When reflecting on his extraordinary career, the Bon Jovi frontman admits the ups and downs of his musical success have given him a real 'appreciation' of everything he has.
- Nov 30, 2020
AceShowbiz - Jon Bon Jovi wishes he'd taken more time to "enjoy" his success as it happened.
The 58-year-old rocker reflects on his extraordinary career in an interview with Britain's Big Issue magazine, admitting the ups and downs of his musical success have given him a real "appreciation" of everything he has.
"Half of the fun is the rollercoaster of a real career for me doesn't come into play until you've done it for 20 years," he says. "It's about the ebb and the flow."
"You have to have success and you have to have doubt and you have to have failure and you have to have tears that you shed so that when you come through it you can honestly say, 'Now I understand,' " adds the Bon Jovi star. "If it all happens early and quickly, there's probably not the same appreciation."
"You could be like a firecracker, just have a big quick pop and it's over, or the ebb and flow of a real honest-to-God career with all of its pain and joy. I'd rather have that."
Despite scoring some of the biggest hits in music history with classics like "Livin' on a Prayer", "Always" and "It's My Life", the star wishes he'd spent more time in the moment, rather than constantly focusing on his next goal.
He explains, "The biggest mistake I made in my life is that I didn't take enough time to stop and look around and enjoy it. I was always so focused on the next step and the next and the next, that it cost me a lot of my great memories. And it caused a lot of sleepless nights that weren't warranted. It's my biggest regret."
"The one thing I would tell the younger self is, enjoy it more, relax," adds Jon. "It's gonna have ups and downs but keep the faith."
