Jon Bon Jovi made his long-awaited return to Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, days after abruptly ending his show early due to illness.
The singer surprised concertgoers over the weekend with a cameo from Bruce Springsteen, introducing him as “the great King of New Jersey.”
Bon Jovi, 64, and Springsteen, 76, are longtime friends and are both from New Jersey. They duetted “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and then belted out Springsteen’s 1978 hit “The Promized Land.”
Sunday’s concert was the ninth and final performance of Bon Jovi’s MSG residency “Forever Tour.” The tour, which kicked off on July 9, was originally scheduled for four shows at the iconic venue, but was expanded to a nine-night residency due to high ticket demand.
Last week, the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer prematurely canceled his eighth performance at MSG after suffering from a sinus infection that made it difficult to perform.
“Bon Jovi’s concert at Madison Square Garden ended tonight in 90 minutes,” a representative for the singer told Page Six. “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.”
“You Give Love a Bad Name,” the Hall of Fame rocker told fans before leaving the stage.
“Sorry, I’m hurt and you didn’t get the best of me.”
“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.”
In a statement, John’s rep added: “John has said many times that he was happy to be back performing with his band.”
The Forever Tour, which began on July 7, marks Bon Jovi’s first return to the stage after undergoing vocal cord surgery in 2022.
The singer said that after years of touring, her vocal cords had “literally atrophied”, with one “as thick as a thumb” and the other “as thick as a pinky finger.”
“My skills were taken away from me,” the rock legend admitted.
The ‘Forever Tour’ concludes with nine nights at MSG and continues in Edinburgh on August 28th.
“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 when the tour was first announced.
“I am fortunate to be able to shine the light on the audience every night and stand in their reflection for a wonderful collective experience. I get to be the ‘WE’ of the concert. ”
