When the lead singer of an enormously popular band leaves or takes a break, the fans and critics are always curious as to how their careers will compare. In other words, it is a massive undertaking and one that often entails harsh criticism. However, there have been several musicians to have left their respective bands and gone on to create a solo career just as successful, and one musician who achieved this feat is Jon Bon Jovi.
Jon Bon Jovi is primarily known for being the lead singer of Bon Jovi. However, Bon Jovi’s music credits expand far beyond his time with the band. Even though Bon Jovi has never left Bon Jovi, he did take a break from the group when he created his iconic solo album, Blaze Of Glory, for the film Young Guns II.
How Jon Bon Jovi Got Jeff Beck and Elton John To Play On ‘Blaze Of Glory’
As stated previously, Jon Bon Jovi’s solo project was not an official departure from Bon Jovi. Rather, it was seemingly an innocent and self-fulfilling experiment. Concerning the series of events surrounding the album, Bon Jovi sat down on The Howard Stern Show and told Howard Stern how it came to fruition and what major players joined him on the record.
When Emilio Estevez was creating the soundtrack for Young Guns II, he asked Bon Jovi if he could use the hit single, “Dead or Alive.” Bon Jovi refused and insisted that he create an album for the entire movie instead. Estevez agreed and consequently, he got a hit record that featured Bon Jovi himself, as well as music legends, Elton John and Jeff Beck.
Regarding Beck’s role on the record, Bon Jovi told Stern that he “asked [Jeff Beck] to perform on the whole album, and he was kind enough to agree.”
“You get out of the way when Jeff Beck touches a guitar,” Bon Jovi humorously added.
Subsequently, Stern asked Jon Bon Jovi how he got Elton John on the record. He replied that he “simply asked him.”
“We had met a couple of times, and at that juncture he just happened to be in LA and he came over and he played on a song,” said Bon Jovi.
Per Jon Bon Jovi’s comments, it seems this album came together fairly seamlessly. Furthermore, it also seems procuring this big-name talent came rather effortlessly for Bon Jovi. Which, in this business, with a project of this magnitude, is an extremely rare occurrence.
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