Jon Bon Jovi abruptly ended his show at Madison Square Garden on Thursday after struggling to finish his set.
The 64-year-old rock icon said he was performing on night eight of his nine residency shows at New York City’s MSG as part of his Forever Tour and had to cancel the show after singing his 1986 hit “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
“I’m sorry, I’m hurt and you’re not getting the best of me,” the eyewitness told Page Six to the audience.
“Don’t throw away your ticket stubs. We’ll do something about it, okay?” he continued. “Give me a moment and I’ll think of a way to reschedule.”
Bon Jovi added before exiting the stage.
“Bon Jovi’s concert at Madison Square Garden ended tonight after 90 minutes,” representatives for the “It’s My Life” singer told Page Six in a statement.
“Jon Bon Jovi spoke from the stage and told fans that he was battling a sinus infection, which led to the early end of the show.” “As part of Bon Jovi’s residency at Madison Square Garden, John has repeatedly expressed how happy he was to be back to see the band live.”
“Updated information will be available shortly,” the statement concluded.
Fans on social media were quick to show their support for Bon Jovi.
One person wrote: “His heart must have been broken because it had to end so early,” while another added: “It was a heartbreaking ending (knowing what the end of the show meant to him) but I was still in shock having arrived from the UK for this show!!”
The Forever Tour will be the band’s first tour since the frontman underwent vocal cord surgery in 2022.
“There is great joy in this announcement, a joy to share this night with our amazing fans and a joy to bring our band together,” Bon Jovi said in a statement announcing the tour.
“I’m lucky enough to be able to shine a light on the audience every night and stand in their reflection for a great collective experience. I get to be in WE’s shoes at the concert,” he added.
In 2024, he told the Sunday Times that if he could no longer sing at the level he was accustomed to following surgery on his vocal cords, he might never sing live again. “If I can’t sing well and I can’t be the person I used to be… then I’m done.”
But last month, he told People that he has “made a full recovery.”
“It took longer than we expected, but it was meant to be. We never lost faith,” he told the magazine.
The father of four said the health crisis has taught him how to live in the moment.
“I was always putting my head down to the grindstone, thinking about tomorrow, never living for today,” he explained. “It has made me not only live today, but appreciate all the todays that are still here.”
