Jon had amazing backups. Richie Sambora and David Bryan covered up a lot of his weaknesses vocally. When Sambora left the band, the magic went with him.
Dont' forget Bobby Bandiera. He took over at lot of Richies vocal duties for the rest of 2013, and Bobby sings those lines Richie used to do, besides the choruses where the other huys join in. Watch Make a memory from 2013, even during the verses, its Bobby supporting Jon. After the 2013 tour where both Richie and Bobby was out, Jon lost a lot of important vocal back-up. Phil is a good singer, but his voice doesn't suit Jons as good as the others. I even don't think Dave's voice suits Jons, but that doesn't mean they are bad singers! Since the last tour they've tried with the percussionist, but I couldn't hear him although I saw him shout a lot on the screen a couple of times in Denmark. He too fails to save Jon. So Jon hasn't found a proper singer with a strong vocal that can provide him with great backup nowadays. Just my opinion to it.
@@jeped203 - That’s true, in an ‘80s interview (?) Richie Sambora was saying he’s got the strongest voice on stage through the entire tour, whereas most singers lose a bit of stamina over several months. So he is an exceptional touring vocalist.
Jon Bon Jovi is my favorite singer because he is different from other 80s rock singer. His songs are not only about partying and having fun but also about adversities and never giving up, being optimistic. His songs have helped me when I was going through some rough patch in my life a few years ago. Sure he is nowhere near his prime, but I hear people singing back in concert videos when he can’t sing and that goes to show what an impact he has left in people’s heart. :)
I agree with this totally. The uplifting and optimistic part of the band's vibe and Jon's personality is one thing that makes them stand out on the hard rock scene!
I respect Jon. Love his music. But I’ve had issues with Jon trying to pretend his 80s era never existed. It’s like in his old age the religion has taken over and he views his 80s work as full of the devils influence (groupies, parties, drugs, etc). And I hate it. Those 80s times are what made you a household name, they will always be staples on his live set list people want to hear. It’s time for Jon to let it go or just drop the 80s tunes that made him and so many others associated with him RICH. But hey, those early albums only accounted for like half his overall career sales.
I really think singing saved my life! About 15 years ago I got diagnosed with COPD & OSA I had O2 sats. Of 60 I absolutely had Zero breath and had to go around with an oxygen tank. When I tried to talk to anyone I would literally pass out. I have had minimal voice training but I started doing the breathing exercises and vocal warm ups I learned in the 1 year of HS chorus and singing daily with in about 3 years oxygen tank was gone and I am a back up worship leader on our team and do some gig work on the side. A lot of prayer and vocal practice saved my lungs!
I will always listen to Bon Jovi. His songs come from the heart. Even if he doesn't sound like his younger days I think he still loves what he does. Jon is awesome.❤🤘🏼
Proof that it is not easy to be a vocalist. Excellently argued. Bon Jovi remains a world legend despite his rather exhausted,tired vocals.My big respect🙏 Thank you so much Ken. Rock on.🤘🤘
I don't think at age 60 he doesn't give a shit how he sounds. idiots are still paying 2-4 thousand $ a ticket to be at floor level 1- 5 rows back . I have gone and look it up on Ticketmaster some tickets were even over $4,000 per ticket and they required that you buy two to four tickets you can't just buy one but I also noticed that a lot of those aren't getting sold what I think they're doing is because they're not filling up the arena people at the show are coming from up above and coming all the way down so it fills up the floor area so it looks like there's more people at the concert then there really is. Even day of concert they are not selling out. Plus these the Arena's that they're using don't hold a lot of people so far I've seen less than 20,000 that it will hold, when they used to play 50- 90,000 Packed sold out shows.
I found from this new tour 2022. A lot of girls fans are in denial!!!! A lot are saying his voice Sounded great like it use to be. I'm sorry, but they Must be tone deaf!!!!!! I'm almost 10 years older then Jon ( by 4 days) and my hearing isn't perfect but damn it hurt my ears to listen to his voice.
@@putgordon Man, I could not agree with you more. You could consider me a fangirl, since 1986 when I was 12/13. But I'm not deaf & I'm not stupid. Jon just looks like he's in pain in the recent 2022 concert videos...and he sounds awful. It's really made me wonder if there's a deeper (neurological) issue going on. It breaks my heart to hear him like this & I've fought back tears. I do not understand these fangirls who keep saying Jon sounds fine. It's like watching your husband drink himself to death & acting like nothing's wrong. I'd really like for Ken to do a new video commenting on then recent concert videos.
@@lisaglass7633 I was thinking the same Lisa. To me, Jon kinda reminds me of someone who's had a stroke. Just his mannerisms while singing sure resemble this.
This was really interesting. Jon was amazing back in the day. His voice on The Young Guns II soundtrack was stellar. Saw them live many times. Recent years his voice is painful to listen to live. So sad. He’s an amazing man though. His charity work is incredible. I hope he takes you up Ken and works on his voice. Joe Elliot from Def Leppard has said he now has to do lots of vocal exercises to hit notes - he had to put in a lot of work- but he does and still sounds pretty good live. Axl Rose put in a lot of vocal work with Ron Anderson (RIP) to do AC/DC tour and that work also showed. I think if you are selling stadiums then you ought to respect fans and put work in. Sebastian Bach is still a great singer live too. As you have shown Ken it’s perfectly possible to ‘keep’ your voice or even improve it far into older age. Many of famous opera singers for example feel they get better with age…
Jon Bon Jovi has been my idol for as long as i can remember. I love the variation he and the band have, you can rock out to something like its my life and then be completely in tears from him getting so emotionally connected to a song like i'll be there for you or living in sin. I just can't watch any of his live stuff after around 2013. It just hurts to watch that as a fan. Thanks for the video!
Both “Then” clips were the original studio recordings, so it’s not exactly apples to apples…but the critique of Jon’s voice issues are valid. I recall interviews w the band in the 80s talking about how Jon had vocal issues on the Slippery & New Jersey tours. You are right, having Richie and David cover for him certainly helped. Nowadays, they take a percussionist on the road who’s really only there to bolster the backing vocals…
And Everetts efforts, along with Shanks, Bryans, McDonalds and Xs aren't really helping. All them doing backing sounds more messy than actually lifting the songs.. I couldn't even make hear Everetts efforts at a show in 2019. He was often on screen screaming but I couldn't hear him out..
I saw them a few weeks before Richie left and Jon sounded really good (even better than Cleveland a couple months prior). But very shortly after Richie was gone, Jon's voice started to go over a cliff. It can't be a coincidence. There were a smattering of good performances in the rest of 2013, but not many. I keep believing he can recover a lot of that old voice that blew so many of us away (like he did in 08, and again in 2011 -- that Hard Rock Calling and MSG were especially epic). But cigarettes, over-work, and stubbornness might be doing him in. Yeah he's back to working w/ a coach but he might not be getting the help that really needs. What kills me is that Richie wanted more time to his own thing. A break would have also been good for Jon's voice. Instead we got an album that's pretty forgettable and a tour that should have never happened, because by the end of it we lost Richie and effectively lost Jon. I'm still pretty heartbroken to see what's happened to the band over these last 10 years.
Yeah, I get you on that one. What About Now was an album that shouldn't have been released at that point. It sounded rushed and over polished and it wasn't recorded as a band at the time. Jon should have waited maybe half a year or more before finishing it. The fans could have waited and the result could probably have been better if everyone were on board 100%. Their show in Denmark 2013 was great though and Jon still sounded rocking awesome that night. But the "damage" (in lack of better word) that the album and tour did to the band is still sad for me to think about.
@@jeped203 The albumyyou are talking about is not recorded in a studio Those were live concert songs. I loved it because you can hear the crowd Energy. Even though they are his old songs ,and not in a studio is why I just recently bought it
"What kills me is that Richie wanted more time to his own thing" . ...If you believe that you'll believe anything...abusive tweets back and forth then suddenly Richie states "yeah, I left to spend time with a 16 year old daughter" that I toured away from when she was growing up....'cos 16 year olds want to spend a lot of time with their parents..... He was clearly paid to keep his mouth shut, it was bad for business.
I Loved Bon Jovi...All the band members. Their music will always have have special meaning in my life throughout the decades. Any way you look at it Richie was as important to the band as Jon is. When Richie left I think it took a toll on Jon vocally and song writing. The songs just don't have the same meaning, spark or connection like they did when Richie cowrote. Richie's voice and presence is definitely missed and needed back.
Bon Jovi, one of my favorite singers and songwriters, he has more hits than i can think of, i saw him live and i suffered every song of the show, and i think he suffers them too, you can see his face in the shows when he sings living on a prayer at the end of the song, you can tell what he is thinking, but i guess he doesnt trust vocal coaches or hasn’t found a good one, i really would like him to recover. this pandemic would have been a good time to put the money on his voice… hope he gets it back
I saw Bon Jovi in concert in 1989 when I was 16 on their New Jersey tour and they were awesome, especially Richie Sambora! I grew up in Anchorage, AK and they were one of only a few bands back then that came up to Alaska so we were psyched. They were only planning one show but they sold out three. Jon could still sing back then and it was a blast. My wife finally saw Bon Jovi in concert a couple of years ago (without Sambora) and Jon’s vocals were crap with every song lowered and not even trying to hit the notes anyway. Sad. Thanks for this indepth analysis of Jon's vocal changes. It's a shame he didn't take better care of his instrument. Glad his music lives on though.
I think Jon Bon Jovi was smart as a singer in the sense that over the years he didn't want to scream as much as he used to. I think the "Have A Nice Day" album was the last one before he notoriously wrote songs with a smaller vocal range. On "Lost Highway", which followed, Jon sang with more of a nasal tone than a raspy voice, and that fit perfectly with country music. You can argue that he didn't take good care of his voice, but from my point of view his voice went downhill after Richie left. Of course, I'm not a vocal coach, but I believe there's a psychological aspect. If you watch the 2013 Cleveland live show, you can tell he still has a good voice, but if you watch the live videos from the 2015 tour, he started to struggle. That's why I never believed it so easily when he said in interviews about Richie's departure "No ill will. It's okay". I think the Richie thing took more out of him than he would admit.
I totally agree with you, even in the end of Because We can Tour, at Brisbane he had struggle with high notes and continuous singing. And his singing voice changed a lot in 2014 if you watch his solo performances from that year. And he also aged a lot in a year, his hair turned grey. And from than his voice is on downhill, the 2019 Bucharest concert was maybe the low point. Nowdays he sounds better, maybe because of the quarantine he could rest his voice or/and those clips are autotuned. Im sooo curious about the upcoming live concerts!
100%. That's really when it went. Singers. We're so in our own heads and in our own way. Losing Richie was both musical and personal. Everything Ken says is correct physically. Because he just kinda gave up mentally.
Wow you wrote exactly what a wasn't able to write a lot of times. Thank you man. P.s. You should compare live in cleveland 2013 with live in san jose 2013. Both had a great energy, but the second was without richie. I say this because the 2015 tour happened AFTER the great voice decline that jon had at the and of the 2013 tour (in the last month if i remember correctly) Sorry, but my eglish isn't very good
he didn't take care of it!! He was a smoker. a lot of people didn't know that . He also drank a lot too. And now he is really drinking alot of his favorite WINE = HAMPTON WATER. He is doing alot of traveling to premier It because it is his sons Jesse and his wine. He was even in Boise, Idaho,USA last summer Going to stores and signing bottles. He also did a private show with The Kings of Suburbia For certain Albersons Grocery store he also selders wine and some of the stores. But a lot of employees weren't told about it and missed out. I was very angry because BON JOVI is my favorite band. I have never even been able to go see. And this tour he left out many US states. Not going pass Texas. And he is doing 3 different shows in 3 different town. He has left out all western states no California Oregon Washington Utah Colorado Arizona Nevada and of course my state of Idaho
My favorite song is “I’ll be there for you” there’s that part where he does that extremely high scream, that part was so amazing. It gives me chills every time,, miss those days so much. 🥲💔
Truly speaking Bon Jovi "retired" when Richie left the band. Casuals only look at Bon jovi as John, but the truth is that Jon and Ritchie complemented each other and were a hell of a Team. Ritchie was as good as Jon and many people didn't realize that, a lot of the great songs Ritchie wrote them. Bon Jovi without Ritchie it's not Bon Jovi, kinda like Guns N' Roses without slash are not the same. Bands iconic figures leave and the magic leaves with them.
I love Jon Bon Jovi to death ❤️ I love Jon voice in the 80's and still love his voice in 2022. I know it has change over the years but it's still great for me. Obvioustly there is some notes that he can't do like he did before but it still sound good to me it's just different. He has the most beautiful and powerful voice and his songs are fantastic. His music helped me a lot during tough times in my life so I'm really grateful. I learned a lot from him too. I know that some people don't like his voice anymore but even if it has change it still sound awsome. Look at the 2020 album which is full of amazing songs, his voice is incredible it's for sure more deep then it was before but damned it sound good. Do What You Can, American Reckoning or Limitless, Story of Love ect... Jon know that he should have take care of his voice more and he know that he had tough times with his voice especially when Richie left it was a difficult period for him. But he work hard on it as he always do and he know that his voice has change and he don't want to pretend that it has not. But still work on it everyday but that's how it is and we have to accept that it has change. Even him told us that in the song God Bless This Mess from the This House Is Not For Sale album when he said "my voice is shot" ! I also think that after almost 40 years singing especially rock the voice his hurt and Jon is older too so his voice too. So it's not same but it still good and I now they're back on the road and I dream to see him on stage for once in my life it's a biggest dream to me. So I hope that is going to come in France or at least in Europe. 😊
For me, Jon's voice started to noticeably deteriorate after the These Days album. The difference in vocals between These Days and Crush is huge. You could argue there were signs on These Days too but I suppose the ability to re-track in the studio allowed them to hide it My understanding is that it was during the recording of These Days that Jon started smoking. For me this is the ultimate reason why his vocals started to fade. He already admitted that singing the high part of Livin' On a Prayer during the Slippery When Wet tour, did some damage and then going straight from that tour to the New Jersey tour certainly didn't help. I don't think he rehabbed his voice properly after New Jersey and while Keep the Faith doesn't show any decline, the damage was done and finally the smoking during These Days was too much for his voice to handle
I agree. I've always said that's when the change in his voice became quite obvious. His voice was still very good, IMO, in the TD era -- by Crush, the nasal tone is evident, though he could still sing. I do think smoking hurt, but his vocal technique was an issue from the beginning. (Loved the sound of his voice back in the day, though.)
No matter the register he was in by the early-mid 1990s, l feel he & the band reached their zenith that was captured on Keep the Faith & especially These Days. Seems they matured to a higher level musically, and l feel that Jon's best singing (& writing) is captured on those two albums & tours. I mean gems like l Believe, Bed of Roses and This Ain't A Love Song are an amazing peak reached from stuff like In and Out of Love. 🎵💖
Absolutely love Jon Bon Jovi!! Such an inspiration great music, great messages. Absolutely love for the whole band and all they stand for!! Positive for everyone so great
Jon has always been the one in charge....always. Most people who have that type of directive personality fail to take care of their own stuff. It's also possible his voice just went totally woke. 😁
No matter what happened to his voice, he is still the legendary ROCK SUPERSTAR. as a loyal fan i appreciate his effort of giving us his performance.. I love JBJ..
Eso no lo discute nadie. Pero la voz de Jon hoy en día sobre un escenario ante 55.000 personas es lamentable.. y mucha gente abandona el show.. Si el cantante no puede cantar que sentido tiene?
Jon Bon Jovi I’ve seen live 3 times in person. He sounds good to me even today as he has calmed his voice to maintain his live performances. Great video here!
I'm pretty sure the clip you showed of livin on a prayer does sound tracked, but for the first year after the album dropped if I recall correctly he sang it live every show and in the original key. I have seen some signs that he's getting professional help with vocal training. Jon always sang with such tension in his voice. I don't think anyone ever taught him that you can have power, volume and range without pulling everything so tight lol. He just ain't carried by his youth anymore. I think you're right, with what you said at the end. If he's not going to either sing within a healthy range or he's not going to take the time to become a healthier vocalist then he's doing his fans a disservice giving performances like that. I feel bad saying that, anyone who knows me tends to associate me with Bon Jovi. He's a fantastic song writer and musician, but I think he's lost the plot somewhere along the way. Maybe when Richie left? Fantastic video as always, Ken.
This is the way to host a video! Informative yet also brief, with a nice flow to the editing. So many singers we grew up with had the experience of their back catalogue, i.e. their greatest hits, coming back to bite them hard. From Zeppelin and onwards lead singers seemed to be trying to outdo each other. This stretched over decades and Jon Bon Jovi was only one of many. Some singers have a long shelf life (Glenn Hughes, Bruce Dickinson, Sammy Hagar), while others seem to lose most of their powers by early middle age (Coverdale, Don Dokken, Vince Neil, Geoff Tate).
In my opinion, he sounds better than Jon today, but he has also lost vocal range. I don't think he could sing a song like "Ballad Of Youth" anymore. In his case, I think it's due to age and his drinking problem (I hope he doesn't really have it anymore). His speaking voice has also changed a bit over the years. Still, just like Jon, he could sing like a motherfucker 😀.
Right on ken your a good guy loved bonjovi I was always wondering what happened to his voice he’s such a great guy and talent it’s too bad he’s going through this . Strange as it sounds the lead singer from Cinderella is going through the same thing .i believe he was discovered by bonjovi.
Ok my thoughts, one, tough to see one of my heroes struggle like this. I'd do anything if there was a way to get him in touch with you. Also did you notice on the "now" version of wanted, even the music, it almost just sounds like a lounge cover band. Phil X gives me the same vibes as you and your cousin, always seems happy and positive. Might even say he sounds a little like your cousin 😁 Thanks for doing this video Ken!!!!
What’s interesting is that Jon’s voice started to massively decline around the same time that Richie left the band, he entered his 50s, and his hair became grey. All of these things more or less happened at the same time
I've been a big fan of Bon Jovi since their beginning, I've been all over to see live concerts. Years ago at a concert in Hull I said something wasn't right, his voice was poor and the atmosphere wasn't there. I'm so sad to see him struggling now, so hope he takes time to try and get help for his voice.
This makes me so sad.. Jon always was my hero. I still can't believe this happened to his voice. Many singers lose the fitness of the voice by age but with Jon it's really extreme. What if it isn't just his fault and underestimating? He doesn't seem like that kind of guy. What if it's some kind of a disease? I'm afraid it's happening to my voice as well and I'm still only 34...
Hehe I live in NJ near the highway rest stop they recently named after him. He’s a big philanthropist in the area and has a non-profit restaurant called JBJ Soul Kitchen.
Jon was, maybe still is, a heavy smoker too, that is what I thought caused the effects he now has with voice...seen Bon Jovi a couple of times during 80s/90s He & Ritchie were gods💫 on the mic🎤
Excellent analysis Ken, fascinating and educating. Pushing one's range when young must be especially hard, when you're 25, you never imagine still doing your superhero stuff at 55. Steve The Voice Perry gracefully passed the torch. I saw Joe with DL in late 18', the backing g tracks were unmistakable. Is it "wrong" ? Fans are paying for nostalgia. As long as it's not outright lip syncing, who is to judge ? I think Steve Walsh realized "it was time" also. Last, I don't understand why Jon Couldn't share the spotlight more with Richie Sambora more, give him more visibility & credit, & still call the band Bon Jovi. Jon seems like a great guy. Even RVZ at 25 or 26 was willing to share the spotlight with Steve Gaines. Thanks for these !!!
As a big time Bon Jovi fan sometimes when I listen to the band these last years, it hurts me to see Jon, it seems that he is suffering, that he clings to the microphone as if looking for air or something that helps him to finish the song... It is a pity that Jon has not taken advantage the two-year stoppage due to a pandemic to rehabilitate his voice. Maybe it's risky, maybe his vocal cords are worse than we think, or maybe he's not interested.
Yes its sad that bon jovi won't do these things so he can get his voice back. I had a cousin just seen him in St Louis and he was so bad they left. And I myself have noticed his voice change over time. But he still rocked me and my girl back in 88! One of the best concerts I went to growing up!
Really enjoyed this, it’s a shame what’s happened to Jon’s voice but it’s a perfect example of the importance of looking after yourself mentally and physically. Would be great to see a then and now of Richie Sambora 👍
I love Jon and I finally got to see him on tour in 2019 but I was disappointed. Jon sounded awful and I couldn't believe how damaged his voice is/was. He really struggled so bad.
Was always my favorite band.I saw BJ in Munich 2006.It was the best concert ever. Now i'm sad seeing his voice is so deteriorated.He hardly moves on stage anymore.Holding the mic almost spasmodic and he looks so tired.You're right,it's time to pack it all in and retire.Tis been said with pain in my heart.
As a lifelong Bon Jovi fan it's truly sad seeing him struggle. Not fair to current fans today that I paid $30/ticket back in '89 to see him in Nashville at the Municipal Auditorium at his best with Ritchie and they are paying hundreds to see him at his worst.... Like you said, if he can take a year or so to get healthy vocal cords, he should. Do it for the fans, I believe they'll understand over this they're getting now. Great dude!
One more note. I appreciate the fact that you are so respectful to the artists when producing your content. I wish others would learn from your example. As we say in Hebrew, you are showing good middot (character traits).
The videos coming out this week of their concerts are really heartbreaking to see! Really insightful video as always! My rock hero does sadly need to pack it in I feel & that's equally heartbreaking for me to say
If you could help him with his voice, you will always be my hero, it looks like you are the only one who knows what happens to his voice. We all know you are capable🙏
If you go way back, you'll find he damaged his voice on the Keep The Faith tour decades ago and changed his vocal arrangement on many of the Bon Jovi classics in the tours that have followed. The song Living on a Prayer (studio version) goes up well past tenor high C in the chorus. Following the Keep the Faith tour, Jon Bon Jovi has never sang that chorus live. You can get on UA-cam and hunt down 20 performances over the years. He always just points the mic at the audience during the chorus on that song, while is backup singers do the hard work. He's no longer in the band, but Richie Sambora can actually still sing quite well and performs several Bon Jovi songs in his live solo sets. On Spotify and Apple Music, you can find live tracks on Richie's solo albums performing some Bon Jovi tunes (almost all of the hits he co-wrote). This was back in Jan... FYI, I see this post was back in Jan. This month some new videos have surfaced where Bon Jovi is just singing horribly out of tune, I suspect there could be other problems at play in 2022 for BJ, probably health related beyond the voice. Given the mistakes, I suspect it's a hearing problem as much of a vocal problem these days, but I've felt that his voice has been shot for at least the past two decades.
Great vid! I just saw the Bon Jovi documentary. He put it all out there. His vocal challenges, vocal surgery. The beginning of the band, the middle and where they are today. Very cool.
One thing I've never understood is why Jon always pursues a kind of "performance" over and over again. In my opinion, he should have changed his artistic direction at least 10 years ago to say: "Uh, we have nothing more to prove, let's go back to our fundamentals and do more intimate stuff, without worrying about results, scores etc. .. By leaving more room in the composition to Richie and Dave, the group would have found a real youth and this real sharing and this more relaxed approach would surely have motivated Richie to stay in a Bon Jovi 3.0 more authentic than ever. The kind of "Big machine” thing in “highway” mode has tired Richie and even Jon. The "little prince of New Jersey" feels obliged to continue at a certain pace because of everyone it impacts. Any leader of a big company feels responsible for all this. The fatigue of the years, more moral than physical, the stress that this implies and the departure of Richie, which was sudden, are largely as much responsible for the loss of his voice that a lack of care and attention. When the soul and the heart are hurt, the rest have a hard time staying on top. I would like a return of Richie for a Bon Jovi plus Roots, to buckle the buckle, so to speak. I am, as you can imagine, a huge fan of the group. Thank you for your work, your investment and your good humor Ken. Rock on 🤘
I don’t know those guys but I bet you are in denial saying they still sound great, all artists are not the same as when they were young. It’s sad loosing the 80s generation of artists and it’s really happening now so we are clinging saying it’s not happening when it is. And it’s harder for us millennials because we got them in their last great decade the 2000s. The year 2000 was the renaissance of the 80s bands and artists. They were in their 40s but were able to catch thousands of fans who were in their teens and 20s and we stayed with them the whole so seeing them loose their good looks and loosing their mojo as artists is depressing and get in denial. It’s like nooooo, we got very little time with them, many women say Jon is still hot, no he is not. He looks better than many of his contemporaries but he ain’t sexy anymore sorry. In his prime(80s till 2007) he definitely was the sexiest rock star of all time but now nope.
Ken, what do you think about his voice now? Bon Jovi's tour's just begun, there are some records from the concerts. They tuned down even more the songs
Check out his latest album 2020. He is still worth listening to. He did take voice lessons after Slippery When Wet and now takes warm up very seriously plus he doesn’t talk much the day of concerts. He sings in a much more sustainable voice now. And the audience the big hits so loudly you can’t hear him anyways. Jon tries so hard and it does show sometimes in his voice, like you said tension.
Great session, very informative, helpful analysis. I know he is not a rock singer, but it might be fun and useful to look at Tony Bennett who was still singing and recording in his 90s. I read that Tony, in his 90s, was still studying with a voice teacher. Also, it might be fun to take a look at Bruce Springsteen then and now.
Ken, I sure wish Jon would let you work with him. He’s catching a tremendous amount of criticism for his live shows now. Would love to see him return to a good vocal performance. With your help, he could really turn things around!
Man o man is John taking a ton of heat in recent weeks since his 2022 tour started. Ken it’s like you could see this coming and saw 3-4 months into the future. Most are calling for him to retire. You should do an Updated video on him in 2022. Have you seen the very recent clips? I almost can’t believe he’s ok with what’s coming out of his mouth. It just sounds to me like he’s not trying anymore and doesn’t give a **** about it.
I had seen comments on how Jon had hurt his voice and couldn't sing like he used to, but I hadn't actually seen it for myself until this video, and it's worse than what I thought it was from what I'd read. Honestly, Jon himself looks older in these videos than he probably should (he's 59, I think, but he looks almost like a frail old man in the "now" videos you showed). It also sounds like it's more than just vocal cord issues, it sounds like he's having trouble actually pushing out air, like there's an issue with his lungs or lung capacity. I feel like there may be more going on with him than just not taking proper care of his voice. 😟
I agree! His voice is wore out but it seems like he doesnt have enough air to get the words out! I seen a video of him 10 months ago and he sounds much worse now!
G'day Ken, I don't know what's more impressive.. your knowledge on singing/performing or your hair. "I mean at that point I think it's kinda time to retire if you're not going to rehabilitate your voice or maybe sing some country songs".... that's bloody priceless. Not sure why I haven't subbed before now. Cheers for a great video :)
Nobody really looks after their longevity when they are young, especially physically, unless they have professional coaches working with them all the time (there are some objections to the rule with great discipline), especially rock and roll. Bon Jovi was a kid with extreme talent, and he achieved more in a short span than most people could ever dream of. Shame he can't sing like he used to, but then things might have been completely different if he was all sensible and cautious and took care back then.
The "Now" videos from a few years ago in this sound waaay better than middle of 2022 Live shows. It's genuinely painful seeing Jon at recent shows in April, '22 trying to sing (when he wasn't lip sincing).
I think it’s phenomenal that he’s been as good as he has for as long as he has. He has always sung right at the very edge of his capabilities, so obviously you’re not going to be able to do that forever. You can tell that they’ve also keyed some of the songs down half to a whole step already, as well. To be honest, if I’m seeing Bon Jovi live in 2022, I couldn’t care less about how Jon sounds vocally, as I’m there for the experience and not the quality of that one aspect of the show. Besides, Phil and the other guys are going to ensure that the music is 100% regardless.
I won't even gonna watch the video before i extend my opinion (Ima watch it after), to see if it matches the video, but poor Bon Jovi, he has never been able to sing the same songs with high notes that he sings on studio, i've seen cover singers doing it better than him, but his songs are incredible. I think Jon has been one of the singers that didn't pass the exam throughout the years, and it took really little time to reach that point, even at the 90's he couldn't keep up with his highest notes. To add something on his defense IMO, i think the songs written for Bon Jovi, at least some of them have been for maybe, a vocal god that still doesn't exist, when you hear the melody and the melodic jumps most of them have, the space you have to breathe between some high passages and others, the control a singer should have live, is extremely disciplined and hard to achieve, those songs are songs to spend hours studying the time for breathing, the correct voice collocation, it's like a composer that knows not much about vocal technique made it for him without even taking on account his real technical abilities, i dunno, maybe i'm wrong on this point, cause seeing what Ken can do with good control and technique over the years may show the contrary, but i see Bon Jovi songs, like "Living on a Prayer", "Someday I'll be Saturday Night", demands a lot for a singer, and Bon Jovi seems more like a singer that wants to sing on stage without much effort on training and worrying about technique, i think he should have been more prudent with his real "live range" over the first years, either when selecting which songs go live, thats the way i think Gary Cherone handled his vocal health, you'll never see him choosing songs like "Last Hour" or "Learn to Love" live, or maybe being more disciplined when going live.
I grew up with Jon’s music and they are the band that I religiously been following. I agree with your assessment Ken, having said that Jon might have some other underlying condition which trigger such vocal range limitations.. Aging is one thing , but we can still see other frontman of the 80s rock bands still rocking. I feel very bad to see how Jon is struggling to perform LIVE , I guess he’s still doing it for his fans ..
Ken, I'm not a person who complains about my ignorance,, and your you tube courses helped me a lot, but I'll have to buy your CDs, because I like to sing alone, and I'm 42 years old, I missed my time for metal singing, and I need more knowledge, if not for success, then for personal satisfaction. We will see what will happen, may God protect you and your students. Amen.
Jon had amazing backups. Richie Sambora and David Bryan covered up a lot of his weaknesses vocally. When Sambora left the band, the magic went with him.
Not too sure about that, Phil X replaced Richie very well vocally and on guitar too.
Dont' forget Bobby Bandiera. He took over at lot of Richies vocal duties for the rest of 2013, and Bobby sings those lines Richie used to do, besides the choruses where the other huys join in. Watch Make a memory from 2013, even during the verses, its Bobby supporting Jon. After the 2013 tour where both Richie and Bobby was out, Jon lost a lot of important vocal back-up. Phil is a good singer, but his voice doesn't suit Jons as good as the others. I even don't think Dave's voice suits Jons, but that doesn't mean they are bad singers! Since the last tour they've tried with the percussionist, but I couldn't hear him although I saw him shout a lot on the screen a couple of times in Denmark. He too fails to save Jon. So Jon hasn't found a proper singer with a strong vocal that can provide him with great backup nowadays. Just my opinion to it.
@@jeped203 - That’s true, in an ‘80s interview (?) Richie Sambora was saying he’s got the strongest voice on stage through the entire tour, whereas most singers lose a bit of stamina over several months. So he is an exceptional touring vocalist.
Absolutely true ... Richie is 2 class better then Jon obviously....Amen
It’s a shame that COCAINE took over Richie, what a waste😥
Jon Bon Jovi is my favorite singer because he is different from other 80s rock singer. His songs are not only about partying and having fun but also about adversities and never giving up, being optimistic. His songs have helped me when I was going through some rough patch in my life a few years ago. Sure he is nowhere near his prime, but I hear people singing back in concert videos when he can’t sing and that goes to show what an impact he has left in people’s heart. :)
I agree with this totally. The uplifting and optimistic part of the band's vibe and Jon's personality is one thing that makes them stand out on the hard rock scene!
Very well said ❤️
John is arrogant and very bad singer today.
@@RevuitNet More like 2013 the voice was gunk. But you ain't lying about Bolton. Dude's still got some pipes.
I respect Jon. Love his music. But I’ve had issues with Jon trying to pretend his 80s era never existed. It’s like in his old age the religion has taken over and he views his 80s work as full of the devils influence (groupies, parties, drugs, etc). And I hate it. Those 80s times are what made you a household name, they will always be staples on his live set list people want to hear. It’s time for Jon to let it go or just drop the 80s tunes that made him and so many others associated with him RICH. But hey, those early albums only accounted for like half his overall career sales.
I really think singing saved my life! About 15 years ago I got diagnosed with COPD & OSA I had O2 sats. Of 60 I absolutely had Zero breath and had to go around with an oxygen tank. When I tried to talk to anyone I would literally pass out. I have had minimal voice training but I started doing the breathing exercises and vocal warm ups I learned in the 1 year of HS chorus and singing daily with in about 3 years oxygen tank was gone and I am a back up worship leader on our team and do some gig work on the side. A lot of prayer and vocal practice saved my lungs!
I will always listen to Bon Jovi. His songs come from the heart. Even if he doesn't sound like his younger days I think he still loves what he does. Jon is awesome.❤🤘🏼
I've had the fortune of seeing them live in the 90s, and boy, it was great!
Proof that it is not easy to be a vocalist.
Excellently argued.
Bon Jovi remains a world legend despite his rather exhausted,tired vocals.My big respect🙏
Thank you so much Ken.
Rock on.🤘🤘
I'm mainly a Guitarist but Sambora was Bon Jovi's secret sauce !!!!!!!
no secret at all actually!
It's kind of sad to see a legend end up like this but it's an example of how vocal health can make a huge difference especially over time
It really hurts to see him suffering that much. How can Jon be convinced to recover his voice?
Suggestions please!
Join KTVA 😀
ikr... he had the time (2 years pandemic break) & the money!
He would have to put his own ego aside and actually realize that he owes it to the fans to take his job seriously
I don't think at age 60 he doesn't give a shit how he sounds. idiots are still paying 2-4 thousand $
a ticket to be at floor level 1- 5 rows back . I have gone and look it up on Ticketmaster some tickets were even over $4,000 per ticket and they required that you buy two to four tickets you can't just buy one but I also noticed that a lot of those aren't getting sold what I think they're doing is because they're not filling up the arena people at the show are coming from up above and coming all the way down so it fills up the floor area so it looks like there's more people at the concert then there really is. Even day of concert they are not selling out. Plus these the Arena's that they're using don't hold a lot of people so far I've seen less than 20,000 that it will hold, when they used to play 50- 90,000
Packed sold out shows.
He never took a break off touring to rest his vocal cords or train them better…he’s still on tour today!
What Ken is saying here is more on point than most people will ever understand 👌
Totally agree!!
I found from this new tour 2022. A lot of girls fans are in denial!!!!
A lot are saying his voice
Sounded great like it use to be. I'm sorry, but they
Must be tone deaf!!!!!!
I'm almost 10 years older then Jon ( by 4 days) and my hearing isn't perfect but damn
it hurt my ears to listen
to his voice.
@@putgordon Man, I could not agree with you more. You could consider me a fangirl, since 1986 when I was 12/13. But I'm not deaf & I'm not stupid. Jon just looks like he's in pain in the recent 2022 concert videos...and he sounds awful. It's really made me wonder if there's a deeper (neurological) issue going on. It breaks my heart to hear him like this & I've fought back tears.
I do not understand these fangirls who keep saying Jon sounds fine. It's like watching your husband drink himself to death & acting like nothing's wrong.
I'd really like for Ken to do a new video commenting on then recent concert videos.
@@lisaglass7633 I was thinking the same Lisa. To me, Jon kinda reminds me of someone who's had a stroke. Just his mannerisms while singing sure resemble this.
Agree, Ken is very right and speaking the pure truth
This was really interesting. Jon was amazing back in the day. His voice on The Young Guns II soundtrack was stellar. Saw them live many times. Recent years his voice is painful to listen to live. So sad. He’s an amazing man though. His charity work is incredible. I hope he takes you up Ken and works on his voice. Joe Elliot from Def Leppard has said he now has to do lots of vocal exercises to hit notes - he had to put in a lot of work- but he does and still sounds pretty good live. Axl Rose put in a lot of vocal work with Ron Anderson (RIP) to do AC/DC tour and that work also showed. I think if you are selling stadiums then you ought to respect fans and put work in. Sebastian Bach is still a great singer live too. As you have shown Ken it’s perfectly possible to ‘keep’ your voice or even improve it far into older age. Many of famous opera singers for example feel they get better with age…
Axl Rose voice saver was Elizabeth Sabine mostly.
I have her book.
She was well known in Hollywood. R.I.P.
Jon Bon Jovi has been my idol for as long as i can remember. I love the variation he and the band have, you can rock out to something like its my life and then be completely in tears from him getting so emotionally connected to a song like i'll be there for you or living in sin. I just can't watch any of his live stuff after around 2013. It just hurts to watch that as a fan. Thanks for the video!
You hit tne nail on the head. Just like the Scorpions, they have songs either ballads or hard rock anthems
Same same 😭💔
3013 ultimo anno di grandi concerti
Imagine 30 years from now: "Ken Tamplin - Singers Then and Now" ... Yep, he's still got it.
Jon knows all too well he's not what he once was. Given his personality, that can't possibly be an easy thing for him to deal with.
Both “Then” clips were the original studio recordings, so it’s not exactly apples to apples…but the critique of Jon’s voice issues are valid. I recall interviews w the band in the 80s talking about how Jon had vocal issues on the Slippery & New Jersey tours. You are right, having Richie and David cover for him certainly helped. Nowadays, they take a percussionist on the road who’s really only there to bolster the backing vocals…
The "then" clip of Wanted was a live performance, from Moscow Peace Festival
He didnt use original live recordings because of copyrights otherwise youtube could pull down the video
Because of copyright issues
And Everetts efforts, along with Shanks, Bryans, McDonalds and Xs aren't really helping. All them doing backing sounds more messy than actually lifting the songs.. I couldn't even make hear Everetts efforts at a show in 2019. He was often on screen screaming but I couldn't hear him out..
Jon is still an idol. It must be aging factor, however he has proven a legend all these years
I saw them a few weeks before Richie left and Jon sounded really good (even better than Cleveland a couple months prior). But very shortly after Richie was gone, Jon's voice started to go over a cliff. It can't be a coincidence. There were a smattering of good performances in the rest of 2013, but not many. I keep believing he can recover a lot of that old voice that blew so many of us away (like he did in 08, and again in 2011 -- that Hard Rock Calling and MSG were especially epic). But cigarettes, over-work, and stubbornness might be doing him in. Yeah he's back to working w/ a coach but he might not be getting the help that really needs.
What kills me is that Richie wanted more time to his own thing. A break would have also been good for Jon's voice. Instead we got an album that's pretty forgettable and a tour that should have never happened, because by the end of it we lost Richie and effectively lost Jon.
I'm still pretty heartbroken to see what's happened to the band over these last 10 years.
Yeah, I get you on that one. What About Now was an album that shouldn't have been released at that point. It sounded rushed and over polished and it wasn't recorded as a band at the time. Jon should have waited maybe half a year or more before finishing it. The fans could have waited and the result could probably have been better if everyone were on board 100%. Their show in Denmark 2013 was great though and Jon still sounded rocking awesome that night.
But the "damage" (in lack of better word) that the album and tour did to the band is still sad for me to think about.
As a die hard Bon Jovi fan since 1985, perfectly said!💯
@@jeped203 The albumyyou are talking about is not recorded in a studio
Those were live concert songs. I loved it because you can hear the crowd
Energy. Even though they are his old songs ,and not in a studio is why I just recently bought it
Well said
"What kills me is that Richie wanted more time to his own thing" . ...If you believe that you'll believe anything...abusive tweets back and forth then suddenly Richie states "yeah, I left to spend time with a 16 year old daughter" that I toured away from when she was growing up....'cos 16 year olds want to spend a lot of time with their parents.....
He was clearly paid to keep his mouth shut, it was bad for business.
The ONLY video that displays an understanding of WHAT is the CAUSE OFTEN the voice problems Bon jovi experiences. THANK YOU!
I Loved Bon Jovi...All the band members. Their music will always have have special meaning in my life throughout the decades. Any way you look at it Richie was as important to the band as Jon is. When Richie left I think it took a toll on Jon vocally and song writing. The songs just don't have the same meaning, spark or connection like they did when Richie cowrote. Richie's voice and presence is definitely missed and needed back.
Its a part of life getting old
And you can never get back your prime but Bon Jovi is Bon jovi
Forever great
Bon Jovi, one of my favorite singers and songwriters, he has more hits than i can think of, i saw him live and i suffered every song of the show, and i think he suffers them too, you can see his face in the shows when he sings living on a prayer at the end of the song, you can tell what he is thinking, but i guess he doesnt trust vocal coaches or hasn’t found a good one, i really would like him to recover.
this pandemic would have been a good time to put the money on his voice… hope he gets it back
I saw Bon Jovi in concert in 1989 when I was 16 on their New Jersey tour and they were awesome, especially Richie Sambora! I grew up in Anchorage, AK and they were one of only a few bands back then that came up to Alaska so we were psyched. They were only planning one show but they sold out three. Jon could still sing back then and it was a blast. My wife finally saw Bon Jovi in concert a couple of years ago (without Sambora) and Jon’s vocals were crap with every song lowered and not even trying to hit the notes anyway. Sad. Thanks for this indepth analysis of Jon's vocal changes. It's a shame he didn't take better care of his instrument. Glad his music lives on though.
I think Jon Bon Jovi was smart as a singer in the sense that over the years he didn't want to scream as much as he used to. I think the "Have A Nice Day" album was the last one before he notoriously wrote songs with a smaller vocal range. On "Lost Highway", which followed, Jon sang with more of a nasal tone than a raspy voice, and that fit perfectly with country music. You can argue that he didn't take good care of his voice, but from my point of view his voice went downhill after Richie left. Of course, I'm not a vocal coach, but I believe there's a psychological aspect. If you watch the 2013 Cleveland live show, you can tell he still has a good voice, but if you watch the live videos from the 2015 tour, he started to struggle. That's why I never believed it so easily when he said in interviews about Richie's departure "No ill will. It's okay". I think the Richie thing took more out of him than he would admit.
I totally agree with you, even in the end of Because We can Tour, at Brisbane he had struggle with high notes and continuous singing. And his singing voice changed a lot in 2014 if you watch his solo performances from that year. And he also aged a lot in a year, his hair turned grey. And from than his voice is on downhill, the 2019 Bucharest concert was maybe the low point. Nowdays he sounds better, maybe because of the quarantine he could rest his voice or/and those clips are autotuned. Im sooo curious about the upcoming live concerts!
100%. That's really when it went. Singers. We're so in our own heads and in our own way. Losing Richie was both musical and personal. Everything Ken says is correct physically. Because he just kinda gave up mentally.
What? PhilX is great back singer.
Wow you wrote exactly what a wasn't able to write a lot of times. Thank you man.
P.s.
You should compare live in cleveland 2013 with live in san jose 2013.
Both had a great energy, but the second was without richie.
I say this because the 2015 tour happened AFTER the great voice decline that jon had at the and of the 2013 tour (in the last month if i remember correctly)
Sorry, but my eglish isn't very good
he didn't take care of it!! He was a smoker. a lot of people didn't know that . He also drank a lot too. And now he is really drinking alot of his favorite WINE = HAMPTON WATER.
He is doing alot of traveling to premier
It because it is his sons
Jesse and his wine. He was even in Boise, Idaho,USA last summer
Going to stores and signing bottles. He also did a private show with
The Kings of Suburbia
For certain Albersons
Grocery store he also selders wine and some of the stores. But a lot of employees weren't told about it and missed out. I was very angry because
BON JOVI is my favorite band. I have never even
been able to go see. And this tour he left out many US states. Not going pass Texas. And he is doing 3 different shows in 3 different town. He has left out all western states no California Oregon Washington Utah Colorado Arizona Nevada and of course my state of Idaho
I saw Bon Jovi a few weeks ago in Minnesota I can tell his voice is fading he is still a good entertainer
Hearing the way that Jon sings these days adds a whole new meaning to the lyrics "living on a prayer and "we'll make it I swear" lol.
Great video that shows how dramatically an artist's voice can change over time. A stark reminder that the voice, like any musical instrument requires continual care and maintenance to deliver peak performance. Thank you!
(Parody of "Living On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi)
Joni used to sing really well
When he grabbed the mic
He knew how to sing so rough, so rough
But years of singing the wrong way
Singing with no plan
The price you will pay, it's tough, so tough
Ken says, you gotta hold on to what God gave
It really makes a difference to the voice that you save
Don't sing without training 'cause that's not enough
You've got to be brave
Whoa, better take care
Whoa, singing on a prayer
Take a chance, no time left to spare
Whoa, singing on a prayer
Tamplin Vocal Academy
Ken is teaching you what you need to do to sing
Just right, so right
You got dreams of singing someday
You have to do it right, Ken promises
He'll show you the way, today
Ken says, you gotta hold on to what God gave
It really makes a difference to the voice that you save
Don't sing without training 'cause that's not enough
You've got to be brave
Whoa, better take care
Whoa, singing on a prayer
Take a chance, no time left to spare
Whoa, singing on a prayer
© 2022
🙂❤
JON BON JOVI will always be one of my faves,,AND a great human too.!!
My favorite song is “I’ll be there for you” there’s that part where he does that extremely high scream, that part was so amazing. It gives me chills every time,, miss those days so much. 🥲💔
That first clip was SOO backing help haha. Its sad so many childhood heroes are losin their voices.
Truly speaking Bon Jovi "retired" when Richie left the band. Casuals only look at Bon jovi as John, but the truth is that Jon and Ritchie complemented each other and were a hell of a Team. Ritchie was as good as Jon and many people didn't realize that, a lot of the great songs Ritchie wrote them. Bon Jovi without Ritchie it's not Bon Jovi, kinda like Guns N' Roses without slash are not the same. Bands iconic figures leave and the magic leaves with them.
Yet there is Ritchie Sambora still singing pretty well for his age. Jon needs to make a phone call.
Ritchie S was a beast. He is still really decent.
Dear Ken, please save Jon’s voice 🥺
I love Jon Bon Jovi to death ❤️ I love Jon voice in the 80's and still love his voice in 2022. I know it has change over the years but it's still great for me. Obvioustly there is some notes that he can't do like he did before but it still sound good to me it's just different. He has the most beautiful and powerful voice and his songs are fantastic. His music helped me a lot during tough times in my life so I'm really grateful. I learned a lot from him too. I know that some people don't like his voice anymore but even if it has change it still sound awsome. Look at the 2020 album which is full of amazing songs, his voice is incredible it's for sure more deep then it was before but damned it sound good. Do What You Can, American Reckoning or Limitless, Story of Love ect... Jon know that he should have take care of his voice more and he know that he had tough times with his voice especially when Richie left it was a difficult period for him. But he work hard on it as he always do and he know that his voice has change and he don't want to pretend that it has not. But still work on it everyday but that's how it is and we have to accept that it has change. Even him told us that in the song God Bless This Mess from the This House Is Not For Sale album when he said "my voice is shot" ! I also think that after almost 40 years singing especially rock the voice his hurt and Jon is older too so his voice too. So it's not same but it still good and I now they're back on the road and I dream to see him on stage for once in my life it's a biggest dream to me. So I hope that is going to come in France or at least in Europe. 😊
For me, Jon's voice started to noticeably deteriorate after the These Days album. The difference in vocals between These Days and Crush is huge. You could argue there were signs on These Days too but I suppose the ability to re-track in the studio allowed them to hide it
My understanding is that it was during the recording of These Days that Jon started smoking. For me this is the ultimate reason why his vocals started to fade. He already admitted that singing the high part of Livin' On a Prayer during the Slippery When Wet tour, did some damage and then going straight from that tour to the New Jersey tour certainly didn't help. I don't think he rehabbed his voice properly after New Jersey and while Keep the Faith doesn't show any decline, the damage was done and finally the smoking during These Days was too much for his voice to handle
I disagree about smoking, I'm sure he's already by the time of New Jersey era.
I agree. I've always said that's when the change in his voice became quite obvious. His voice was still very good, IMO, in the TD era -- by Crush, the nasal tone is evident, though he could still sing. I do think smoking hurt, but his vocal technique was an issue from the beginning. (Loved the sound of his voice back in the day, though.)
The difference between These Days and his solo album "Destination anywhere" from 1997 is already big, he started singing more with his low range.
No matter the register he was in by the early-mid 1990s, l feel he & the band reached their zenith that was captured on Keep the Faith & especially These Days. Seems they matured to a higher level musically, and l feel that Jon's best singing (& writing) is captured on those two albums & tours.
I mean gems like l Believe, Bed of Roses and This Ain't A Love Song are an amazing peak reached from stuff like In and Out of Love. 🎵💖
I heard that he started smoking in '92-'93, quit for a year or two, then started it again in '95 or so.
Absolutely love Jon Bon Jovi!! Such an inspiration great music, great messages. Absolutely love for the whole band and all they stand for!! Positive for everyone so great
Jon Bon Jovi is one of my favorite vocalist. He has great voice. 🎤🎶. From japan ❣️
Jon has always been the one in charge....always. Most people who have that type of directive personality fail to take care of their own stuff. It's also possible his voice just went totally woke. 😁
No matter what happened to his voice, he is still the legendary ROCK SUPERSTAR. as a loyal fan i appreciate his effort of giving us his performance.. I love JBJ..
Eso no lo discute nadie. Pero la voz de Jon hoy en día sobre un escenario ante 55.000 personas es lamentable.. y mucha gente abandona el show.. Si el cantante no puede cantar que sentido tiene?
Not only his range, but sound of his voice is also changed. Similar thing happened to sebastian Bach, but he at least still have vocal range.
Jon Bon Jovi I’ve seen live 3 times in person. He sounds good to me even today as he has calmed his voice to maintain his live performances. Great video here!
Then clearly your tone deaf
Seen him twice, 2013 and 2019, and the difference between these concerts was huge, as portrayed in this video.
I'm pretty sure the clip you showed of livin on a prayer does sound tracked, but for the first year after the album dropped if I recall correctly he sang it live every show and in the original key. I have seen some signs that he's getting professional help with vocal training. Jon always sang with such tension in his voice. I don't think anyone ever taught him that you can have power, volume and range without pulling everything so tight lol. He just ain't carried by his youth anymore.
I think you're right, with what you said at the end. If he's not going to either sing within a healthy range or he's not going to take the time to become a healthier vocalist then he's doing his fans a disservice giving performances like that. I feel bad saying that, anyone who knows me tends to associate me with Bon Jovi. He's a fantastic song writer and musician, but I think he's lost the plot somewhere along the way. Maybe when Richie left?
Fantastic video as always, Ken.
Both "then" examples were the album tracks.
The videos were of live performances (obviously) but the audio was from the album. ✌️✌️
livin' on a prayer is the most dificult song they ever made, as i remeber this was the song that made jon lose his voice over time
It’s really sad but you’re exactly right, ken. Thx for having the courage to be blunt.
I didn't even recognize him!! Wow!! He looks totally different!
This is the way to host a video! Informative yet also brief, with a nice flow to the editing. So many singers we grew up with had the experience of their back catalogue, i.e. their greatest hits, coming back to bite them hard. From Zeppelin and onwards lead singers seemed to be trying to outdo each other. This stretched over decades and Jon Bon Jovi was only one of many. Some singers have a long shelf life (Glenn Hughes, Bruce Dickinson, Sammy Hagar), while others seem to lose most of their powers by early middle age (Coverdale, Don Dokken, Vince Neil, Geoff Tate).
I just wanted to say that I could never sing as good as you or Bon Jovi. Total respect.
How do you feel about Sambora’s voice even today? I always thought he sounded good! I love his solo albums!
In my opinion, he sounds better than Jon today, but he has also lost vocal range. I don't think he could sing a song like "Ballad Of Youth" anymore. In his case, I think it's due to age and his drinking problem (I hope he doesn't really have it anymore). His speaking voice has also changed a bit over the years. Still, just like Jon, he could sing like a motherfucker 😀.
Jon's golden decade was in the 90's, personal opinion.
Right on ken your a good guy loved bonjovi I was always wondering what happened to his voice he’s such a great guy and talent it’s too bad he’s going through this . Strange as it sounds the lead singer from Cinderella is going through the same thing .i believe he was discovered by bonjovi.
Been waiting you for you to drop something like this on JBJ..... can't wait to watch!
Hey Ken! JBJ is awesome. Great singer and frontman. Like I told you before it's all about the hair! Lol!😎
Ok my thoughts, one, tough to see one of my heroes struggle like this.
I'd do anything if there was a way to get him in touch with you.
Also did you notice on the "now" version of wanted, even the music, it almost just sounds like a lounge cover band.
Phil X gives me the same vibes as you and your cousin, always seems happy and positive. Might even say he sounds a little like your cousin 😁
Thanks for doing this video Ken!!!!
It kinda scares me that he is willing to do another tour…
Me too…which is why I’m sitting this one out!😣
Ritchie is probably Thankful that he’s not being embarrassed by Jon’s vocals these days
What’s interesting is that Jon’s voice started to massively decline around the same time that Richie left the band, he entered his 50s, and his hair became grey. All of these things more or less happened at the same time
I've been a big fan of Bon Jovi since their beginning, I've been all over to see live concerts. Years ago at a concert in Hull I said something wasn't right, his voice was poor and the atmosphere wasn't there. I'm so sad to see him struggling now, so hope he takes time to try and get help for his voice.
This makes me so sad.. Jon always was my hero. I still can't believe this happened to his voice. Many singers lose the fitness of the voice by age but with Jon it's really extreme. What if it isn't just his fault and underestimating? He doesn't seem like that kind of guy. What if it's some kind of a disease? I'm afraid it's happening to my voice as well and I'm still only 34...
My course will help. You must learn good habits. kentamplinvocalacademy.com/
Hehe I live in NJ near the highway rest stop they recently named after him. He’s a big philanthropist in the area and has a non-profit restaurant called JBJ Soul Kitchen.
I’d love to see an analysis of his current live vocals, he can’t hold pitch anymore
Jon was, maybe still is, a heavy smoker too, that is what I thought caused the effects he now has with voice...seen Bon Jovi a couple of times during 80s/90s He & Ritchie were gods💫 on the mic🎤
Excellent analysis Ken, fascinating and educating. Pushing one's range when young must be especially hard, when you're 25, you never imagine still doing your superhero stuff at 55. Steve The Voice Perry gracefully passed the torch. I saw Joe with DL in late 18', the backing g tracks were unmistakable. Is it "wrong" ? Fans are paying for nostalgia. As long as it's not outright lip syncing, who is to judge ? I think Steve Walsh realized "it was time" also. Last, I don't understand why Jon Couldn't share the spotlight more with Richie Sambora more, give him more visibility & credit, & still call the band Bon Jovi. Jon seems like a great guy. Even RVZ at 25 or 26 was willing to share the spotlight with Steve Gaines. Thanks for these !!!
As a big time Bon Jovi fan sometimes when I listen to the band these last years, it hurts me to see Jon, it seems that he is suffering, that he clings to the microphone as if looking for air or something that helps him to finish the song... It is a pity that Jon has not taken advantage the two-year stoppage due to a pandemic to rehabilitate his voice. Maybe it's risky, maybe his vocal cords are worse than we think, or maybe he's not interested.
Can you do a new one on jon? The recent shows are in a whole alternate universe. Its just bizarre. Check out the April 2022 shows.
Yes its sad that bon jovi won't do these things so he can get his voice back. I had a cousin just seen him in St Louis and he was so bad they left. And I myself have noticed his voice change over time. But he still rocked me and my girl back in 88! One of the best concerts I went to growing up!
Really enjoyed this, it’s a shame what’s happened to Jon’s voice but it’s a perfect example of the importance of looking after yourself mentally and physically. Would be great to see a then and now of Richie Sambora 👍
I love Jon and I finally got to see him on tour in 2019 but I was disappointed. Jon sounded awful and I couldn't believe how damaged his voice is/was. He really struggled so bad.
Was always my favorite band.I saw BJ in Munich 2006.It was the best concert ever. Now i'm sad seeing his voice is so deteriorated.He hardly moves on stage anymore.Holding the mic almost spasmodic and he looks so tired.You're right,it's time to pack it all in and retire.Tis been said with pain in my heart.
This band was so inspiring to many of us. It hurts me to hear him like this.
You've got to do Mariah Carey next. She lost her voice. It would be interesting to see your thoughts on whether she could get it back at some level
She totally lost her consistent upper belting range however, her lower register and middle range is much better now.
As a lifelong Bon Jovi fan it's truly sad seeing him struggle. Not fair to current fans today that I paid $30/ticket back in '89 to see him in Nashville at the Municipal Auditorium at his best with Ritchie and they are paying hundreds to see him at his worst.... Like you said, if he can take a year or so to get healthy vocal cords, he should. Do it for the fans, I believe they'll understand over this they're getting now. Great dude!
One more note. I appreciate the fact that you are so respectful to the artists when producing your content. I wish others would learn from your example. As we say in Hebrew, you are showing good middot (character traits).
The videos coming out this week of their concerts are really heartbreaking to see! Really insightful video as always! My rock hero does sadly need to pack it in I feel & that's equally heartbreaking for me to say
If you could help him with his voice, you will always be my hero, it looks like you are the only one who knows what happens to his voice. We all know you are capable🙏
If you go way back, you'll find he damaged his voice on the Keep The Faith tour decades ago and changed his vocal arrangement on many of the Bon Jovi classics in the tours that have followed. The song Living on a Prayer (studio version) goes up well past tenor high C in the chorus. Following the Keep the Faith tour, Jon Bon Jovi has never sang that chorus live. You can get on UA-cam and hunt down 20 performances over the years. He always just points the mic at the audience during the chorus on that song, while is backup singers do the hard work. He's no longer in the band, but Richie Sambora can actually still sing quite well and performs several Bon Jovi songs in his live solo sets. On Spotify and Apple Music, you can find live tracks on Richie's solo albums performing some Bon Jovi tunes (almost all of the hits he co-wrote). This was back in Jan... FYI, I see this post was back in Jan. This month some new videos have surfaced where Bon Jovi is just singing horribly out of tune, I suspect there could be other problems at play in 2022 for BJ, probably health related beyond the voice. Given the mistakes, I suspect it's a hearing problem as much of a vocal problem these days, but I've felt that his voice has been shot for at least the past two decades.
Great vid! I just saw the Bon Jovi documentary. He put it all out there. His vocal challenges, vocal surgery. The beginning of the band, the middle and where they are today. Very cool.
One thing I've never understood is why Jon always pursues a kind of "performance" over and over again. In my opinion, he should have changed his artistic direction at least 10 years ago to say: "Uh, we have nothing more to prove, let's go back to our fundamentals and do more intimate stuff, without worrying about results, scores etc. .. By leaving more room in the composition to Richie and Dave, the group would have found a real youth and this real sharing and this more relaxed approach would surely have motivated Richie to stay in a Bon Jovi 3.0 more authentic than ever. The kind of "Big machine” thing in “highway” mode has tired Richie and even Jon. The "little prince of New Jersey" feels obliged to continue at a certain pace because of everyone it impacts. Any leader of a big company feels responsible for all this. The fatigue of the years, more moral than physical, the stress that this implies and the departure of Richie, which was sudden, are largely as much responsible for the loss of his voice that a lack of care and attention. When the soul and the heart are hurt, the rest have a hard time staying on top. I would like a return of Richie for a Bon Jovi plus Roots, to buckle the buckle, so to speak. I am, as you can imagine, a huge fan of the group. Thank you for your work, your investment and your good humor Ken. Rock on 🤘
How come Rob Halford, and Bruce Dickinson still get their voice and pitch and sing just as awesome as they have always been?
I don’t know those guys but I bet you are in denial saying they still sound great, all artists are not the same as when they were young.
It’s sad loosing the 80s generation of artists and it’s really happening now so we are clinging saying it’s not happening when it is. And it’s harder for us millennials because we got them in their last great decade the 2000s.
The year 2000 was the renaissance of the 80s bands and artists. They were in their 40s but were able to catch thousands of fans who were in their teens and 20s and we stayed with them the whole so seeing them loose their good looks and loosing their mojo as artists is depressing and get in denial.
It’s like nooooo, we got very little time with them, many women say Jon is still hot, no he is not. He looks better than many of his contemporaries but he ain’t sexy anymore sorry. In his prime(80s till 2007) he definitely was the sexiest rock star of all time but now nope.
Ken, what do you think about his voice now? Bon Jovi's tour's just begun, there are some records from the concerts. They tuned down even more the songs
ua-cam.com/video/i0Lb_Kb0ICo/v-deo.html
Check out his latest album 2020. He is still worth listening to. He did take voice lessons after Slippery When Wet and now takes warm up very seriously plus he doesn’t talk much the day of concerts. He sings in a much more sustainable voice now. And the audience the big hits so loudly you can’t hear him anyways. Jon tries so hard and it does show sometimes in his voice, like you said tension.
2020 was pure garbage.
Great session, very informative, helpful analysis. I know he is not a rock singer, but it might be fun and useful to look at Tony Bennett who was still singing and recording in his 90s. I read that Tony, in his 90s, was still studying with a voice teacher. Also, it might be fun to take a look at Bruce Springsteen then and now.
I just saw Dwight Yoakam in concert this past weekend and he was great. I think his voice got better with age!
John Bon Jovi melhor vocalista de todos tempos ✌️✌️✌️✌️
Always loved Bon Jovi especially with Richie....Jon had an incredible voice
Perfect! Also been waiting for you to analize his voice! Hope you do one for Journey!
Ken, I sure wish Jon would let you work with him. He’s catching a tremendous amount of criticism for his live shows now. Would love to see him return to a good vocal performance. With your help, he could really turn things around!
Man o man is John taking a ton of heat in recent weeks since his 2022 tour started. Ken it’s like you could see this coming and saw 3-4 months into the future. Most are calling for him to retire. You should do an Updated video on him in 2022. Have you seen the very recent clips? I almost can’t believe he’s ok with what’s coming out of his mouth. It just sounds to me like he’s not trying anymore and doesn’t give a **** about it.
I had seen comments on how Jon had hurt his voice and couldn't sing like he used to, but I hadn't actually seen it for myself until this video, and it's worse than what I thought it was from what I'd read. Honestly, Jon himself looks older in these videos than he probably should (he's 59, I think, but he looks almost like a frail old man in the "now" videos you showed). It also sounds like it's more than just vocal cord issues, it sounds like he's having trouble actually pushing out air, like there's an issue with his lungs or lung capacity. I feel like there may be more going on with him than just not taking proper care of his voice. 😟
I agree! His voice is wore out but it seems like he doesnt have enough air to get the words out! I seen a video of him 10 months ago and he sounds much worse now!
G'day Ken, I don't know what's more impressive.. your knowledge on singing/performing or your hair.
"I mean at that point I think it's kinda time to retire if you're not going to rehabilitate your voice or maybe sing some country songs".... that's bloody priceless. Not sure why I haven't subbed before now.
Cheers for a great video :)
Richie n David awesome vocals also helps alot...
Nobody really looks after their longevity when they are young, especially physically, unless they have professional coaches working with them all the time (there are some objections to the rule with great discipline), especially rock and roll. Bon Jovi was a kid with extreme talent, and he achieved more in a short span than most people could ever dream of. Shame he can't sing like he used to, but then things might have been completely different if he was all sensible and cautious and took care back then.
The "Now" videos from a few years ago in this sound waaay better than middle of 2022 Live shows. It's genuinely painful seeing Jon at recent shows in April, '22 trying to sing (when he wasn't lip sincing).
Seeing the now, my first reaction was YIKES!!!!
I think it’s phenomenal that he’s been as good as he has for as long as he has. He has always sung right at the very edge of his capabilities, so obviously you’re not going to be able to do that forever. You can tell that they’ve also keyed some of the songs down half to a whole step already, as well. To be honest, if I’m seeing Bon Jovi live in 2022, I couldn’t care less about how Jon sounds vocally, as I’m there for the experience and not the quality of that one aspect of the show. Besides, Phil and the other guys are going to ensure that the music is 100% regardless.
I won't even gonna watch the video before i extend my opinion (Ima watch it after), to see if it matches the video, but poor Bon Jovi, he has never been able to sing the same songs with high notes that he sings on studio, i've seen cover singers doing it better than him, but his songs are incredible.
I think Jon has been one of the singers that didn't pass the exam throughout the years, and it took really little time to reach that point, even at the 90's he couldn't keep up with his highest notes.
To add something on his defense IMO, i think the songs written for Bon Jovi, at least some of them have been for maybe, a vocal god that still doesn't exist, when you hear the melody and the melodic jumps most of them have, the space you have to breathe between some high passages and others, the control a singer should have live, is extremely disciplined and hard to achieve, those songs are songs to spend hours studying the time for breathing, the correct voice collocation, it's like a composer that knows not much about vocal technique made it for him without even taking on account his real technical abilities, i dunno, maybe i'm wrong on this point, cause seeing what Ken can do with good control and technique over the years may show the contrary, but i see Bon Jovi songs, like "Living on a Prayer", "Someday I'll be Saturday Night", demands a lot for a singer, and Bon Jovi seems more like a singer that wants to sing on stage without much effort on training and worrying about technique, i think he should have been more prudent with his real "live range" over the first years, either when selecting which songs go live, thats the way i think Gary Cherone handled his vocal health, you'll never see him choosing songs like "Last Hour" or "Learn to Love" live, or maybe being more disciplined when going live.
I grew up with Jon’s music and they are the band that I religiously been following.
I agree with your assessment Ken, having said that Jon might have some other underlying condition which trigger such vocal range limitations..
Aging is one thing , but we can still see other frontman of the 80s rock bands still rocking.
I feel very bad to see how Jon is struggling to perform LIVE , I guess he’s still doing it for his fans ..
THIS GUY ALWAYS TALKS SENSE..and with honesty
Ken, I'm not a person who complains about my ignorance,, and your you tube courses helped me a lot, but I'll have to buy your CDs, because I like to sing alone, and I'm 42 years old, I missed my time for metal singing, and
I need more knowledge, if not for success, then for personal satisfaction. We will see what will happen, may God protect you and your students. Amen.
Ken, I agree. The first clip of old footage was definitely a tape. He’s still an utter legend but his recent performances are tough to watch.