It seems being a fan keeps getting better and better. I missed the SWW era, but was there for NJ. However, being too young to go to a lot of shows and without cable TV, I probably missed a lot of stuff that I only later caught up on with videos.

The worst time was definitely 1990-1991. Even though Jon was at his glory days (no pun intended) with the overwhelming success of Blaze of Glory, it was a bleak time. The rumors of the breakup were constant. People would hear I was a Bon Jovi fan and say, "Oh they broke up!" which I would deny despite having my own doubts. Watching the AAA video that came out in 1990 was utterly depressing. There were funny parts, sure, but when you looked closely you realized the guys were so funny because they were drunk 95% of the time. Seeing the tour end in Mexico, you knew things were not looking good. Hearing Jon say in interviews, "Well, we actually haven't talked in months" didn't help matters. Richie going LA with Cher made you wonder if he'd come back to NJ. Word got out that David had actually been extremely ill. Tico and Alec were trying to recover from drinking problems. We all saw that Jon COULD do it on his own. In a way that was good. In a way, it was frightening. 1999 sucked too. There was so little going on in Bon Jovi land then.

For me, personally, the absolute best time was probably 1992-1994. I think that only because it coincided with my senior year of high school and early college experiences. I had all the time in the world to trade, write letters, and be absorbed in Bon Jovi when I wasn't absorbed in the books. But, as a fan, things have steadily improved too. It's nice to see the band have the level of worldwide success they have and regain popularity in the USA. It seems like the band is beyond the point of breaking up and they're all happier and healthier than ever. So, seeing that in them is a great feeling.

Becky