Jon Bon Jovi, 62, gets candid about emotional response to vocal loss before rare throat surgery as he adds 'people had to talk me off the ledge'

23/05/2024

READ MORE: Shania Twain, 58, reveals 'very special bond' with Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi got candid about his rare throat surgery and revealed how aging influenced the star's upcoming album, Forever, during a cover story for AARP's June/July 2024 issue.

The Livin' On A Prayer rocker, 62 - who recently said his career will end on a high note if his voice doesn't improve after surgery - had a vocal fold medialization procedure (also known as thyroplasty) done in the summer of 2022.

While talking to the outlet, the singer shared his initial reaction to potentially suffering from vocal loss.

'People had to talk me off the ledge, because you're like, "I didn't do anything wrong! What's wrong?"' he expressed.

Lip-syncing and Auto-tune was not an option for Jovi when it came to live performances, with the star stating, 'I'd rather get hit by a bus on the highway.'

Jon Bon Jovi, 62, got candid about how aging influenced the star's upcoming album, Forever, while also reflecting on his rare throat surgery during a cover story for AARP's June/July 2024 issue

Jon was weighing different options when fellow performer, Shania Twain, recommended her doctor, Robert Sataloff, after she suffered voice issues of her own.

Sataloff also told AARP, 'Jon has worked, throughout his career, harder and more diligently than most of his fans would ever have guessed.'

However, he explained that the star's thinning vocal cords were not caused by injury or any type of illness - but simply was due to aging. 'Eventually it catches up with all of us.'

In regards to vocal cords losing mass over the years, the doctor stated, 'the vocal folds fail to meet firmly.'

'People naturally and unconsciously work harder to squeeze their vocal folds together so they can get a strong voice. However, that kind of excess muscle tension is counterproductive, inefficient.'

Sataloff added, 'It causes muscle strain that makes it more effortful to talk or sing and leads to fatigue of the voice and sometimes to the vocal fold injury.'

And in the summer of 2022, Jon underwent surgery and got a Gore-Tex implant in the attempt to strengthen his vocal cords.

'I could talk the day after the surgery,' the singer recalled. 'I just sounded like the Godfather. It takes some retraining of the mind and the body and then the spirit, and you just have to be patient.'

'People had to talk me off the ledge, because you're like, "I didn't do anything wrong! What's wrong?"' he expressed; seen in 2019 in NYC

Jon was weighing different options when fellow performer, Shania Twain, recommended her doctor, Robert Sataloff, after she suffered voice issues of her own; Twain seen in February in L.A.

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'I did not excel in the patience category,' the stat admitted to the publication. 'I'm not Superman. It's just a tattoo that I have on my arm.

'Part of the human experiment is that you just have to try to stay focused and keep moving forward. But it doesn't mean that, you know, life's over because I'm 62.'

He later explained, 'It's like an athlete getting back onto the field again. Until you're out there during the game, one will never know if it's going to hold up.'

Jon also revealed if there was a possibility of going on tour again and stated, 'Whether or not I can ever do a 100-show tour again, I don't know. But if I can have joy on the stage on night one, that would be great.'

To make the goal a potential reality, the rocker has been focused on a strict recovery process, from a fitness routine in the gym geared towards his core and back, as well as working with speech-language pathologists to retrain his vocal muscles.

'Don't doubt that I can't sing anymore,' he said during his interview with AARP. 'This isn't a situation that the singer has lost his voice.'

'But during this recovery, my goal is to do two and a half hours every night, four days a week,' Jon explained, referencing to how often he wishes to take to the stage on a tour.

'And you know, I am not going to go out there and give less than 110 percent.'

Jon also revealed if there was a possibility of going on tour again and stated, 'Whether or not I can ever do a 100-show tour again, I don't know. But if I can have joy on the stage on night one, that would be great; seen with Bruce Springsteen in February in L.A.

Jon is known for being the frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi - and the group is preparing to release their 16th studio album titled, Forever.

The album - which was recorded after Jon underwent his vocal surgery - will become available next month in June 7.

When questioned if the LP is about aging, the singer replied, 'Most definitely. "Don't try to be what you used to be." I don't want to be the kid from Slippery When Wet. I have no desire to be that kid.'

When it comes to songwriting, the Never Say Goodbye hitmaker expressed, 'I have a grander palette to write from. More life experience. I think that every record reflects somehow who I am at that time.'

'Songwriting is the closest thing to immortality that any of us will ever know. Because long after we're gone, those songs will live in perpetuity. That's the gift that God gives you back for the hard work.'

Last month in April, Jon's vocal cord issues were seen in the Hulu docuseries titled Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.

Jon is known for being the frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi - and the group is preparing to release their 16th studio album titled, Forever

When it comes to songwriting, the Never Say Goodbye hitmaker expressed, 'I have a grander palette to write from. More life experience. I think that every record reflects somehow who I am at that time'; seen in 1989

While talking to People at the time, the singer further reflected on the procedure and said, 'The thing that gave me so much pleasure had been taken away.'

'Joy is something you got to work at, right? Happiness is what you make it. It's not about seizing the day anymore.'

He added, 'I think it's about embracing the day. I don't have to punch it in the face anymore, now I just give it a hug, and that's a good place to be.'

In regards to the forthcoming album, Forever, the star explained that the theme is 'really about my finding joy again.'

'What really matters in a life? It's love and loyalty and finding things that make you want to get up out of bed in the morning.'

Upon celebrating Bon Jovi's 40th anniversary, the star also told People last month, 'I was willing to outwork everybody - I think that's what it came down to''; the band seen in 1984

Current members of Bon Jovi include frontman Jon, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X and bassist Hugh McDonald.

The band was formed in 1983 in New Jersey and has sold over a whopping, 130 million records globally.

Upon celebrating Bon Jovi's 40th anniversary, the star also told People last month, 'I was willing to outwork everybody - I think that's what it came down to.'

'I definitely wasn't the best at anything. I was just the hardest working, and it was nothing more than the desire to get better every day.'