Time to wrap up
Karl Watson asks:
My favourite album of yours is These Days, and its the favourite of a lot of my friends who are fans too. It came out at a time when you guys were on top of the world, selling out stadiums, touring for Cross Roads your greatest hits, yet its a very dark record. Can you tell me what your memories are of making that record and what was the general inspiration during that songwriting period?
Guardian contributor In truth we were in a very good place emotionally, and although it's perceived to be a darker record, we were anything but dark. That record is perceived to have been much more successful in Europe than in the US, but we're proud of every record we put out, especially at the time we put them out.
Lori Clapp Powell asks:
The economic divide in the US only seems to be widening. Have you ever thought of using the JBJ Soul Foundation as a way to create jobs and encourage other entertainers, artists, etc to use their resources for helping the poor and homeless?
Guardian contributor I don't think it's the responsibility of any entertainer to use their celebrity for philanthropy. I have chosen this path for all these years, but never because I was a celebrity. I was drawn to it. Our Soul Kitchen does in fact have a job training programme, also an empowerment team who help our communities with regard to job applications, legal and medical advice, and of course food and security. There are political obstacles that lead to bureaucracy getting in the way as something as simple as feeding people. No one wants to be hungry, no one is looking for a handout. But sometimes people need a hand up.
Pagey asks:
How did you come up with the lyric: “...as I dream about movies they won’t make of me when I’m dead.” It’s absolute genius – but deeply poignant.
Guardian contributor I had seen the movie The Doors, with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison. That movie was great, and I left the movie really invigorated - we kicked up hell that night, driving the wrong way down one way streets... I woke up the next day thinking about the impact of it, and that line came from it.
Amy Greenwald asks:
Please come to Maine to play for a night or two? With the release of this new album and of course the forthcoming tour, do you and the rest of the band feel like there is a missing element? (Richie Sambora not joining you.) Do you think that the music and tour vibe will be different? Will Richie be back or is he gone for good?
Guardian contributor Well, we've had to perform 100 shows since Richie left. We were as surprised as the fans were. Of course he's missed, but I fully support his choosing to follow his own path. In the meantime, Phil has done a superb job, and there's a great energy on the stage every night.
Tobias Weigel asks:
I was at your concert in Munich in 2013 and there seemed to be a very special connection between you and the audience there. The atmosphere was incredible. Do you have any idea where this connection comes from?
Guardian contributor The connection comes through the songs. One thing I've come to know is that when we wrote a song we write them for us; the day we release them, they become yours. Many people have taken these stories and made them their own, and the characters they're about become them. They're not just the band's song - they become the audience's songs. That connection has been maintained for 30 years.
Tiyana Puric asks:
If you could travel back to the past, would you change anything?
Guardian contributor If I could meet the 18 year old me today, the only advice I would give him would be to stop before the key change on Livin On A Prayer. Stop! You didn't need the key change! This 54-year-old goes "fuck!" every night.
JBJ Soul Kitchen
Karen Jovi Turner says:
Firstly, thank you so much for the Runaway Trip in London – I have had the best time with so many memories and new friends! To quote one of your new songs: “We were introduced as strangers but we will leave as friends.”
My question is: Do you have any plans to expand the Soul Kitchen out of the US? Also, what made you decide to team up with Hart & Dagger to create the new clothing line? Thank you again for all that you have done and continue to do. Keep rocking and keep the faith.
Guardian contributor Thank you! We have two Soul Kitchens, and our foundation just celebrated its tenth anniversary. We do plan on continuing to open others as the need is in fact great. We currently launched a fundraiser to support building more JBJ Soul Kitchens. If you're interested, you can go to omaze.com/jbj and for a $10 donation, you have the chance to come out on the road with the band. Who knows, you could be our new background singer or you might make the difference to lighten somebody's life, just by donating.
I started the foundation in 2006. Our focus was on the issue of homelessness, and it was very clear to me that we could effect change even if it was on a small level without a need for a scientist to find a cure. All it was going to take was money, education, and sweat equity. Since then we've built 500 homes, opened two restaurants and fed 60,000 people at the Soul Kitchen.
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Vote Hillary
ID6628607 asks:
Given your appearance in the final series of The West Wing as a Matt Santos supporter what are your views on Clinton-Trump?
Guardian contributor At the time when I appeared on The West Wing, I knew that it was the only way I was going to see a Democrat win the office, so I had to enter a fictional world because the real one we were living in was breaking my heart! I'm sure President Bartlett would not have approved of the potential of a president Trump. I'm a supporter and great admirer of Hillary Clinton. Experience matters. This is a trying time in American politics, and its influence will be felt around the world.
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Keep the Faith and the grunge era
DryCounty2016 asks:
My favourite album is Keep the Faith. At the time alternative rock was undergoing a big change, with hair metal losing its cool factor, and grunge taking over. I think with Keep the Faith you managed to straddle that fine line better than any of the 80s rock bands, and made an album that was accessible but maintained its integrity. Looking back its impressive how you guys managed to stay relevant during that era, whilst other 80s rockers disappeared from view. Can you share your memories from that era and did you feel under any pressure to evolve as a band, both with regard to image and to songwriting?
Guardian contributor The grunge movement in the beginning of the 90s was original, unique and desperately needed. The late 80s pop metal wasn't creating its finest work. After I'd written the Young Guns record, and Richie did Stranger in This Town, we got together to write Keep the Faith, with only our own inspirations to guide us. We were not living in the past, nor were we pretending that we were a part of the grunge movement. Songs like Keep the Faith were inspired by the LA riots, the Rodney King beating, the Berlin Wall coming down, and we were maturing as a band. It was much more than a haircut that provided the backdrop for the second phase of our career.
KSantaFe asks:
After hearing you describe the way that you formulated New Year’s Day in the studio with the band, I was wondering if we can expect that kind of approach going forward? Is it possible that future Bon Jovi albums might feature songs co-written with David, Tico or maybe even Phil? Looking forward to the #THINFS release!
Guardian contributor Of course it's possible. Some of my best songs were collaborations. I'm open to any suggestions.
Christopher Marcucci asks:
I love your song Always from the Cross Road album, and I also love the video you did for that song. What was your inspiration to do this song?
Guardian contributor I wrote that song for a film called Romeo Is Bleeding. Although I didn't give it to the director for the movie, a friend of mine heard the song and recommended that we record it for the Crossroads records. The video has no direct correlation to the original lyric, but certainly it was representative of those big 90s MTV-era videos. The actor who appears in it, Jack Noseworthy, appeared in a film called U-571 with me five years later and the girl became a famous actress: Carla Gugino. I had the script, much like I had done before with movies like Young Guns - I've always found it easy to write movie songs. This ended up becoming one of our biggest hits.
And here’s the video.
Claria asks:
I’m 20 years old and your fan more than the half of my life. I would really like to ask you hundreds of questions, but here are my top 12:
1. What is your favourite album of your own? Is there any album you don’t like?...
2. Which song means the most to you? Is there a song that made you cry?
3. Are you a faithful person/friend/husband? And what do you think abut the typical “rockstar lifestyle”: sex, drugs + rock&roll? Are you into it?
4. Do you like animals/pets? And what’s your favourite?
5. What is your biggest fear?
6. Do you still make your music with passion, or do you consider it now just as a job you have to do?
7. When you think about artists like David Bowie and Prince (who were actually not much older than you are), do you also think about your own “ending”? And are you scared of getting older?
8. What do you regret (the most) in your life?
9. What do you think about fans who attack each other? And what do you think about Fans who only love you for your look?
10. If you would have to choose between: 1. music; 2. NFL/football; 3. politics/charity; 4. acting - what would you choose?
11. You claimed you don’t want to sing “cute love songs” anymore, because you have much more important things to say. But why then you sing something like Labor of love? About who and what did you write this Song?
12. What is a question you would like to be asked, but nobody ever asked you?
Greetings from Germany and Have a nice day! :D
Guardian contributor 7. I was really saddened to hear of the loss of David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Fry, Lemmy. These were all great artists whose music will live for ever. I'm not scared of getting older. It happens to all of us.
danikar asks:
As you seem to have a song for whatever mood I’m in (sad, happy etc) i was wondering where you get your inspirations from. Do you go and look for something to inspire you, or do you write about what you feel yourself, or about other people’s feelings/stories around you?
Guardian contributor Every day is an opportunity to write a song. If you have your eyes open and your ears open, some days you're inspired by your own life, and some days by current events, and some days by the instrument you're playing. This record represents many days in the last three years of my life.
Metallica helicopter mystery explained
TimSAFC asks:
Did you deliberately try and sabotage Metallica’s Monsters of Rock set at Donington Park in 1987 by flying over their performance in a helicopter before you headlined?
(to which Dianne Cowgill commented: Lmao)
Guardian contributor Let me clear up a 30 year old story... I certainly did not ever intend to disrupt Metallica or their performance. We were flying in and we're so excited to be playing that we asked the helicopter to fly over the crowd twice so we could take pictures - in fact we didn't know if anyone was on stage. I respect Metallica's career longevity and want to clarify any misunderstanding!
OldSouledHippie asks:
What is the best advice you can give an aspiring musician who is going through a hard time?
Guardian contributor If you're asking for advice regarding a career in music, then I would say just be true to who you are, and be sure that your songs represent your truth. Don't follow fads or fashions, because you'll always be a day late.
Aina Hernàndez asks:
Hi Jon. Have you ever considered writing your own book? I’m sure it would be fantastic! Kisses from Spain.
Guardian contributor We once discussed a memoir but decided against it, and instead did a documentary called When We Were Beautiful. I feel like our book is only half written. There's so much more to do.
mariacaddle asks:
Can you tell me when you’re going to announce the UK dates? My health’s not that great and I’m determined to see you this time because I won’t get the chance again
Guardian contributor Sorry I can't. We certainly hope to come back and tour - maybe you can suggest when and where we should play!
spankyglam asks:
You mentioned on Ellen’s show you could not grab the guitar for a long period of time. Was it due to post stress from touring or just an emotional sign thst you were not ready yet to release those emotions into songs? How did you experience that?
Guardian contributor I was not ready in 2014 to put into words what were my thoughts, but I was confident that with time, I would have something to say. The writing began in 2015, and was completed in spring of 2016. The messages in the record really deal with a tumultuous last three years. They say that a picture tells a story - if you look at our album cover it shows a proud, stone house, with deep roots, perhaps a little in disarray, but sturdy. That was the catalyst for the writing - it's an album about our integrity.
Post your questions for Bon Jovi
Livin’ on a Prayer, It’s My Life, Always... Bon Jovi are responsible for some of rock music’s most blockbusting anthems, with choruses that are still hollered along to in stadiums and wedding discos around the world.
They’ve sold 130m albums, with forthcoming record This House is Not For Sale continuing their sleek yet gnarly sound. Eternally handsome frontman Jon Bon Jovi has also found time for acting roles in Sex and the City and Ally McBeal over the years, plus an affordable housing charity and, most recently, fundraising for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
With the new album out on 4 November, Jon will be answering your questions about anything in his career, in a live webchat from 1pm GMT on Wednesday 12 October. Post them in the comments below, and he’ll take on as many as possible.
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Thanks for the great questions - I'm out! We've got to catch a flight.