Jon Bon Jovi was the person of the hour on the MusiCares Particular person of the 12 months Gala on Friday, the place the rock star was celebrated by a tribute lineup that included Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge, Jelly Roll, Damiano David and Sammy Hagar.
The Bon Jovi frontman was awarded the annual honor for his creative achievement within the music business and dedication to philanthropy. Proceeds from the gala help MusiCares, the main music charity providing well being and human providers to music professionals.
The occasion — held in downtown Los Angeles proper throughout the road from the place Sunday’s Grammys will happen — started with an public sale that included two Bon Jovi-related objects: a volunteer day and dinner with the star at his JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurant in New Jersey and a tasting of his Hampton Water Rosé wine in East Hampton, with the musician and his son Jesse. After the public sale, there was a two-hour tribute live performance of the band’s best hits, with loads of reward for the musical legend alongside the way in which.
The night time kicked off with Springsteen becoming a member of Bon Jovi on stage for performances of “Who Says You Can’t Go Residence” and “The Promised Land,” as Bon Jovi advised the group, “As I look out right here in any respect you tuxedoed music executives, fast reminder: This here’s a Bon Jovi live performance, we don’t sit down.”
Following their set, Springsteen and Bon Jovi made their solution to their seats, becoming a member of Paul McCartney, New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft, Rita Wilson and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin on the room’s central desk. Jim Gaffigan, who served as host for the occasion, joked, “Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are chargeable for among the best songs of all time, however they’re additionally chargeable for giving New Jersey-ites an irrational stage of confidence. Chris Christie really ran for president, twice. Discuss livin’ on a prayer.”
Gaffigan additionally teased, “It is a night time to have fun Jon — this isn’t a roast of Jon Bon Jovi, or his hairstyles, or these ridiculous outfits he wore within the ’80s that have been frankly horrifying,” earlier than displaying a slideshow of Bon Jovi’s most memorable appears to be like. Later in this system, he additionally identified “the musical powerhouse at Jon’s desk: we’ve obtained Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and Robert Kraft. Now hear me out — a reboot of the Touring Wilburys. I see Robert Kraft because the lead.”
Over the course of the night time, Twain did a canopy of “Mattress of Roses”; Etheridge carried out “Blaze of Glory”; Hagar rocked “You Give Love a Unhealthy Title”; Jelly Roll took on “Unhealthy Drugs”; Lainey Wilson sang “We Weren’t Born to Comply with”; Pat Monahan did a rendition of “It’s My Life”; Jason Isbell carried out “Wished Lifeless or Alive”; and Måneskin’s David sang “Hold the Religion.” Video messages from Matthew McConaughey, John Mayer, Pink, Ed Sheeran and New Jersey senator Cory Booker have been additionally performed, with extra performances by the Goo Goo Dolls (“This Home is Not For Sale”), The Warfare and Treaty (“I’ll Be There For You”), Mammoth WVH (“Have a Good Day”), Marcus King (“Born to be My Child) and Brandy Clark (“(You Need To) Make a Reminiscence”).
Bon Jovi was introduced his award by Kraft, who recalled when the 2 first met on the sidelines on the 1997 Tremendous Bowl. “Sadly, we misplaced that recreation, however my life turned infinitely richer for the connection we have now shared during the last three many years,” the Patriots proprietor mentioned.
Taking the stage as soon as once more, Bon Jovi began his speech by giving “a shoutout to my hero, my buddy, my mentor, Bruce Springsteen. Bruce and [his sister] Pam’s mother handed two days in the past, and once I first obtained the information, he was already on the airplane on his manner right here. I actually would have understood if he’d mentioned that he couldn’t make it, however he needed to be right here tonight for MusiCares, and he needed to be right here tonight for me, and I’m endlessly grateful to you for the whole lot.”
He continued, “I’ve to present a shoutout to a previous recipient of this award, Sir Paul McCartney. I feel it’s honest to say that the rationale most, if not all of us, are on this room tonight, it’s due to you, so thanks very a lot for being Beatle Paul.”
The star proceeded to mirror on the “reward of music” and revealed that he lately purchased again his very first electrical guitar, which he had offered to a neighbor in 1979 for $100.
“When he offered it again to me lately he mentioned, ‘It’s the place it belonged, residence.’ And once I took that guitar out of the cardboard case, it solely had 5 strings on itm and I nonetheless imagine that the sweat marks have been mine, I doubt that child ever performed it,” Bon Jovi mentioned. “Very first thing I did was held it, cradled it actually, after which I wrote a music on it.”
Talking in regards to the night and MusiCares’ mission, the rockstar famous, “Tonight, and each night time, I understand how blessed I’ve been. There are tens of millions of different musicians who set out on this identical journey however for no matter their causes, their paths took them in several instructions; a few of them might have performed professionally, some as a interest, and a few might have wanted assist alongside the way in which. As musicians, we don’t have security nets — when the music’s over, it’s over.”
Bon Jovi — who was smiling and giving out thumbs up all night time — additionally expressed his due to the artists who carried out on the occasion, saying, “Your music humbles me and has touched my coronary heart. It’s been your songs which have saved me firm and saved me sane,” earlier than inviting the entire night time’s singers again to the stage for a bunch rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer” to shut out the gala.
