Bon Jovi: Jon interview trailer for New Year's Eve.

Interview with Jon Bon Jovi, who plays Jensen in New Year's Eve.

1. On his character.
2. On Garry Marshall.
3. On his fondness of the holiday.



Many thanks to Lisa (@blazeofglory2) for sending this to me first. MUAH BACK AT YOU GIRL!

Bon Jovi: Jon's Speech from Heart of Camden benefit

Thanks Jen (@jovixphillies24)

All commentary made on the video is done by the videographers and no way reflects on Jon or the Benefit directly.

Bon Jovi: Stuff from the Heart of Camden gala

I hear that there were teenage girls running after Jon's car as he left last night.  Ok, 1 teenage girl.

Bon Jovi earns honor for effort to aid Camden

10:56 PM, Dec. 2, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi addresses the crowd after accepting the 'Small Things with Great Love' award for his foundation at the Heart of Camden Gala. / Chris LaChall/Courier-Post

Written by

JOE COONEY | Courier-Post Staff

CHERRY HILL — Rocker Jon Bon Jovi came to town Friday night to accept the “Small Things, Great Love” Award at the second annual Heart of Camden Gala. And during his remarks — contrary to the egotistical image one might conjure of an international superstar — the New Jersey native barely used the pronoun “I.”

“We are big believers in the power of we,” said the singer, founder of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. “Tonight we’re here to shine a light. We’re coming together to take control and make a difference.

“Government can’t do it alone. Residents or rock stars can’t do it alone. This award is not about me, it’s about us.”

The musician’s philanthropic efforts in the Delaware Valley began in 2006 when he helped support the construction of nearly 300 affordable housing units in Philadelphia.

In 2009, he turned his attention to Camden, and in the last two years his foundation has helped to clean up vacant lots, provide shelter for the homeless and — with a $262,000 grant to Heart of Camden — build nine homes in the Waterfront South area.

Heart of Camden Executive Director Helen Pierson said, “Jon Bon Jovi’s work, his spirit and the mission of his foundation is to help the families of Camden. He’s trying to give people better lives. And that fits the mission of the award.”

The award takes its names from the words of the late missionary Mother Teresa, who said, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

The inspiration for the Heart of Camden Gala, said event co-chair Ann Baiada, was the “20/20” segment on Camden hosted by Diane Sawyer that aired in 2007.

“(Sawyer) mirrored the lives of kids in Moorestown with the kids in Camden,” said Baiada. “And I felt bad because we live in Moorestown. We had to do something. We finally met with Monsignor (Michael) Doyle and he told us, ‘just think of the children.’”

Doyle is the longtime pastor at Camden’s Sacred Heart Church, which started Heart of Camden in 1984.

“So last year we had our first gala and we honored Msgr. Doyle,” Baiada continued, noting that the $175 tickets to the event sold out quickly.

“We could have sold 1,000 tickets,” she said of the event held at the Crowne Plaza on Route 70. “But we had to cut it to 675. We hope to raise more than $200,000 this year. Jon has a good heart and he’s done a lot for New Jersey and he took a great interest in Camden because he believes in the same things we do: building homes; helping the homeless; and making neighborhoods safe.”

Camden Mayor Dana Redd introduced the rock star, saying that she had the privilege of being blessed by Mother Teresa when the nun visited the city in 1976.

“Tonight is about the city of Camden and her people. We have a great partner in the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a strong partner in providing hope to our residents,” said Redd.

Invoking the prayer before the meal, Doyle referred to a couple of Bon Jovi song titles.

“God bless Jon Bon Jovi,” said the Irish cleric. “Help us continue ‘Living on a Prayer’ for Camden. And, oh, God, make sure ‘It’s All Right.’”

Bon Jovi, who declined to speak with the press, ended his remarks by saying, “When we were working in Philadelphia we learned a lot and were taught the difference between giving somebody a hand up and not a handout. Now, we’re committed to turning Camden around for the next generation.”

But wait! There's more.

 

And Still more.  Jon wouldn't speak to the local New Jersey paper but he did speak to the Philly ABC affiliate.

Action News Exclusive with Jon Bon Jovi

Saturday, December 03, 2011

CHERRY HILL, N.J. - December 2, 3011 (WPVI) -- Action News has an exclusive report about a new start for a family in Camden, and the man who made it possible.

For the Lewis family of Camden, they have been waiting for one special moment for a long time; a chance to speak with one of the most philanthropic celebrities in the world, Jon Bon Jovi.

"I couldn't wait to meet him, you know sleepless nights just thinking like what I could say to him," said Terriell Lewis.

The Lewis' were victims of the Camden fires over the summer. One day after their home was destroyed, the non-profit group, Heart of Camden, along with the help of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, stepped in and gave them a home.

The Lewis children weren't shy in saying thank you.

"It doesn't matter who you are, they know, if you're a good person they know," said Lewis. "It's not about me," Jon Bon Jovi said. "It's about us, and we can get the job done. I don't have government officials here. I'm not looking for a hand out. I'm not looking for a hand up. I'm looking for people who want to be involved with their neighbors and their brothers and their sisters."

Which is why this is a scene we rarely see. The rock legend doesn't want anyone singing his praises for his work in the community.

He reluctantly accepted the invite to the Heart of Camden Gala at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill Friday night.

The Soul Foundation received the Small Things, Great Love Award for providing decent housing in Camden for a number of families.

"We're just trying to do our part and live up to what our promise was, and even though I don't co-own the team any longer, the foundation is still as much a part of me as it ever was," said Jon Bon Jovi.

Father Michael Doyle, who founded the Heart of Camden in 1984, says recently, government money dried up. Bon Jovi came in and started financing homes.

"I heard him speak in Camden, and I was deeply moved by the depth of him and the quality and sincerity of him, and I said there's a very good man," said Father Doyle.

There is still a lot of work for the Heart of Camden. They expect to raise $300,000 at Friday night's gala for a variety of housing projects in Camden.

And Jesse, Jon wasn't running from you because you were crying and wanted to tell him how much he changed your life, he could smell the Eau Du J-E-T-S on you. 

See, I cover my Eau Du J-E-T-S with a lot of Eau Du G-I-A-N-T-S it's my preferred scent.

Bon Jovi: Being in the same room as Jon AND Robert DeNiro?

If you have $1000 here's your chance.
 

We'd Like to Invite You to Our Year-End Benefit

We hope you'll be able to join us for our year-end benefit on Wednesday, December 7th. We'll be hosting an exclusive advance screening of Garry Marshall's latest film New Year's Eve, a New York City-set follow-up to last year's hit Valentine's Day.

The film features an all-star cast that includes Academy Award winners Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank and Halle Berry, Academy Award nominees Michelle Pfeiffer and Abigail Breslin, as well as Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Sofia Vergara, Zac Efron, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jon Bon Jovi and Glee's Lea Michelle.

The 7pm screening will take place at the Ziegfield Theatre.

Information on how to purchase tickets, which will be available in limited quantity, can be found here. We hope you can join us, and we appreciate your support!

Bon Jovi: Jon Bon Jovi's charitable works to be honored at Heart of Camden gala

Jon Bon Jovi's charitable works to be honored at Heart of Camden gala

By Claudia Vargas

Jon Bon Jovi is expectedto attend Friday's gala.

Some Camden residents will have more to live on than prayers thanks to the man whose "Livin' on a Prayer" was a No. 1 Billboard single.

More than $200,000 is expected to be raised for new housing projects in Camden's Waterfront South at Friday's Heart of Camden Gala at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, where Jon Bon Jovi will be honored.

The event, which quickly sold out of its 665 tickets, at $175 apiece, will recognize the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation with the Small Things With Great Love Award for its charity work in Camden.

The musician himself is expected to be there to receive the award, but will not be performing, said Mimi Box, executive director of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

Bon Jovi agreed to be at the gala "to be able to use the celebrity he can bring to the table . . . to advocate for people who may not have a voice," Box said.

This is the second year Heart of Camden, a nonprofit dedicated to the redevelopment of Camden's Waterfront South neighborhood, will host the award gala. Last year, the award went to Msgr. Michael Doyle, longtime pastor at Sacred Heart Church, which started Heart of Camden in 1984.

About $150,000 was raised during the first gala in April 2010 for a community center and gymnasium on Broadway in Waterfront South.

The award gets its name from Mother Teresa's famous words: "We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

Giving the award to Bon Jovi is to some extent a PR move because of the contributions he is sure to attract for Heart of Camden, executive director Helene Pierson acknowledged. But the award mostly recognizes "the amazing work" the entertainer and his foundation have done in one of the nation's poorest cities, Pierson said.

"We could've sold over 1,000 tickets if we had not sold out," she said about Bon Jovi's appeal. But she said 665 was already large enough that they could not hold the event in Camden. Any more would have been hard to coordinate.

"We're not that well-oiled of a machine," Pierson said with a laugh.

Heart of Camden has had a great impact in what has been one of the most deteriorated areas of Camden. The nonprofit has done streetscape projects, installed a rain garden, and rehabilitated more than 200 homes to give low-income residents homeownership opportunities.

Most of the money raised Friday will be used for new housing projects, but $10,000 will go directly toward a mortgage down-payment for a young family that lost its home in one of the large warehouse fires this summer.

Since 2009, the Soul Foundation has provided financing for housing projects developed by Heart of Camden and St. Joseph's Carpenter's Society in East Camden, as well as the youth housing and mentoring program CRIB run by Hopeworks, a nonprofit in North Camden that works with at-risk youth.

Box declined to disclose how much money the foundation has invested in Camden.

"We don't do the projects ourselves," Box said. "We're honored because it's really they who do the work."

Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi's David Bryan still riding high with smash musical 'Memphis'

I cannot wait to see the touring version of Memphis in February.

Bon Jovi's David Bryan still riding high with smash musical 'Memphis'

By Andrea Baillie, The Canadian Press

TORONTO - As a kid growing up in Jersey, about the only piece of musical theatre Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan remembers seeing is "Fiddler on the Roof."

"I'm a good Jewish boy from Edison, New Jersey so I went and saw 'Fiddler on the Roof' because you have to, that's part of your bar mitzvah experience," Bryan said in a recent telephone interview from New York City.

"I just didn't see that many shows, it was more about the rock concerts."

Even though Bryan now has three Tony Awards to his name for composing the hit show "Memphis" — which opens in Toronto next week — he still isn't a big musical theatre buff.

"Some I want to see just for curiosity," he said. "But no, I don't really rush out to see a bunch of musicals."

The success of "Memphis" — an interracial love story set to the beats of the 1950s — is somewhat unusual amid the current crop of jukebox musicals and theatrical shows based on TV programs or comic books.

Because audiences often don't know much about "Memphis" ahead of time, they are almost always pleasantly surprised by it, Bryan said.

"I think the greatest thing about our show, really, is it always exceeds people's expectations," said the 49-year-old classically-trained musician.

"They walk in and either they know a little bit about it or they don't know anything and they walk out and say: 'Wow!'"

Bryan, a founding member of Bon Jovi, came aboard "Memphis" over a decade ago. Eager to embark on a career as a songwriter, he had written a batch of songs but was frustrated that no one would cover them.

When he was told that a musical would mean 20 of his songs could be covered eight times a week, he was interested. Even more so when he saw Joe DiPietro's script for "Memphis."

"To me it wasn't entertainment for entertainment's sake, it was entertainment with a story that mattered," said Bryan.

"It's a story that celebrates people coming together and what brings us together rather than what separates us. And I loved that subject matter, and bang — there you go.

"It shows what hate looks like and how wrong it is.... ('Memphis') is an interracial love story, and you rock and you have a good time but underneath it all, you're trying to be better people."

He has since gone on to co-write "The Toxic Avenger" with DiPietro and the two are also working on an upcoming show.

He suspects the playwright was interested in him in for "Memphis" in the first place because of his status as a musical theatre outsider.

"Most theatre people and composers are like research hounds," noted Bryan.

"I think that's what Joe DiPietro was looking for, somebody outside of that realm. He's like, 'It's a rock score, I need a real rock guy!'"

The genre was not such a stretch either, he added, since Bon Jovi spent many early years playing '50s songs.

"My ... research was making seven bucks a night for a couple of years in bars," said Bryan, adding that his time with Bon Jovi has also taught him how to connect with an audience as a composer.

"I know how to get that emotion out of the crowd, if you will, and how to whip them up in a frenzy, bring them high and bring them low and make an emotional journey with the music."

Bryan is clearly proud of the success of "Memphis," and said his composing career away from Bon Jovi gave him a unique brand of satisfaction.

"A musical is really one of the most complicated beasts. It's a play, and there's music ... and there's dancing ... it's unbelievably satisfying to get something up out of your brain, onto a piece of paper ... and start the process and then see it on the stage," he said.

"And then to have three Tonys on my mantelpiece I can say it's very rewarding. I'm a happy guy."

Dancap's presentation of "Memphis" runs at the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts from Dec. 6 to 24.

Bon Jovi: Finally a list I bet Jon is happy to be on

Finally, something Jon be proud of, according to Forbes Jon has the most valuable Charity relationship.

The Most Valuable Celebrity Charity Relationships

Justin Bieber might just be the most influential teenager in the world. The Canadian crooner boasts 15 million Twitter followers, routinely causes stampedes at shopping malls, and has been known to make young girls faint.

But when it comes to generating publicity for worthwhile causes, his inexperience shows. Bieber ranked dead last in a survey of the most valuable celebrity charity relationships.

The study was conducted by New York based research firm General Sentiment as part of FORBES’ annual giving report. It aimed to determine which stars confer the highest percentage of their personal fame on good causes (see next page for methodology). The publicity Bieber generated for nonprofit Pencils of Promise, which builds schools in the developing world and trains young leaders, totaled $82,887—or 0.002% of his personal publicity value. At $4.2 billion, his is by far the highest of anyone on the list.

“He’s the perfect storm for generating high media value: lots of publicity in high impact sources, and an audience eager and able to spread that content,” says Mark Iafrate, a senior analyst at General Sentiment. “The amount of discussion, along with the quality of the sources, all push him way above everyone else … if he just spent a little more time on [causes], he could do a lot better.”

On the other end of the spectrum, the star who lavished the largest percentage of personal publicity on a cause was Jon Bon Jovi. The Jersey rocker and his band generated $449,932 in press for his pay-what-you-can restaurant Soul Kitchen; that number represents over 2% of Bon Jovi’s own media value.

Second on the list is Paul McCartney, who conferred $1,065,013 on PETA. That’s about 1.4% of his personal publicity value. McCartney’s older audience, although smaller than Bieber’s, likely has more disposable income to give to charity.

U2 rounds out the top three, donating publicity worth $1,021,768—or 0.72% of frontman Bono and rest of the group’s total media value—to the ONE campaign. (Through private equity firm Elevation Partners, Bono holds an indirect stake in Forbes Media).

It’s important to note that efficiently directing a relatively large portion of one’s fame toward a cause isn’t the only way celebrities can give. There is, for instance, cash. Oprah Winfrey’s connection to the Oprah Winfrey Foundation ranked 19th in General Sentiment’s survey—the best of her many charitable relationships—yet her Angel Network has raised over $80 million for good causes across the globe.

Stars like Winfrey, Bieber and Lady Gaga (who finished in the middle of the pack for her work with VIVA Glam, a M.A.C Cosmetics lipstick line whose full sale price goes toward fighting HIV/AIDS) also have astronomically higher personal publicity values than some of the other stars on this list. This makes directing a proportionate amount of their fame to charitable causes harder than it is for less-celebrated peers.

Others, like 18th-ranked Simon Cowell, are often overshadowed by bigger names contributing to their favored causes. That might explain why the X Factor producer only generated $6,587 in publicity for the “Everybody Hurts” charity song he curated for Haiti relief, featuring Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Rod Stewart, Miley Cyrus and none other than Jon Bon Jovi. Even though the tragedy occurred nearly two years ago, the blogosphere is still buzzing, if faintly, about the effort—the gift that keeps on giving.

Methodology

General Sentiment tracks over one billion topics of conversation—from politicians and social issues to products and brands—emanating from over 50 million sources of online content. These include stories from major news outlets, social media sources and general websites.

To determine this list, the firm determined a media value—a customized, proprietary metric weighted by sentiment and prominence of source, with a $5 CPM (a fairly standard cost-per-thousand views) built in—for the top 20 entertainers on FORBES’ Celeb 100 list.

Full list: The Most Valuable Celebrity Charity Relationships

A positive mention from a respectable source like CNN was “worth” more than the same mention from someone’s personal blog. The “exposure” of the source was calculated by using metrics like Google page rank, viewership (for news publications), Twitter followers, Alexa rank, and other categories.

General Sentiment then pulled data about discussions of the celebrities, along with mentions of their charitable causes and organizations. They looked for multiple spelling and case variations like “lady gaga,” “LADY GAGA,” and “Lady GaGa,” including Twitter handles (This explains, at least in part, why Bieber’s personal media value is so high).

Next, the company did a correlation analysis to attribute media value generated by the celebrities for their charitable organizations and causes. FORBES matched the most valuable of each celebrity’s relationships against their personal media value to determine just what percentage of his or her fame was “donated” to the cause.

Bieber may have finished at the bottom of our top 20 this year, but perhaps he’ll move from Grinch to Santa in 2012—a portion of sales from his new album, Under The Mistletoe, will be donated to charity.

Then there's this nice little write up.  Wait, before anyone gets upset that they use the collective phrase Bon Jovi rather than the singular Jon Bon Jovi in the article it states The Jersey Rocker and his Band, I bolded it.

Here's a picture of the singular Jon Bon Jovi at the opening of the Soul Kitchen.

1. Bon Jovi

Total Publicity Value: $21,841,448

Cause: Soul Kitchen

Publicity Created For Cause: $449,932

Share of Total Publicity Value: 2.060%

Way to go Jon! 

Bon Jovi: More details on 'Biker's Bash'

Richie Sambora and Richie Supa to host 'Bikers Bash'

Richie Sambora, left, and Richie Supa (Submitted, Society Scene / November 29, 2011)

Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi and singer/songwriter Richie Supa will host the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County 13th annual "Bikers Bash" at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Dec. 8 through 11. Presented by Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson and V-Twin Magazine, the weekend will feature four days of police-escorted rides and entertainment including a performance by Sambora and Supa on Dec. 9.

The cost to participate is $400 per rider for the weekend; $300 per passenger for the weekend; $250 per person for the Dec. 9 "Bikers Bash" event; and $500 per person for the Dec. 9 "Bikers Bash" VIP meet and greet.

The event lineup includes the following:

Dec. 8 from 4 to 9 p.m., "Kick-off Party" at Bruce Rossmeyer's Sunrise Harley-Davidson. Sponsors and guests can pick up their credentials and gift bag and enjoy refreshments and holiday shopping. From 7 to 9 p.m., the "After Glow Party: the Love of Wine" at Libation will take place in Weston Town Center.

Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., "Registration and Hospitality" at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Sponsors and guests can, again, pick up their credentials, gift bag and other event information. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., join in for a police-escorted ride along A1A ending with lunch at Two Georges in Boynton Beach. From 6 to 11 p.m. the "Bikers Bash" event will include dinner and entertainment by Richie Sambora and Richie Supa along with a live and silent auction to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. From 6:30 to 7 p.m. a meet and greet with Richie Sambora will take place. At 11 p.m. an afterparty hosted by Pangea will include VIP admission and cocktails.

Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. "Registration and Hospitality" will take place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. From 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be the "Ride and BBQ" with Boys & Girls Clubs members. A police-escorted ride will travel from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to the Jim & Jan Moran Boys & Girls Club in Deerfield Beach for lunch. Toy donations will be collected at JuiceBlendz, YoBlendz and Team National locations.

Dec. 11 at 7 a.m. will be a continental breakfast. At 8 a.m. the 24th annual "Christmas Toys in the Sun Run" will take place. Join in for a police-escorted ride from Aero Toy Store to the Mardis Gras Casino where thousands will gather for the parade. "Bikers Bash" participants will lead the motorcycle parade from I-95 to I-595 to Markham Park where the day's festivities will take place.

"Bikers Bash" sponsors include: the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; JM Family; JM Lexus; Rick Case Acura, Fiat, Hyundai, Honda Cars & Cycles; Intrepid Powerboats; Team National; Andrew L. Wurtele; LuckyFan; Rusk; and Exclusive Beauty Supplies.

For more information, visit http://www.BikersBash.org or call Kerry Becker at 954-537-1010. •

Bon Jovi: It has a name?

Most of this article goes onto to talk about how popular music put artists into Genre's and maybe they should expand "Rock" to include artists like Eminem or Lil Wayne.

But this is the most interesting paragraph:

It’s time to stop using “rock” as a catch-all term for popular music

Rock’s poor chart performance in 2010 was part of an ongoing downward sales trend that goes back to at least to the turn of the century. On Billboard’s list of the top artists of the ’00s, which was compiled using data from the albums and Hot 100 singles charts, only one rock band ranked in the Top 10: Nickelback. Two other bands, Creed and Linkin Park, squeaked into the lower reaches of the Top 20, thanks mainly to popular releases from earlier in the decade. The only Billboard chart where rock did well was the Top Touring Artists list, but the long-term commercial prognosis for the genre wasn’t exactly rosy there, either. Four out of the top five road warriors were rock acts, but all of them—The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John—are old enough to be Adele’s parents (or grandparents). The youngest of the top touring rock groups, Bon Jovi, is still primarily known as an ’80s band geared toward big-haired housewives who name their vibrators “Richie.”

Ok, before I start on that last sentence, why do women sleep and then neglect to use birth control in order to get pregnant by Lil Wayne?  He has like 20 kids by 16 mothers, there's no long term child support money there.

Anyway.  Bon Jovi is the youngest group, which I'm sure makes Jon's ego happy.

The 80's label will never go away to most people no matter how incorrect it is.

But how many of you have Vibrators named Richie? 

Or Jon, or David, or Tico? 

I mean its not the most ridiculous thing I've heard being named, my co-worker named her Thanksgiving turkey Pasqual since she was going to be spending 3 days with it, loving it and plying it with spices and wine before she cooked it (and she's a vegetarian so she doesn't even eat it).

Bon Jovi: Arte+7 Streaming "When We Were Beautiful" in its entirity

I guess there's no country restrictions.

It also has subtitles in French & German and voice dubbing.



Source

Bon Jovi: Win a Guitar signed by Jon

It's for Charity as taken from the e-Bay page the translation may be off:

Benefit & Joy proudly presents:

Jon Bon Jovi autographed guitar * NEW *

Kra m S-424CR/HS he Striker Electric Guitar:

BODY: solid alder wood

BRIDGE: Tune-O-Matic Stop Bar Tailpiece

Colour: Vintage Sunburst

NECK: Bolt on maple neck / rosewood

PICKUPS: 2 Quad-Rails and 1 Dual-Rail

SCALE: 25.5

The winning bidder will also receive a picture of Jon on guitar, size 20 x 30 cm, taken by photographer David Bergman tour!

Since 2007 support BON JOVI and Universal Music Germany, the nonprofit Project Benefit and Joy. In the summer of 2011 Jon gave us this autographed guitar. Unique bid and do the same good! The entire proceeds go into our social projects.More info on our m I site (with links to our website) and search engine keyword Benefit & Joy.

Free, insured shipping within the European Union *!

* Other countries: Please ask before bidding!

Please note: Benefit & Joy is not a commercial seller. The product is sold without any warranty. There is no redemption.  "bidder fun" to be taken for the damage claim.

Good Luck if you're bidding and remember if you're in the States the Euro is still worth more than the dollar. So as of the time I write this the top bid is 505 Euros which is approximately $673 (US).

< sarcasm > And that's Jon's Bid or I will kill you glare. < /sarcasm >

Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora keeps rocking

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, or as I call it when I've driven by it going North or South on the Florida Turnpike, The Place where Anna-Nicole Smith Died.

Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora keeps rocking

Richie Sambora
Mark Von Holden / Getty Images for WTB

Richie Sambora had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. After more than 30 years in the rock ’n’ roll business, the Bon Jovi guitarist is still grinding away, working on another solo effort and teaming up with band mate and longtime friend Jon Bon Jovi for a new album.

That’s why he tries to give back.

Sambora, 52, will team up with legendary singer/songwriter Richie Supa to host the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County 13th Annual “Bikers Bash” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Dec. 9.

“I’m the kind of guy who always tries to aim at helping children,’’ says Sambora from Los Angeles. “Every time I get involved in charities it’s to help kids, whether they’re abusing drugs or runaways, or in trouble somehow.’’

He thinks charity work gives him a better perspective on life.

“You see these kids in danger,’’ he says, remembering a trip to Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital. “I realize how blessed I am to have a healthy child. Knock on wood.’’

Daughter Ava — with ex wife Heather Locklear — is now 14. The two are headed to Hawaii together for the holidays.

“It’s so remote is what I like about it. I’m a beach guy.’’

But that doesn’t mean the New Jersey native can stay still for long (“10 days of vacation and I’m good’’). Though touring can be tough, at least Bon Jovi isn’t on a bus.

“It’s nice to be off the road for a change. We figured out a while ago that we get around the world a lot quicker on private planes. Our last tour lasted 18 months, flying virtually every day,’’ he says. “We did 50 countries. Not cities. I mean, if you ask someone to name 50 countries, I think they’d be hard pressed!’’

Sambora loves the traveling part of the job.

“Being in America isn’t old-hat — it’s where we’re from —but I get excited to be in other parts of the world like Athens and Croatia, which were quite cool,’’ says Sambora. “I’m a sightseer. I go see the sights and museums. I’m into that kind of thing.’’

Another thing that never gets old: Seeing the Bon Jovi faithful come out en masse.

“Rock and roll is a contact sport,’’ he says. “I enjoy playing the tunes that really get the people going.’’

Audiences still go crazy when they jam classics like Wanted Dead or Alive, It’s My Life and Living on a Prayer.

Give the people what they want is the group’s motto.

“I’m always asked, ‘Does it ever get old?’ Well, I tell you what: It’s like having sex with 70,000 people at a time. If you ask me, Do I go back to my hotel room by myself and play Living on a Prayer, no. But I’ll probably pull it out if someone’s going to enjoy it.’’

When Sambora isn’t traveling the globe or making music he works on a women’s fashion line called Nikki Rich, formerly White Trash Beautiful. “Fashion and music go together,’’ says Sambora of the clothes that he calls “sexy and chic.’’

Life’s good for the music man who is dating actress Denise Richards.

“I’m a lucky guy. I don’t take for granted for one minute what I do.’’

Bon Jovi: In the New Jersey Music Homecoming, who's the King Bruce or Jon?

November is Homecoming month for many high schools and colleges across the nation.

I hated Homecoming because I was in Marching Band and our Homecoming Weekend always fell on our biggest band competition of the year at Giants Stadium.  Our Dance was on Friday night and the Football game was Saturday afternoon.  The Band Competition was Friday night.  So I spent a majority of my high school Homecomings in Giants Stadium versus at a dance.  Ok maybe that didn't suck.

Anyway, enough about me.

So New Jersey 101.5 is having a Homecoming Weekend this weekend.

Jersey Music Battle: Bruce vs. Bon Jovi

by: Matt Ryan

rubenadriaanse / Flickr

It’s a Jersey Homecoming Weekend on New Jersey 101.5, playing the artists and groups who started in (and some who still are) from the great Garden State. Two of the biggest artists to come out of Jersey are Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. If we were to put these two in a “Jersey Music Battle,” who would win?

Let’s take a look at the “Tale Of The Tape.”

BON JOVI (JON BON JOVI)

David Berkowitz / Flickr

Formed in 1983 in Sayerville, NJ.

Have released 11 studio albums, 3 compilation albums and one live album.

Have sold 130 million records worldwide.

Have performed more than 2,300 concerts in 50 countries for more than 34 million fans.

“Slippery When Wet” was the top selling album of 1987 with “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” and what is considered “The Bon Jovi Nation Anthem,” “Wanted Dead Or Alive.

The band remained relevant producing albums like 2005′s “Have A Nice Day,” “Lost Highway” in 2007 and most recently “The Circle/Greatest Hits” in 2009.

Jon and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.

On December 12, 2009, Bon Jovi were ranked #9 on Billboard’s Top 25 touring artists of the decade after grossing $419,481,741 from 249 shows, of which 244 were sellouts

Were nominated for the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but did not make it.

A former auto body shop in Red Bank is now a community restaurant, The Jon Bon Jovi Foundation Soul Kitchen Community Restaurant is now open on Monmouth Street.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ( & THE E STREET BAND)

Lola's Big Adventure! / Flickr

Formed in 1972 in Monmouth County, NJ.

Has sold more than 65 million albums in the U.S. and 120 million worldwide.

Has won 20 Grammy awards.

Rolling Stone has ranked Bruce as the 23rd Greatest Artist of All Time in its Top 100 list.

On October 27th, 1975 Bruce appeared on the covers of ‘Newsweek’ and ‘Time’ simultaneously.

Inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s in 1999.

Performed at Super Bowl XLIII.

Has won Golden Globe, Emmy and Academy Awards.

Is set to tour in 2012.

WHO WINS THIS ‘JERSEY MUSIC BATTLE?’

Who wins?

Hmm.

‘Jersey Homecoming Weekend’ – Top 40 Songs By Jersey Artists

by: Eric Johnson

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend from New Jersey 101.5! This is the biggest “home for the holiday” weekend of the year!

College students have returned home for the weekend to reconnect with family and friends and thousands of young families and young adults are back in towns to feast with parents and grandparents. Many will be hanging out with friends at bars, nightclubs and their local high school football game!

New Jersey 101.5 celebrates this massive return to the nest on a “Jersey Homecoming Weekend”! From Wednesday night at 7pm through the entire Thanksgiving Weekend we'll be featuring hits from Jersey singers, groups and bands…plus a few Jersey Christmas songs! You'll get your fill of tunes from hometown favorites The Four Seasons, Southside Johnny, Kool & The Gang, Bon Jovi, and of course Bruce Springsteen who just gave us a holiday gift announcing a new album and tour coming in 2012!

Top 40 Songs By Jersey Artists

40. Four Seasons – Who Loves You

Newark

39. Steely Dan – Reeling In The Years

Walter Fagen was born in Passaic

38. Frankie Valli – Swearin' To God

Newark

37. Bruce Springsteen – Rosalita

Freehold

36. Blondie – Call Me

Debbie Harry is from Hawthorne

35. Four Seasons – Rag Doll

Newark

34. Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye

Newark

33. Paul Simon – Me & Julio Down By The School Yard

Newark

32. Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark

Freehold

31. Four Seasons – Let's Hang On

Newark

30. Kool & The Gang – Ladies Night

Jersey City

29. Bon Jovi – I'll Be There For You

Sayreville

28. Bruce Springsteen – Sherry Darling

Freehold

27. Tommy James – Crystal Blue Persuasion

lives in Cedar Grove

26. Paul Simon – 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

Newark

25. Bruce Springsteen – Merry Christmas Baby

Freehold

24. Gary Wright – Dream Weaver

Cresskill

23. Tommy James – Crimson & Clover

lives in Cedar Grove

22. Blondie – Rapture

Debbie Harry is from Hawthorne

21. Frankie Valli – My Eyes Adored You

Newark

20. Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

Newark

19. Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days

Freehold

18. Paul Simon – Kodachrome

Newark

17. Whitney Houston – How Will I Know

East Orange

16. Frankie Valli – Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Newark

15. Bruce Springsteen – Badlands

Freehold

14. Bon Jovi – Who Says You Can't Go Home

Sayreville

13. Four Seasons – December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)

Newark

12. Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road

Freehold

11. Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name

Sayreville

10. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – Having A Party

Neptune

9. Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland

Freehold

8. Looking Glass – Brandy

Formed at Rutgers, rehearsed in Glen Gardner

7. B52s – Love Shack

band member Kate Pierson was born in Weehawken

6. Tommy James – I Think We're Alone Now

lives in Cedar Grove

5. Bruce Springsteen – My Hometown

Freehold

4. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – I Don't Want To Go Home

Neptune

3. Bruce Springsteen – Jersey Girl

Freehold

2. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

Freehold

1. Living On A Prayer – Bon Jovi

Sayreville

Don't know if I agree with some of these.  The fact that not a single Four Seasons song is in the top 10 is criminal.  Don't even get me started on #14.  Where's Always???? < sarcasm> No Skid Row or Trixter or Danger Danger?  < / sarcasm> The fact the only Whitney Houston offering is How Will I Know and not her cover of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, is kind of ridiculous.  Speaking of Whitney, where's her Cousin, East Orange NJ's Dionne Warwick?

I'm honestly not even sure about #1. 

Love Shack?  All I have to say about that is TIN ROOF, RUSTED!

Bon Jovi: This Day in Music 1986

This is one of those moments when you think about where you were the first time you heard a song.  The fact that this was 25 years ago makes me feel so old.

This Day in Music

1986, Bon Jovi were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Give Love A Bad Name', it peaked at No.14 in the UK.

The original (my favorite part is when all the drunk sticks fall from the ceiling onto Tico's head.)

The version from This Left Feels Right: