Why Jon Bon Jovi Won’t Play Super Bowl Halftime Show
Jon Bon Jovi said he had “no desire” to play a Super Bowl halftime show, having refused an invitation once and then missed out on the occasion another time after considering it.
The singer explained that he’s seen some amazing performances at the annual event, but there are reasons he doesn't want to take part in one himself.
Asked on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show if he’d ever play a halftime show, Bon Jovi replied, “No desire – I turned it down many years ago. ... I didn’t like that you had to team up with other people, that you have these people coming on your stage and all the demands, all the pressures.”
He noted that "it didn’t appeal to me to play at the New Jersey one. It seemed too obvious. The last time, honest to God, that we were at all interested was back when they had it in Dallas, and we didn’t get it. I said, ‘That’s the end of it. … I won’t even talk about it again.’” Name-checking Prince and U2, he said, “Some of the performances have been unbelievable. … There’s been some amazing ones over the years. But [it’s] not for me.”
You can listen to the interview below.
Listen to Jon Bon Jovi on Howard Stern's Show
Bon Jovi also said that the release of his band’s latest album, 2020, has been delayed from its original May 5 date as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He added that keyboardist David Bryan, who’d contracted the disease last month, was “doing better” now.
He went on to explain that “Do What You Can,” the song he co-wrote with fans as a result of the global emergency, would be performed during his home-based slot on the Jersey 4 Jersey fundraising show on April 22.
“And then of course I should do ‘Livin’ on a Prayer,’” he added. "Because it’s such an important song for so many people, and it brings us back to happier days.”