Jon Bon Jovi is reflecting on his vocal cord injury — and his road back to recovery.
While interviewing Bon Jovi, 63, on the Thursday, October 23, episode of Today, Savannah Guthrie said, “There was a moment when it was, ‘If I can’t sing the way I want to sing, I’m not going to do it anymore.’”
“That’s right,” he replied. “I don’t do it for the applause. I’m not that applause junkie. I do it for the joy and I do it for the art. The rest of it is great because I’m good at it. But if you couldn’t do it from a place of joy, what’s the motivation?”
In 2022, Bon Jovi underwent surgery to fix an atrophying vocal cord. The rocker explained that his stronger vocal cord was “pushing the weak one around,” and it was “dying.” Bon Jovi ultimately found a surgeon who placed an implant on the outside of his vocal cords.
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When asked if the injury occurred because he was “hitting all those high notes all those years,” Bon Jovi replied, “You know, it’s 40 years of hard work. I don’t really know.”
Now, Bon Jovi announced that he’s returning to the stage for the Forever Tour which kicks off in 2026 with four shows at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden before traveling to Europe.
“The road has been long. It’s been tough. But I persevered,” he said.
While addressing his upcoming tour, Bon Jovi added, “I think I can confidently say that I can go and do my two and a half hours night after night after night. But I wouldn’t do it unless it was that.”
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Bon Jovi compared his training for the tour to a marathon, explaining, “Anyone can go for a run. Being able to go the distance is a whole different set of commitment. You have to physically, mentally and spiritually be ready to do that again.”
While Bon Jovi had “many” moments of doubt, he would experience a “little ray of hope” that pushed him to keep going.
“The next day was brighter and until the next time, you know, you get punched in the nose by some setback,” he said. “And you pick yourself up again and do it again.”
Back on the road again, Bon Jovi’s tour will include songs from the band’s new album, Forever (Legendary Edition), which drops on Friday, October 24. The record features new versions of songs from their 2024 album, Forever — but this time with artists including Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Avril Lavigne, Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Williams. While not confirmed, Bon Jovi teased some of the artists might be special guests on the tour.
“There wouldn’t be an anticipation of that on a daily basis,” he said. “But I think that the idea is if you’re in town and you remember the song, please jump up.”
The Forever Tour begins in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, and concludes on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in London’s Wembley Stadium.
