- who performs at Gillette Stadium Thursday -- while gamely fielding questions about his guitarist's love life, the meaning of Grammy, and the best singalong of the rock era.

Q. You guys are hot. What's the secret to Bon Jovi's longevity, besides clean socks and jeans?
A. People like the songs. The things I write about relate to people's lives. Without that we would have been nothing more than the official pin ups of 1986.

Q. Bon Jovi has never won a Grammy Award. Is that a disappointment?
A. We're eight-time nominees, and no, it's not a disappointment. Christopher Cross won a Grammy. I know bands who've got dozens and they couldn't sell out a bar tonight. The only governing body that anyone should care about is the one that buys albums and tickets. I'm the Tom Cruise of the music business. He doesn't have an Oscar.

Q. In a time when big rock acts are charging many hundreds of dollars for concert tickets, Bon Jovi keeps prices down. (Tickets for the Gillette Stadium show are $49.50-$127.50. ) What's your thinking?
A. In New York, 21 percent of the people live below the poverty line. Think about that. You want these people to see the concert, to be able to bring a date. It's not cheap. But it's fair.

Q. Are you very involved in Bon Jovi's business affairs?
A. I've managed the band since 1992. I don't pay commissions. That's for rookies.

Q. Bon Jovi has a number one hit on country radio. ("Who Says You Can't Go Home," a duet with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, made history as the first song by a rock band to top the country charts . ) How the heck did that happen?
A. Long story short, I had an idea. I asked Keith Urban to do me a favor and sing it as a duet but we sounded too similar. So I went back to the record company and asked if they had any girls. Jennifer knocked them all out, so I took a shot. I think the times have changed at country radio. Urban and Tim [McGraw] and Faith [Hill] have all crossed over to pop, and it was just a matter of time before pop crossed over to country.

Q. One newspaper recently annointed ``Livin' On a Prayer" the best sing along of the rock era. Did you know way back when that that song was destined for karaoke greatness?
A. True story: I didn't even want the song to be on the record. But it seems to transcend genre and time. The question always is, can you do it again? Otherwise you're Gary Glitter. God forbid.

Q. You're definitely not Gary Glitter. On the contrary, you're married to your high school sweetheart and raising four kids. It's not very rock 'n' roll.
A. I don't know about that. A lot of my peers are in the same boat. Bono and Bruce.

Q. Is your wife a saint?
A. She's a tolerant lady.

Q. Richie Sambora has been through the media mill lately.
A. Richie, in the media?

Q. C'mon.
A. He's been through hell. Between the divorce [from Heather Locklear] and getting together with his new girlfriend [Denise Richards] and breaking his shoulder and [his father's illness], it's been an awful year. For my dear friend's sake, I hope that's all behind him.

Q. Will you make another solo album?
A. Never say never. But the band's got the next three years ready to go.

Q. Your hair still rocks.
A. At least I still have it at 44.

Bon Jovi and Nickelback perform at Gillette Stadium Thursday. The show starts at 5; tickets are $49.50-$127.50, available at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at