Bon Jovi docuseries allows peek at band's private history
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 [April 18, 2024]
By Hanna Rantala
LONDON (Reuters) - Rockers Bon Jovi open up about their 40-year career
in the new docuseries "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story".
In the four-part show, archival footage and personal videos and photos
are intertwined with present-day interviews and scenes of the group
embarking on their 2022 tour. It documents the American band's rise in
the early 1980s and the sharp learning curve they faced as they
progressed from playing Jersey Shore clubs to stadiums around the world.
"We didn't want to create a vanity piece here. It's been a hell of a
journey. With any true career, especially when you're talking about 40
years, there's going to be the peaks and the valleys. And we wanted to
be honest about it," frontman Jon Bon Jovi said at the series' premiere
in London on Wednesday.
"It's us pulling the curtain back on the band, individually and
collectively," added keyboardist David Bryan.
In contrast to their heady days, the show also lets audiences in on more
vulnerable moments, including Jon Bon Jovi's struggles with his singing
due to a condition known as vocal fold atrophy.
"He (Jon) was thinking initially of just like this retrospective,
looking back at the 40 years. I started to notice that something was
going on with his voice. And I thought, 'That's interesting. Let's
follow that,'" director Gotham Chopra, who is known for his
documentaries about elite athletes, said.
"It ultimately ended up as a four-part series that tracks, of course,
the 40-year odyssey, but also really this journey he's been on for the
last two years to get back onto the stage."
Chopra and his team interviewed the band members, including former
guitarist Richie Sambora, and their managers and collaborators from over
the years, and combed through vast amounts of footage.
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Honoree Jon Bon Jovi performs on stage during the MusiCares Person
of the Year Gala in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 2, 2024.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
 "Jon is a hoarder, as I've learned.
He had collected stuff. There was also just tons of media archive.
These guys exploded in the '80s, and the rise of MTV, VH1, there was
just so much material," said Chopra.
"For us to see it, it was awesome. And the amount of stuff we did
was awe-inspiring and I'm like, 'Well, that's why we're tired,'"
said Bryan of watching the series.
Jon Bon Jovi said he was happy with the outcome.
"I think that the legacy matters. We were always very proud of what
we were doing. And we wanted to be remembered in a certain way and
we've worked for that."
Four decades on, Bon Jovi still has a lot to give, the 62-year-old
singer said. The group's 16th studio album, "Forever," will be out
in June.
"I think it's the best record we've made in 20 years," he said,
adding he was not thinking about touring - for now.
"One day at a time. Let's just enjoy tonight and get the album out
and work towards getting back out there."
"Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" premieres on Disney+ in
the UK and on Hulu in the United States on April 26.
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala in London; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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