BON JOVI: HARD KNOCKS on HBO

HBO's series HARD KNOCKS kicks off its second season this Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m.-midnight ET/PT on HBO.  Check your local listings!  The show takes reality TV to a different level - documenting weekly the training camp of an NFL team.  
Last year's premiere season featured the then Super Bowl champs Baltimore Ravens.  
This year's series will focus on the DALLAS COWBOYS and follow them through training camp, pre-season and into the season.   
Chosen as the theme song for this year's edition of HARD KNOCKS?   
BON JOVI's song "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE" from the album "Slippery When Wet" (a special mix was done for the show's credits.)  Make sure to check it out.

"For more on the Hard Knocks, the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys click here"
http://www.nfl.com/hardknocks/

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday 8/12) he will be calling in to the following radio stations:  

WBAB in Long Island @ 8am EST; KYYS in Kansas City @ 7:10am CST; FM 100 in Memphis @ 7:20am CST and WMMR in Phili @ 8:30am EST.

Vote at www.bonjovi.com

The Z-100 crowd did NOT know what hit them last nite!    Z-100 is a local
NY/NJ/CT radio station and they hosted a massive multi-act radio concert at
NJ's GIANTS STADIUM last nite.  The band actually did their soundcheck late
on Saturday night at the stadium.   The show itself started at 5:40 PM
llast night when PINK took the stage... before Bon Jovi performed, the
crowd witnessed sets by Marc Anthony, Nick & Aaron Carter, Alanis
Morrisette, Goo Goo Dolls, Celine Dion and others.    The members of Bon
Jovi arrived during the show (some by car and some by helicopter) and
rushed into their dressing room (which was actually the NY JETS locker
room!)  Waiting for them were gifts from the NY Giants (personally
delivered by Coach Jim Fassel) which included a customized NY Giants home
jersey with Bon Jovi and the number one on the back (it was custom-made to
fit Jon without the shoulder pads!)  Before the band took the stage, PINK
paid a visit to the dressing room after her performance.  Before the band
was due to take the stage, they were hanging out in the dressing room
watching the L.A. LAKERS basketball game on TV.  When it was time for Bon
Jovi to hit the stage at 9pm, the sun had set, the night had fallen and it
was nice & cool outside.    

The Z-100 Morning Zoo on-air staff introduced
the NY Yankees (Including David Wells, Jay Spencer, Roger Clemens, Jason
Giambi, Steve Karsay, Jay Van der Wal and others) to a roar of the crowd...
then, David Wells took the mike and introduced "NEW JERSEY'S FINEST: BON
JOVI" and the stadium EXPLODED!!!    The band broke into YOU GIVE LOVE A
BAD NAME and that crowd did not know what hit them.   Everyone was up -
dancing, singing, taking part in the show.    There was a Z-shaped catwalk
jutting out from downstage center that extended into a small GA pit.  Jon
strutted on that catwalk and interacted with the crowd and the whole place
was just on fire (in fact, BON JOVI shot off fireworks twice during their
mini-set!)   After BAD NAME, the band performed IT'S MY LIFE, LIVIN' ON A
PRAYER, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE (Jon did announce it as "All rise, for the
playing of our national anthem...") and BAD MEDICINE.    Jon had the crowd
in the palm of his hand - everyone in that stadium... if they weren't there
to see Bon Jovi were now converted fans.   The band stole the show!
Finally, since Jon claimed it was a tease only being allowed to do a
handful of songs... he tore off his denim jacket to reveal a white NJ NETS
Jason Kidd autographed home game jersey that had been rhinestoned by hand
for the show... and broke into SHOUT (doing the intro from the Z-Catwalk.)
 It is an amazing site to see everyone in that stadium dancing and singing
along, jumping up and down to the song...   from the very front, all the
way back, to far reaches of the stadium, to the very top row... BON JOVI
rocked that crowd.  And then, Jon said "see you soon" and bid farewell as
the band finished out the song.   (After Bon Jovi, the crowd were treated
to performances by P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Fat Joe and Shakira, who closed
the show.)

The band left the stage and headed back into their dressing room... and it
was THE dressing room everyone wanted to be in.   For starters, Z-100 ran a
contest that gave one grand prize winner the opportunity to see the show
and meet the band... and to bring 15 of her closest friends.  The winner
turned out to be a girl from Jon's hometown of Sayreville, NJ and she was
beyond excited by the entire experience.    MICHELLE BRANCH even stopped by
to meet the band.    All the NY YANKEES who had been onstage to introduce
the band were now hanging out backstage... and then the local heros joined
the party.  Members of the NBA Championship Series-bound NEW JERSEY NETS
joined BON JOVI in their dressing room to hang out.  JASON KIDD was ushered
in and Jon retrieved the one-of-a-kind jersey he wore during the
performance and presented it to Jason's wife, Joumana, as a gift.    It was
a VERY cool night... was when it was time to go, the band got a police
escort out and were off to finish up work on the album.

For all of you who were there, we're sure you had a kick-ass time.   For
those of you who couldn't attend, we hope we filled you in on some of the
info!    (Richie was wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt and a black cowboy
hat with red stones along the rim, plus his Sambora necklace....  )     If
you head over to www.z100.com you can see some of the live shots taken
during the show.  And, if you head over to www.wireimage.com, you'll see
even more live shots plus a slew of backtage shots showing the guys with
the athletes who were hanging out in the dressing room.   (remember: Wire
Image is a professional service so you can only view the images in the
small format they're initially shown in however, these are the photos that
media outlets run in newspapers & magazines so they could turn up in larger
formats... keep an eye out!)

Just a small dose of Bon Jovi... before the regular IV drip of Bon Jovi
begins later this summer!    Are you READY?

"Jon was the mystery celebrity voice on Saturday May 25 on AOL.  He was revealed on Sunday May 26.   Jon recorded AOL greetings that you can put on your computer and hear him every time you log onto AOL.  The keyword is Celebrity Voices.  There are pictures and articles on the band as well."

April  18, 2002

Remember the Summer of 2001? Remember those two incredible sold-out homecoming concerts at GIANTS STADIUM? They were amazing... isn't GIANTS STADIUM the PERFECT place to see BON JOVI perform LIVE in CONCERT? Don't you wish you could re-live some of the magic from last July? It's funny, really... Z-100 (100.3 WHTZ in NY/NJ/CT) has this multi-act concert lined up for JUNE 2nd at GIANTS STADIUM and they've announced a whole slew of performers... Shakira, Marc Anthony, Pink, Mary J. Blige, Goo Goo Dolls, P. Diddy, Alanis Morrissette, Celine Dion, Michelle Branch... and it just seemed WRONG... the mere idea of a concert at GIANTS STADIUM without BON JOVI is just ludicrous! unthinkable! After all, they did call it BON JOVI stadium last summer... c'mon - it's Giants Stadium, it's Jersey, it's summertime! But unfortunately, BON JOVI have not yet been officially announced for the concert on the radio station. Seems odd, doesn't it? So, tell ya what we're gonna do.... here is our OFFICIAL ADVISE. Tune into Z-100 tomorrow morning (oh, say around 7:15 AM.) Because even if Z-100 don't know it yet, they have one more big band that's adding their name to the ZOOTOPIA line-up. In fact, a certain someone (ok, we can't tell you who but his initials are J-B-J...) left a voice mail for the Z-100 folks letting them know there was no way they could get away with a show at Giants Stadium without asking Bon Jovi's permission first - (quite frankly - we think Bon Jovi bandmembers have held onto a set of keys to the stadium since last summer and aren't quite ready to relinquish them to some radio DJs...) So, here is some more OFFICIAL ADVISE: BUY YOUR TICKETS TO ZOOTOPIA !! If you want to do it via the INTERNET, go to www.whtz.com/zootopia NOW and take part in the INTERNET PRESALE until 10:00pm tomorrow (4/19) night. You'll need a PASSWORD. We'll give you a hint: THE PASSWORD IS ELVIS. But if you don't want to buy your tickets online, make sure you hit up TICKETMASTER (via phone, at the outlets or online) on SATURDAY morning, APRIL 20th at 9:00 AM when tickets officially go ON SALE to the general public. You are allowed to buy up to 8 tickets per person and tickets range between $45.00 and $150.00 each. Check out the Z-100 website for more details.

So, consider this OFFICIAL. And a familiar voice will announce it to the rest of the tri-state area tomorrow morning... unfortunately, there will be no special ticketing arrangements made for members of the BSWJBJ fan club since it's not a Bon Jovi show (it's a radio station show.) Somehow, we think you'll still enjoy the show (even if we can't guarantee you fourth row seats!)

Rumors are rumors until we tell you otherwise. We're telling you otherwise! SEE YOU AT GIANTS STADIUM ON JUNE 2ND! It's gonna be one helluva way to kick off the SUMMER OF 2002 and - THE YEAR OF BON JOVI!!!!

IN STYLE MAGAZINE
JON BON JOVI will be featured in next month's issue of IN STYLE magazine. The magazine has a special FATHER'S DAY section. Celebrities (Michael J.
Fox, Kevin Coster, Garth Brooks...) were asked to have their CHILDREN take photos of their famous father for the profile. Jon's son, JESSE, took
some photos of his dad... look for them to appear in the Father's Day section of the next IN STYLE magazine. (*For those fans worried... no, there will be no images of Jesse appearing - just the photos he took of JBJ.)

A & E: BIOGRAPHY
Throughout the first few months of 2002, A&E have been putting together the A & E: BIOGRAPHY on JON BON JOVI. Lots of great interviews are taking
place and we can't tell you too, too much but look for the one-hour profile to air around the launch of the next Bon Jovi album this fall.... Jon's sitting down for his (very long) interview this week!

WILLIE NELSON
Look for some exclusive photos taken by Jon and Richie while in Nashville... coming soon only for BSWJBJ members...!

Harley Davidson is celebrating their 100th Birthday this year and to mark the occasion, there are a slew of special events taking place around the globe. THE OPEN ROAD TOUR will be running through 2002 and 2003... it's a traveling festival devoted to Harley Davidson and it's place in history and culture. Following are the dates:

ATLANTA JULY 20-21, 2002

JERSEY SHORE (Old Bridge Township) AUGUST 16-18, 2002

LOS ANGELES SEPT.6-8, 2002

TORONTO SEPT. 27-29, 2002

DALLAS OCT. 25-27, 2002

MEXICO CITY NOV. 22-24, 2002

SYDNEY MARCH 14-16, 2003

TOKYO APRIL 25-27, 2003

BARCELONA JUNE 27-29, 2003

MUNICH JULY 25-27

Each stop will include musical entertainment, activities for kids and adults (bikers and non-bikers) PLUS several rare, never-before-seen EXHIBITS. The core of the Open Road Tour Festival will be three 20,000 square-foot exhibits entitled " THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON EXPERIENCE: JOURNEY, MACHINE and CULTURE." One of the pavilions will be hosted by THE ROCK 'N' ROLL HALL OF FAME... and it's in this pavilion that JON BON JOVI's Red & White Indian Softail Harley-Davidson will be on display (it is no longer viewable at The Hall of Fame - it has already been taken off display to prepare for this tour.) Jon's helmet and leather jacket will also be joining the hog in the pavilion, alongside ELVIS' motorcycle and riding gear. For more information on the Harley-Davidson Open Road Tour, head over to www.harley-davidson.com for details on the Open Road Tour, the Milwaukee based Harley 3-Day Celebration & Party.

JON and RICHIE participated in last night's 'Willie Nelson & Friends' concert that took place in Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by actor Vince Vaughn (Swingers, Psycho, Made,) the event saw American music icon Willie Nelson joined onstage by contemporary artists to perform classic Willie Nelson songs. JON and RICHIE performed "ALWAYS ON MY MIND" with WILLIE. Other artists who took part in the concert included Sheryl Crow, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Brian McKnight, Dave Matthews, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Keith Richards, Toby Keith, Aaron neville, Ryan Adams, Hank Williams III and Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas. The entire 2-hour concert was FILMED and will be AIRED on USA NETWORK on MONDAY, MAY 27th (Memorial Day) at 9:00 PM (ET/PS.) It will repeat later that night at 12:00 AM. *Bonus scoop: Did you know that Sheryl Crow flew down to Nashville on the same plane with Jon and Richie? Did you know that the Dixie Chicks joined them for the ride back up to NY after the show? Did you know that Jon first met Willie in the mid-80s when he took part in Farm Aid? And yes... for all of you who want to know: Jon did wear his Shady Brady!

DAVE BRYAN is returning to his alma mater, J.P. STEVENS HIGH SCHOOL in EDISON, NJ to be honored this week. DAVE is being added to the J.P. STEVENS HIGH SCHOOL HALL of HONOR. Every four years, alumni from the school are nominated and selected based upon merits and achievement. DAVE's picture will be added to the Hall of Honor and on Thursday, April 18th, DAVE will be honored at a dinner with school alumni. He will also attend an assembly during the day alongside students and, continuing his devotion to music education and his role as national spokesman for Save The Music, DAVE will also be a special guest in band class. Congratulations DAVE!

Dave is continuing work on SWEET VALLEY HIGH, a musical based upon the internationally best-selling series of teen books (and the popular syndicated TV show of the same title.) In the meantime, his other musical theater project, entitled MEMPHIS, is about to hit the stage. MEMPHIS is based upon the life of 1950's radio personality DEWEY PHILIPS who was the first to introduce white Memphis kids to rhythm and blues... he's responsible for getting rock 'n' roll started on radio (even before Alan Freed coined the term!) The musical was written by DAVE BRYAN along with Joe DiPietro, who also wrote the off-Broadway smash 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change' and 'Over The River and Through The Woods'. DAVE will be on location to watch his project being read by Theater Works of Palo Alto, CA - the readings will take place on May 4 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (noon and 8pm.) Congratulations, Dave!

The displays and auction runs until April 19.

JON BON JOVI and RICHIE SAMBORA have signed on to take part in WILLIE & FRIEND. This is a concert being taped for A&E NETWORKS. On Sunday, APRIL 14th, JON and RICHIE will join other artists who will be performing with WILLIE NELSON and celebrating the music of this true American legend.

WILLIE & FRIEND will be held at the historic RYMAN AUDITORIUM in NASHVILLE, TN. The show will be all music, all night long. The concert will include performances of Willie Nelson's classic songs as well as some of his favorites - all performed with musicians including Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, Dave Matthews, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas, Hank Williams III, Brian McKnight and, of course, JON & RICHIE. Throughout the concert, Willie will be present - playing, singing and jamming with his friends. We can't tell you what JON & RICHIE will be performing but you'll be able to watch for yourself because the entire evening is being taped for a program to air on A&E. You can tune into the broadcast of WILLIE & FRIEND on A&E NETWORK on Monday, MAY 6th (check your local listings.)

*** Go to www.ryman.com for more information. According to their website and to local Nashville papers, the TV taping IS open to the public. Here's how: if you purchase top-price tickets to the Friday, May 12th WILLIE NELSON concert at The Ryman, you get one free ticket to the Sunday television taping. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 16 at 10am.

April 7 2002

Radio show underground garage. Little Steaven. Jon and Richie

April 2002

THE RETURN OF BON JOVI TV

OBIE has been in the studio with the these past two weeks and promises he's got a slew of new footage... he's going to sit down and edit some of it together for a new episode of BJTV @ bonjovi.com scheduled to debut on a computer screen near you real soon!

We'll keep you posted!

March 15, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2002

 Bon Jovi Head Into Studio To Begin Recording

Bounce

 New York, NY-- International superstars, Bon Jovi head back in to the studio this week to begin recording their new album, Bounce. Bounce is being co-produced by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora along with Luke Ebbin, the same team responsible for the multi-platinum Crush. The band is recording the album in New Jersey and it is slated for a late Fall release.

 Bounce is the follow up to Bon Jovi's incredibly successful album, Crush which sold 8 million copies worldwide (certified double platinum in the U.S.), spawned the hit singles, "It's My Life" and "Thank You For Loving Me" and earned the group their first ever Grammy nominations for "Best Rock Album" and "Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group” for "It's My Life". The band embarked on a sold-out world tour that spanned 2000 and 2001, playing nearly 100 concerts in 18 countries for more than 3 million fans. The tour culminated with a two night sold-out homecoming at N.J.'s Giants Stadium. The shows aired on VH-1 and was the highest rated concert event in the network's history. In addition, Bon Jovi released their first-ever live album last year, One Wild Night: Live 1985-2001 which has sold over 2 million copies to date.

 The members of Bon Jovi have taken part in some very high profile events this year. In the wake of the September 11^th attacks, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed as part of the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon while the full band performed at the VH-1 "Concert for New York" in October at NYC's Madison Square Garden. Both events have been released on CD, DVD and VHS.  Bon Jovi also took part in the "Alliance For Neighbors" concerts which benefited families living near the band members’ hometowns who were affected by the World Trade Center attacks. In December, Jon and Richie performed a rousing rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" as a tribute to the late George Harrison at the 2001 My VH1 Awards, before winning the award for "Hottest Live Act". In February, Bon Jovi once again wowed a global audience with their amazing performance at the Closing Ceremonies of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Look for BON JOVI TV to return to www.bonjovi.com...

The men were dressed as priests and choirboys. The women were all dressed, well... like tarts! JON and DOROTHEA were joined by Dave & April, Tico & Alejandra and Hughie. Plus, they welcomed some good friends including Howard Stern (Jon called into Howard's show yesterday morning and talked about what a great party it was,) Ron Perelman & Ellen Barkin, football player Sean Landetta, Chazz Palmentieri, Dave "Snake" Sabo and Billy Falcon. On stage, Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg and Bobby Bandiera were handling the R&B sounds. After midnight, Jon's friends and heros Southside Johnny and Little Steven Van Zandt took to the stage to perform and Jon joined them. It was a fantastic party! Enjoy the photos we have for you... they're just to wet your appetite as the next BSWJBJ Newsletter will have exclusive party pictures for you! Happy Birthday Jon!!

February 25 ,2002

JON and RICHIE pay TRIBUTE TO BILLY JOEL

Here's the run-down of performances from the 2002 MusicCares Person Of The Year Awards Tribute Concert held Monday night, February 25th, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles:

February 19,2002

DAVE BRYAN DONATES HIS TIME & TALENT TO SAVE THE MUSIC.

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 19th, was a really very special and incredible night of music in New York City. DAVID BRYAN has dreamed of an evening to benefit VH-1 SAVE THE MUSIC and hoped he could host it at STEINWAY HALL - and it became a reality. DAVE BRYAN (along with John Sykes, the President of VH-1 and CMT) hosted AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH THE FRIENDS OF VH-1 SAVE THE MUSIC at the legendary Steinway Hall in Manhattan.

Less than 100 invited guests attended the private recital which was held to draw attention to the SAVE THE MUSIC PROGRAM. There was food & drink for all before the evening's program began. JOHN SYKES and BOB MORRISON (head of SAVE THE MUSIC) addressed the audience on the topic of the program's goals and successes before introduced an example of that success.

VICTOR LOPEZ is the Principal of P.S. 96 in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood. This elementary school was among the worst performing schools in the city and the state when Mr. Lopez took over the job as principal and set about changing his school (and his students') future. In fact, when BON JOVI were performing live outdoors at THE TODAY SHOW in June 2000, TODAY SHOW host Matt Lauer was not on site until the very end of the band's performance (remember? the camera managed to get Matt singing "you give love a bad name" on camera just as he arrived on the site!) because he had been in East Harlem with President Bill Clinton that morning visiting Victor Lopez' elementary school. A year and a half later, Principal Lopez appeared at this SAVE THE MUSIC event, along with the school's music teacher and four of his sixth-grade students. 

The students (four boys, 2 on clarinet, one on saxophone and one on flute) performed three musical numbers for the audience and showed how much they'd in just 18 months since the program was incorporated into the school's curriculum. The school, which had just 13% of its students reading at grade level 2 years ago, now has 79% reading at grade level - as massive achievement for the students and the teachers and Victor Lopez. They credit the turnaround in large part to the SAVE THE MUSIC program. Students who didn't come to school now are at the school before the doors open, waiting to get into the music room to practice.

When the students finished their three songs, JOHN SYKES introduced DAVID BRYAN who spoke briefly about his musical education and his involvement in the SAVE THE MUSIC program. In addition to auctioning off front row seats to each BON JOVI concert in the U.S. on the 2000 CRUSH and 2001 ONE WILD NIGHT TOURS, DAVID would teach MASTER CLASSES on his days off during the tour. Originally classically trained, DAVID would go to elementary schools in cities around the country and teach the children about music. He's discuss his career, perform on the piano and challenge the kids to succeed just like he did. DAVID then took his seat at the grand piano and performed his compositions APRIL and IT'S A LONG ROAD. In between songs, he joked that in rock 'n' roll all you get to do is "these chords" - and he played the intro to IT'S MY LIFE a few times! He said he was happily to show off a little more! Then, DAVE asked the four sixth-grade musicians to join him for a group jam on the Bon Jovi song, IN THESE ARMS (and it kicked butt!.) 

The event was a huge success for the SAVE THE MUSIC program and a huge personal accomplishment for DAVID. DAVID was in heaven Tuesday night. With wife April in attendance, not only did he witness the event he'd planned become a reality, but as a 40th birthday present, April gave him the very Steinway piano he had used to perform upon at the event. DAVE had dreamt of owning his own Steinway since he was 9 years old and now he would have one. And, David had the piano signed by Mr. Steinway himself (the last living member of the Steinway family that have been crafting the pianos.) David was at Steinway Hall earlier in the month sampling pianos for more than 4 hours before he picked the one he wanted for his own. It was a dream come true for Dave. He was practically giddy after the event - it exceeded his dreams. This was one very happy man.

DAVID BRYAN has been very involved throughout the past two years with SAVE THE MUSIC. He's conducted "master classes" at elementary schools in several U.S. cities where he played music and took questions from children about the piano, his musical background and his career. For more information about the program, visit www.vh1savethemusic.com

Make sure to tune into The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this THURSDAY night, FEBRUARY 7th. JON BON JOVI will be the first guest joining Jay on the couch to talk (no performance here... he'll be talking primarily about Ally and acting.) The Tonight Show aires on NBC (11:30 est) - check your local listings! Right now, that's the only publicity appearance Jon is confirmed to make; should any additional appearances be added we'll let you know!!!

Congratulations to BON JOVI who were voted BEST ROCK ACT at the very first MTV ASIA AWARDS!

VH-1 200TH POP UP VIDEO 

VH-1's one series POP UP VIDEO celebrated it's 200th episode with a special show full of artists talking about the show, their favorite videos that have been popped and their own videos that were popped. JON AND RICHIE are in the opening, middle and close of the show! That footage was filmed at the Shrine Auditorium the day before the My VH-1 Awards - Jon, Richie and the two cellists were there rehearsing for the surprise George Harrison tribute.

JON BON JOVI & SPECIAL OLYMPICS: INSPIRE GREATNESS

SPIRIT is the magazine of Special Olympics. In their issue dated Quarter 3, 2001 there is a recap of much of the events Special Olympics held during the year and it included an article on JON BON JOVI and his SPECIAL OLYMPICS tribute at the July 26 Giants Stadium Sound check. There is also a larger article about MUSIC STARS and SPECIAL OLYMPICS. Following are the articles as they appear in the magazine (written by Michelle Craig & Tami Marble.) LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

Jon's first episode on ALLY McBEAL is this coming Monday night, January 14th at 9pm (est) on FOX - the episode is entitled "Blowin' In The Wind" and Jon shows up as the contractor working on Ally's newly purchased house. Jon had a visit on the set by a crew from EXTRA... check your local listings for the piece which should be airing tomorrow, Friday, January 11th. Jon has done a few interviews with major syndicated news outlets so there will be some pieces that local papers will pick up and run with over the next few weeks... we can't tell you which papers/magazines will pick up the info to use so you'll need to keep an eye out for local tidbits. Also, if you're a NY/NJ/CT tri-state area resident, tune into WPLJ on Monday morning, January 14th to hear an interview with JBJ. Also, look for a piece in the Asbury Park Press. So far, no TV talk appearances on the calendar but if and when we get confirmation that one is scheduled, we'll get the news to you asap. Make sure you visit www.allymcbeal.com for more info on the series. RICHIE / AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS Richie Sambora performed with R&B artist USHER at last night's American Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA. Hope you all caught it on TV!

VH-1 200TH POP UP VIDEO January 10, 2002

VH-1's one series POP UP VIDEO celebrated it's 200th episode with a special show full of artists talking about the show, their favorite videos that have been popped and their own videos that were popped. JON AND RICHIE are in the opening, middle and close of the show! That footage was filmed at the Shrine Auditorium the day before the My VH-1 Awards - Jon, Richie and the two cellists were there rehearsing for the surprise George Harrison tribute.

JON BON JOVI & SPECIAL OLYMPICS: INSPIRE GREATNESS January 10, 2002

SPIRIT is the magazine of Special Olympics. In their issue dated Quarter 3, 2001 there is a recap of much of the events Special Olympics held during the year and it included an article on JON BON JOVI and his SPECIAL OLYMPICS tribute at the July 26 Giants Stadium Sound check. There is also a larger article about MUSIC STARS and SPECIAL OLYMPICS. Following are the articles as they appear in the magazine (written by Michelle Craig & Tami Marble.) LIVIN' ON A PRAYER!

TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES PAY TRIBUTE TO JON BON JOVI ! January 10, 2002

For almost 15 years, Jon Bon Jovi has been active in the Special Olympics movement. He has attended scores of competitions around the world, cheered on athletes, presented awards, and over all has brought a recognizable superstar face to the organization. And on 26 July at Giants Stadium, two Special Olympic athletes, Pauline Naturile and Kenny Lamonea, spread the love right back. 26 July 2001 was a special date for another reason: it was declared BON JOVI DAY in the state of New Jersey. Standing among Bon Jovi's record label and promotional company executives, media and hundreds of fans, Pauline and Kenny made a moving tribute to Bon Jovi, recognizing the performer for his inspiration to Special Olympics athletes around the world. "Kenny and I first met Bon Jovi at the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games in North Carolina," Naturile said. "He inspired us to do the very best we could and to let nothing stand in our way at the power lifting competition. Thanks to his encouragement and that of my coaches, family and friends, I won four gold medals at those World Games!" She went on to declare, "When Jon Bon Jovi is not at a Special Olympics event, we, the athletes, are at one of his events. Like tonight and every other night of the 2001 CRUSH tour where he has invited Special Olympics athletes as his personal guests. Thank you for providing us with these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities." Bon Jovi has not only invited athletes from all over the world to each of his concerts and been a steadfast backer of them on many levels, he has also served as an inspiring supporter of the A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CD initiative which raises funds for Special Olympics Programs worldwide. Lamonea said it best, "Bon Jovi, you say there are lessons to be learned from us. But everyone here today can learn from you - you're leadership, and your dedication to Special Olympics athletes around the world. On behalf of all the athletes of Special Olympics, we thank you for inspiring greatness in each of us." Included atop this article is a picture of Jon with Pauline and Kenny taken at the sound check; Jon is holding the award.

SUMMER OF MUSIC & MEMORIES    January 10, 2002

A bevy of bands on summer concert tours donate tickets that touch the hearts and lives of Special Olympics athletes. Some of the world's top contemporary artists shared their hearts and music with approximately 3,000 athletes across the globe this summer - zinging out smash hits and percolating new music. Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews Band, Depeche Mode, Destiny's Child, Dido, Eric Clapton, BON JOVI, Journey, Madonna, *N SYNC, Sting, Styx, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, and U2 collectively donated some 3,000 tickets to their concerts, offering athletes a rare opportunity to attend a live performance and experience the energy and life of the music, the bands and the crowd for the first time. This initiative was spearheaded by RSS Inc. and Jeff McCluskey & Associates, who collaborated with industry professionals to secure these opportunities for Special Olympics. Depeche Mode commented on their involvement, "If any small gesture on our behalf can make a difference, we're certainly honored." Brett Williams, an athlete who attended Journey's concert in Florida on 16 June, expressed his gratitude, "As a 15-year-old athlete, I have always wanted to see a live concert but was never able to until tonight. I enjoy all kinds of music and was thrilled to see professional musicians at work!"Williams' friend Jonathan Doring also attended the show that night. He wanted the band members to know that, "I am going to learn how to play the piano. I love music and I am very excited to learn how to play and make people happy like you do." These artists inspire Special Olympics athletes to push themselves, try harder, reach their goals and win. Each of these bands has made a difference for Special Olympics athletes. U2, Eric Clapton, Sting, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Blues Traveler and Jon Bon Jovi have contributed to the various A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CDs that benefit Special Olympics Programs around the world. Jon Bon Jovi serves as a trustee to the Special Olympics Christmas Record Grant program that focuses on distributing funds raised from the sale of the Christmas albums to priority projects around the world. Many of these artists have also been involved with the SPIRIT OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS celebrations in Washington, D.C. in recent years. This summer was also marked by the arrival of new supporters, including Journey, which committed itself fully to Special Olympics, donating tickets to each of the band's 51 concerts. *N SYNC made a special donation, making it possible for more than 100 athletes in the Detroit, Michigan area to attend their high-energy, spirited show. Destiny's Child opened its arms to athletes, personally meeting them at its tour stops. Madonna, Bon Jovi and U2 have crossed national borders, allowing athletes from all over the world to experience the buzzing excitement of their shows in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other countries. The donation of concert tickets made a huge impression on Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics athlete Claudi Groot, who attended the Bon Jovi concert in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 6 June, wrote to Jon Bon Jovi, "I'll never forget you. Music is for me the most important thing in my life. Thank you very much." Another Special Olympics athlete, Tori Ackley, who attended Dido's concert in Boston, 24 June, wants the band to know that, "It is people like you who inspire me to play music and sing. I want to thank you for giving ME the best day of MY life." Jacq Williams, a Special Olympics chaperone who attended the Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers concert in Dallas, Texas, on 21 May said, "We danced, sang along, and had our own private party. With all of the trials and tribulations that these athletes face on a daily basis, to come together and celebrate life through music was a blast!" Each artist has chosen to participate in this initiative and become involved with Special Olympics for a reason. When Jon Bon Jovi was asked what he had learned from Special Olympics athletes, he replied," These athletes inspire me. I believe they can inspire you too. (They) inspire me with their dedication to their sports and their true sportsmanship. The complete lack of envy and their support of each other are inspiring. There are lessons to be learned from them." This summer, lessons were learned by many through the inspiring donations made by these performers and the "heart" behind them. JON BON JOVI's relationship and commitment to SPECIAL OLYMPICS is longstanding with much history, and much continued support in the future.

January 10, 2002

TERRIFIC NEWS!!!

UPDATE: January 2002

HAPPY 2002!

JON BON JOVI & ALLY McBEAL 

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for. JON BON JOVI's debut episode on ALLY McBEAL will air this coming MONDAY, JANUARY 14th at 9:00 PM (est) on FOX. Jon joins the cast for nine episodes as Victor Morrison, a building contractor working at Ally's home... who eventually becomes her love interest. If you've been keeping an eye open on TV, you may have already seen the promo spots touting Jon's arrival on the program. If you head over to www.allymcbeal.com for more info on the program.

TV GUIDE

UPDATE: December 20th

Backstagejbj.com gets a new look!

We are currently in the process of building the all new Backstagejbj.com site for all of you. The new site will feature all improved layout & design, online credit card processing for faster signup's & merchandise ordering.  

The New Site's Launch Date is February 1, 2002   Stay Tuned!!!    Happy Holiday's

UPDATE: December 5th

CHAT with OBIE O'BRIEN
OBIE answered some questions over at the www.bonjovi.com Q&A section earlier tonight. Rather than fill up the Q&A with Obie's responses to your questions, Obie's going to do a CHAT. Where? Here on www.backstagejbj.com. Head over to the chatroom on this board THURSDAY night, DECEMBER 6 at 7:00 PM (est) for a LIVE CHAT with OBIE. FYI: the folks at www.bonjovi.com have deleted any unanswered questions addressed to Obie - make sure you ask them of him Thursday night in the CHAT - he's all yours!

UPDATE: December 1st

BON JOVI: THE WORLD'S GREATEST FANS

BON JOVI have the most incredibly loyal fans - you guys have supported the band unconditionally throughout the years. Now we hope to show the rest of the world just how fiercely devoted BON JOVI fans are to the band. Go to www.vh1.com and VOTE for BON JOVI.

BON JOVI are nominated in THREE categories:

MY FAVORITE GROUP

HOTTEST LIVE SHOW

COOLEST FAN WEBSITE (for www.operationbonjovi.com)

Make sure you VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

JON is attending the awards. RICHIE and HEATHER are attending the awards.  (Keep an eye out for producer Luke Ebbin too.) JON & RICHIE will be PRESENTING an award during the show as well. We need to make sure JON & RICHIE get to stand on that stage and ACCEPT an award given to them by the fans. That's your job! The votes are tallied right up until the very last moment (there's no envelope to rip open & read the name of the winner... Jon & Richie will need to read the winner right off the teleprompter because the winner is declared just before the award is presented!) And your votes count... so head over to www.vh1.com and send BON JOVI home award winners. (AND MAKE SURE TO FORWARD THIS INFO TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS!!!) That would be the icing on the cake for a 2-year run of Bon Jovi-mani as we begin to see the guys working on the next album already. Show the world what Bon Jovi fans are made of! Make sure you tune into the awards from the very beginning - the Red Carpet arrivals begin at 8pm (est) and the awards begin at 9pm (est) - you won't want to miss any of it.


"all things must pass, all things must pass away"

GEORGE HARRISON
1943-2001
You Will Be Missed

UPDATE: November 29th

MY VH-1 AWARDS  PLEASE VOTE!!!!

This is the HOME STRETCH folks!   BON JOVI are up for
THREE (3) AWARDS at Sunday night's MY VH-1 AWARDS.  They nominated as:

MY FAVORITE GROUP,
HOTTEST LIVE SHOW,
AND COOLEST FAN WEBSITE (for www.operationbonjovi.com)

The voting is counted until the VERY LAST MINUTE so make sure you get
online and VOTE for the guys!   JON and RICHIE (and Heather Locklear) will
be attending.  JON & RICHIE will be presenting an award.  We want them to
take home some awards too, right?  OK - NOW GO VOTE!    And make sure to
tune into the awards this Sunday night on VH-1.   Red Carpet coverage
begins at 8pm (est) and awards begin at 9pm (est).   *Remember, your vote
WILL count - any "irregularities" in the voting process have been
corrected.   Keep the Faith.

Go to VH1.COM and VOTE FOR BON JOVI!!!

RICHIE on RADIO!!!!
As part of the promotion of the VH-1 Awards, RICHIE is going to be doing a
bunch of radio interviews tomorrow from LA (11am-1pm pst) with radio
stations all over the country.   Major markets.... keep you ears open in
cities like NY, LA, Chicago, Charlotte, Detroit, Atlanta, St. Louis,
Boston, Cincinnati... midday and afternoon radio shows on stations who play
Bon Jovi and the other artists on the VH-1 awards.

DEMO SESSION #1
BON JOVI wrapped up the first of many demo sessions on their way to their
next album.  The next album is currently titled 'BOUNCE'.  Jon and Richie
have written 26 songs so far and have demo-ed 13 of them.  Look for PHOTOS
from the sessions in the next fan club newsletter!

ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION
JON & RICHIE will be performing on December 12th in Universal City, CA as
part of the benefit concert Elton John is hosting for his Elton John AIDS
Foundation commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the discovery of the AIDS
virus.    Other performers include Elton himself, Sting, Pete Yorn and
Matchbox 20.

2002 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
BON JOVI will be performing at the CLOSING CEREMONIES for the 2002 WINTER
OLYMPIC GAMES in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24th.

UPDATE: November 20th

BON JOVI & MY VH-1 AWARDS
THANKS to BON JOVI FANS on the INTERNET (including fans here at BSWJBJ) it has been brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities that there have been some *unusual* fluctuations in the voting at VH-1.COM -- don't worry, it's being handled so make sure you're still voting because your votes WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Vote for BON JOVI in MY FAVORITE GROUP, HOTTEST LIVE SHOW and COOLEST FAN WEBSITE.

UPDATE: November 14th

THE NEXT BON JOVI ALBUM
JON and RICHIE already have 26 songs written! Next week, the guys are heading into the studio to begin the demo process. Currently the working title for the album is 'BOUNCE'. JON is really anxious to get to work on the new music!

JON on ALLY McBEAL
JON began work on the television series ALLY McBEAL last week. JON's character is named VICTOR "VIC" MORRISON and he's a CONTRACTOR doing construction on Ally's apartment. So far, JON's been enjoying his time on the set, getting to know the other actors and adjusting to acting on a television series. JON's first epidose is slated to debut on JANUARY 14th on FOX.

2002 WINTER OLYMPICS
BON JOVI have been confirmed as performers at the CLOSING CEREMONIES of the 2002 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES in SALT LAKE CITY, UT. Other performers include Charlotte Church and 'N Sync. This will be televised on NBC.   The date is FEBRUARY 24th, 2002. You can go to www.saltlake2002.com for more information on the Olympics, the Closing Ceremonies and the purchase of tickets for these events.

ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION BENEFIT
On DECEMBER 12th, BON JOVI will be taking part in the ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION Benefit Concert commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Discovery of the AIDS VIRUS. This event will be taking place at Universal City, Los Angeles, California. Other performers include Matchbox 20, Sting, Pete Yorn and Elton himself. All monies raised go to the treatment of and research into AIDS. Currently, TicketMaster is listing the event as sold out.

BRAVO PROFILES
Make sure your VCRs are set. If you missed it's premiere in JULY, BRAVO NETWORKS is re-airing the INSIDE THE CREATIVE MIND: JON BON JOVI profile on NOVEMBER 19th (7pm and 10pm, EST)

WWW.BONJOVI.COM
There have been a lot of new additions to the www.bonjovi.com website - their message boards are now up & running, there's a big contest to win commemorative Giants Stadium memorabilia (unfortunately that contest is for US residents only apparently due to legal restrictions) and there's a new Q&A section to submit your questions about Bon Jovi. While most of them are answered by "BON JOVI INFO HQ" the man himself, JBJ, has answered some himself.

NEW RELEASES:
Don't forget to pick up copies of the VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS 5 CD out in stores now - all proceeds benefit the Special Olympics and the CD includes Jon's live version of "Blue Christmas" for the White House performance last winter.

Make sure you plan to purchase a copy of A TRIBUTE TO HEROES CD coming out - that's from the telethon on September 20th. "Livin' On A Prayer" is included.

And also pick up a copy of the CONCERT FOR NEW YORK double-CD slated for release - BON JOVI's performances from MSG (Prayer, Wanted, It's My Life) will be included. Remember, all proceeds from both the telethon and Concert for NY CDs go to charities benefitting the victims & families affected by the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

UPDATE: November 9th

JON on TV
Check our all the entertainment news programs tonight, November 9th. The 100th episode of Ally McBeal was celebrated on the set yesterday and tons of press were on hand... and so was JBJ. So keep you eyes open (during shows like E! News Daily, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, etc...) for a possible glimpse of Jon at his new job!

MY VH-1 MUSIC AWARDS

Are you voting? keep it up! Vote, vote, vote for the 3 categories the band
is up for:

MY FAVORITE GROUP
HOTTEST LIVE SHOW
COOLEST FAN WEBSITE (for Operation Bon Jovi)
Let's make sure the guys take home some statuettes on December 2nd!

Go to VH1.COM and VOTE FOR BON JOVI!!!

UPDATE: November 2nd

MY VH-1 AWARDS!!!! - BON JOVI up for THREE AWARDS!!!!
The MY VH-1 AWARDS finalists have been announced and BON JOVI are nominees in THREE categories!!!!

MY FAVORITE GROUP: BON JOVI are up against Staind, Destiny's Child, U2 and Dave Matthews Band

HOTTEST LIVE SHOW: BON JOVI are up against Dave Matthews Band, U2, Madonna and Janet Jackson

COOLEST FAN WEBSITE: The website Operation Bon Jovi (www.operationbonjovi.com) represents BON JOVI in this category... *remember, this category is not for official websites (like www.bonjovi.com) or official fan club websites (like this one.) This category is for FANSITES - sites created by the fans. Operation Bon Jovi is competing against fansites for U2, Backstreet Boys, No Doubt and Dave Matthews Band.

Last year, BON JOVI took home the award for FAVORITE VIDEO (for "It's My Life")... let's make sure the boys take home a bunch of statuettes this year!!! Obviously, thanks to all the voting by BON JOVI fans, they made it as finalists. Now it's up to you to make the WINNERS!!! Go to VH1.COM and VOTE FOR BON JOVI!!! C'mon, let's show the rest of the world what we already know... BON JOVI are OUR FAVORITE GROUP and hell, BON JOVI is most certainly the HOTTEST LIVE SHOW!!! And we already know we have the greatest fans - let's show them how powerful they are in cyberspace with the COOLEST FANSITE and the most KICK-ASS ONLINE COMMUNITY! VOTE up a STORM!!!


BON JOVI: DECEMBER BENEFIT SHOW
BON JOVI have been announced as performers on the bill for the DECEMBER 12 ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION BENEFIT CONCERT. The charity event is commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the discovery of the AIDS virus.  Other performers include Sting, Matchbox 20, Alicia Keys, Peter Yorn, Rufus Wainwright and Elton John himself.

JON on ALLY McBEAL
JON is LA-bound to begin work on ALLY McBEAL... wish him luck!!! His episodes will start airing in mid-January.

UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 28

THE CONCERT FOR NEW YORK
BON JOVI are part of the line up for the big tribute concert slated to take place at NYC's Madison Square Garden on Saturday, OCTOBER 20th.   It will be aired LIVE on VH-1, web cast on AOL and simulcast on RADIO all over the nation.   There will NO special ticket provisions arranged for members of BSWJBJ as THIS is not a "Bon Jovi" show.  However, following are the details, as they stand now, as released by VH-1, Cablevision and Miramax in an Official Press Release:

NEW YORK, NY, September 26, 2001 -- VH-1, Cablevision and Miramax Films will join together on Saturday night, October 20th at New York City's Madison Square Garden to presents LIVE "The Concert for New York," a one night only music event to benefit the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack on New York City.  The concert will also pay tribute to the rescue workers who worked tirelessly to save the lives of others.

"The Concert for New York" will feature musical performances by Paul McCartney, The Who, Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Macy Gray, Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge, India.  Arie and other top artists who will be announced in the coming days.  McCartney, who last week was reported to be looking to stage his own benefit in New York City, has agreed to join "The Concert for New York" to raise awareness of the fundraising efforts on a broader scale.  Others confirmed to participate include Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cusack and members of all of New York's
sports teams.

Members of the New York Fire, Police and Rescue crews and their families will be invited as guests for the four hour telecast that will air live on VH1 and simulcast on radio stations across the country commercial free on October 20th at 8:00PM (ET/PT).  The VH-1 Radio Network and Westwood One/Infinity Broadcasting will be coordinating the simulcast.  The event will also be shown on television and radio networks around the world.  All telecasts will feature a phone number for charitable donations.

American Online will help bring the event to tens of millions on the Internet.  AOL will highlight the concert with special programming including: a special online content area and keyword, a live web cast  on it's AOL service and web properties, live chats and other interactive elements and information.

In a joint statement, James Dolan, President and CEO of Cablevision, John Sykes, President of VH-1, and Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of Miramax, said: "This is an evening where all of us who either live in New York or love this great city can show our appreciation and thanks to the thousands of workers who risked their lives to save others.  It also will pay tribute to the incredible pride and resilience of New York City.  The initial response from the artist and entertainment community to this tribute has been nothing short of incredible."

Tickets for "The Concert for New York" will be available at a variety of price levels ranging from individual  tickets to special VIP packages.  In addition to ticket sales, organizers are creating a once-in-a-lifetime memorabilia auction as well as creating exclusive merchandise to further support fundraising efforts.

Tickets for "The Concert for New York" go on sale, Sunday, October 7th at 12 NOON through Ticketmaster phones, outlets and www.ticketmaster.com.

All money raised from "The Concert for New York" will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which was established by the Robin Hood Foundation, with funds to be distributed to the Twin Towers Fund created by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; and other charities directly benefiting those affected by The World Trace Center tragedy, including families of those missing or injured, the heroic firefighters, police, rescue workers, and all others in need, including those suffering the economic consequences of this tragedy and its aftermath.  100% of the money raised will go directly to aid victims and their families.

VH-1, Cablevision, Miramax and their partners, including Clear Channel Communications will underwrite all costs of the concert and telecast including the facility, production, promotion, travel, and union services to ensure that all money raised will go directly to the organizations listed above.

A NOTE FROM JBJ
 This letter will be in the next issue (which is still in production) but we thought you would like to read it now.
 
 Greetings from New Jersey,
 
 On September 11 at 8:48 am the joy went away. The day started about the
 same as any day does around here. I woke up, made the kids breakfast and
 Dorothea and I drove them to school. I saw one of my friends who works
 downtown and was surprised to see him at school after 8:00 as he was
 usually on the ferry by then and it's his wife who brings the little one
 along. We drove home, I finished the entire pot of coffee and went out
 to the gym where Dorothea told me that the radio said something about an
 accident at the trade center. For some reason our cable went out so I
 ran to another room where the satellite was hooked up and got CNN. It
 was there before my eyes the second plane crashed into tower #2 and all
 hell broke loose. The phone rang off the hook and everyone from my
 mother to the band as well as all of our friends called. Everyone was in
 shock and denial. We all hoped it was a mistake in the air traffic
 controllers systems but when the third plane hit Washington and the
 fourth was brought down near Pittsburgh we prepared for the worse.
 Richie was here with us and as I said before it was going to be just a
 usual day around here as he and I have been writing up a storm. I woke
 him up about 10:00 and told him the news, he tried to call California
 but had no luck, needless to say his family was concerned to say the
 least. We tried mobil phones and e-mails and finally got word through to
 Heather and he was fine and that we'd wait to see how the day
 progressed. No one could get away from the TV set and we hung on every
 word the news had to say.
 
 Now it's one week later and there was no school today. I finished the
 usual pot of coffee but it wasn't going to be a usual day. At 8:48 this
 morning on the local radio station there was a moment of silence
 followed by Ray Charles' version of America The Beautiful to commemorate
 the lives and loves lost in what is shaping up to be war. Our president
 has already told us to prepare for a long fight against a different kind
 of enemy. An enemy without borders, an enemy without a conscience. I for
 one am sad that the world has men like Osama Bin Laden in it. I remember
 being a kid, still in high school when I received a call from a
 recruiting agent who asked if ˆ was ready to join up and defend my
 country. I remember telling him that if the Russians ever invade Asbury
 park you call me, I'll be ready to fight. It's twenty years later and
 I'm watching the phone. . . I hope that we get through this. I hope the
 loss of life is at a minimum. For all of us.
 
 And to any of you who lost someone in this tragedy I'm sorry. My prayers
 go out to you and your family. I do find I've been saying a lot of
 prayers lately. i hope someone is listening.
 
 I realize I'm rambling so in closing I want you to know I'm grateful for
 your support and your friendship through the years. It's been especially
 sweet sharing the last year together on Crush. We'll be doing a lot in
 the next year so be ready for some fun.
 
Until then be safe,
Keep The Faith,
JBJ 

updated sunday 25, 2001

AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL
Head on over to www.bonjovi.com and you can download Jon's version of
"AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL" featuring Richie on harmonies.  This was recorded
last week and was accompanied by the video Jon & Richie filmed in front of
the NYC FireStation.    It aired on Sunday prior to the 1pm (est) NFL
games, both on television and on the jumbotron videoscreens inside all 8
stadiums hosting games at that time.   Included in the audio is a message
from JBJ asking you to donate to the relief effort in lieu of paying for
the download.   Within the next day or two you'll be able to watch the
video footage as well...    Radio stations will have the song too so you
might even begin to hear it on the radio near you...

FINALLY...
... you KNOW we're won't confirm anything until it is 100% official.   And
it is now official.   JON is definitely joining the cast of ALLY McBEAL for
several episodes this season.   The TV studio is officially releasing the
information tomorrow and we'll follow suite (although much of the info has
been circulating in the press, we can only confirm it here now that the ink
is dry.)

AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL
If you head over to WWW.NFL.COM and click on the "United We Stand" banner
and/or the photo of JBJ, you'll be able to WATCH the "AMERICA, THE
BEAUTIFUL" video that opened the early NFL games on Sunday.       For those
of you unfamiliar with one of the most beloved American patriotic songs,
following are the lyrics:

O, beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

O, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears
America!  America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

updated,  24 sunday 2001

JON and RICHIE performed LIVE on this past Friday night's "AMERICA: A
TRIBUTE TO HEROES" telethon. An incredibly moving rendition of "LIVIN' ON
A PRAYER" was performed acoustically with accompaniment by percussion and
violin. * After careful consideration, lyrically it proved to be the most
appropriate song for the occasion.* You can still contribute to the
cause at the following website: www.tributetoheroes.org

JON's powerful rendition of "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" featuring harmonies by
RICHIE opened all the 1:00 PM games of the National Football League (NFL)
this afternoon (not only on television but on the jumbotron screens in each
of the eight stadiums hosting 1pm games.) The visuals were filmed this
past Friday in New York City on East 51st street in front of the FIRE
DEPARTMENT OF NEW YORK's "Hi Rise Midtown" BATTALLION 8, ENGINE 8, LADDER 2
firehouse. The folks standing beside JON & RICHIE were the wives,
children and fellow firefighters (many of whom Jon & Richie met with
privately inside the firehouse prior to the taping) of those lost in the
World Trade Center tragedy while trying to rescue other - this company are
missing 10 of their men. It's not rock stars or football players who are
the heroes... Management is in the process of coordinating with the NFL
to make this footage available in as many outlets as possible and making
the audio available as well... we'll do the best we can to keep you posted
as to how you can SEE and HEAR this performance as we receive details.

If you go to www.vh1.com, there are links that will allow you to view the
Public Service Announcement (PSA) that Jon and Richie did for the American
Red Cross. They did two specifically for VH-1 to broadcast relating to the
efforts of the police, firefighters and EMT workers who lost their lives...
this version is a very simple PSA for the Red Cross filmed at the same
time. www.redcross.org

We here at BSWJBJ do the best we can to get you confirmed Bon Jovi
information as soon as possible - sometimes it's not possible, sometimes we
can only give you what's been given to us... sometimes what's "out there"
isn't confirmed... and sometimes it's not OUR information to divulge if it
is. We hope you can understand this and appreciate our efforts to
provide you with reliable, accurate and official Bon Jovi news as soon as
possible. That's all that one can ask for.

After almost two weeks of heartbreaking news, we'd like to end this update
with some GOOD NEWS: CONGRATULATIONS to TICO and ALEJANDRA who were
married this weekend in Miami!!!

FYI: TELETHON INFO
Because many of you were asking, EVERETT BRADLEY accompanied Jon and Richie in PERCUSSION (he's worked with both Jon and Richie in the past on solo projects and appearances) and LORENZA PONCE was the woman playing so beautifully on the VIOLIN for the performance of "Livin' On A Prayer".

JON BON JOVI and RICHIE SAMBORA have joined with the NFL and will present a performance of "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" this SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.    The VIDEO is being filmed in NEW YORK CITY.    JON and RICHIE will appear with members of the NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT and the NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT at a NYC firehouse.    Make sure to TUNE IN to the 1:00 PM (est) NFL games this SUNDAY.  The video will be on the TV networks carrying the 1PM  games before the games begin. JON and RICHIE's performance is  also slated to appear on the JUMBOTRONS inside all eight stadiums where 1:00PM games will be played.

BON JOVI and THE "AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES" TELETHON

JON and RICHIE will be appearing on TONIGHT'S TELETHON BROADCAST.    All major networks are carrying it live from the East Coast at 9pm (8pm central - tape delay to Mountain and Pacific time zones.)

update September 20, 2001

JON & RICHIE Take Part in AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES TELETHON

JON & RICHIE Take Part in AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES TELETHON Continuing their support for the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy, their families and the brave efforts of those participating in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, JON BON JOVI and RICHIE SAMBORA are participating in AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES.   The telethon will raise money for the September 11 Fund (overseen by the United Way.)   We can't tell you what to expect from the boys but we can promise you this: you've never seen the guys do this before.    JON and RICHIE are not the only folks participating. 
 

As of this morning (and this could change so don't hold us to it) those participating and/or performing include:

AMY BRENNENMAN, JIM CARREY, GEORGE CLOONEY, SHERYL CROW, TOM CRUISE, CAMERON DIAZ, ROBERT DE NIRO, CLINT EASTWOOD, CALISTA FLOCKHART, TOM HANKS, FAITH HILL, BILLY JOEL, TOM PETTY, RAY ROMANO, JULIA ROBERTS, PAUL SIMION, WILL SMITH,CONAN O'BRIEN, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, STEVIE WONDER, JIMMY SMITS, JANE KACZMAREK, MARIAH CAREY, WYCLEF JEAN,  WILLIE NELSON and no doubt others to be announced ( it's only Thursday...)

The show will be broadcast LIVE from the East Coast from stages in NEW YORK and L.A.   There will be NO AUDIENCE (no tickets available.)   The show will be LIVE at 9:00PM Eastern and 8:PM Central; it will be on tape delay for Mountain and Pacific TimeZones.

The following television networks will be airing the telethon: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, UPN, WB, PAX-TV, UNIVISION, TELEMUNDO, HBO, TNT, E!, LIFETIME, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV, VH-1, TNN, BET, BET JAZZ, FOX FAMILY, FX, COURT-TV, DISCOVERY, TLC, SHOWTIME and SUNDANCE CHANNEL.  Online you can watch the show as it is streamed on YAHOO! On the radio, you can tune in to affiliates of the West Wood One and ClearChannel radio networks for a simulcast.

Make sure you tune in (it's almost impossible NOT to!) and make sure you pledge.

*HOT TIP*
JBJ is working on another TV appearance related to the WTC Attack... can't give out details just yet but keep your TVs on Sunday...!!!

Update: 8/9/01

Jon & Richie did an acoustic set at Wednesday night's Fundraiser (Countdown
to Victory) for NYC Mayoral Democratic Candidate Mark Green. Warren Beatty
& Annette Bening hosted the evening. Jewel, Mary J Blige and Mandy
Patinkin also performed. Jon & Richie played