Maybe Bon Jovi didn't create the 80's Hairband / Glam Nation but he sure did have a heavy hand in adding to its popularity. We all know and proved that Jon wrote, sang on, and produced a bunch of material for other artists during that period. Although Jon's own record label failed, he did have some prior success finding new, amazing talent. This is just another notch as to why Bon Jovi deserves to be in the R&R Hall Of Fame Hall of Fame.

One rock act that doesn't get discussed enough is Cinderella. I personally think they were an amazing band and were much heavier than their name lead people to believe. This might be old news for some of the older folks but some of the younger ones could appreciate this....

Here is the story behind Jon's discovery of Cinderella:

1.
Cinderella was playing a gig in their hometown, Philly, and Jon happened to be in the club that night. He liked what he heard and got his label's talent scout to come see them and they ended up getting signed to a label as a result.

Cinderella toured with Bon Jovi for a while on the Slippery When Wet tour. There's even an appearance by Jon and the gang in the Cinderella video "Somebody Save Me."

(I time marked it to the part)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUkqBRC1zUA#t=03m46s

Bon Jovi has been quoted as saying "I saw Tommy Keifer onstage delivering some pretty nifty, growling vocals. Then he whipped out this Les Paul and proceeded to lay into some astounding sounds. This guy struck me as a star right then and there."

Jon Bon Jovi discovered this Pennsylvania band, whose album is filled with the kind of catchy pop-metal his own band plays. Night Songs CD music Produced by Andy Johns.

Jon Bon Jovi - Background vocals on "Nothing for Nothin" and "In From the Outside" (credited)

2.
Interview Guitarist Jeff LaBar:

What's the story behind how Cinderella was discovered by Jon Bon Jovi?

It happened while Bon Jovi was in Philadelphia recording the 7800° Fahrenheit record. On a night off from recording, Jon went out to watch Cinderella perform at a local club. I wasn't in the band at the time, but I was in a band that opened for them called Precious Metal. Cinderella didn't have a record deal at the time, but Derek Shulman, the man who signed Bon Jovi to Polygram, had the band's demo sitting on his desk.

After seeing the band, Jon was so impressed that he went back to Derek and told him he really needed to check out the band. So Derek came out, saw Cinderella play live and pretty much said the same thing every other record company had said about them: great look, great songs, great energy. They just need to change the drummer and the guitar player.

So, in 1985 Tom (Keifer) and Eric (Brittingham) began holding auditions. I had already known Tom because we both grew up not far from each other. I also remember that two of the other guitarists who auditioned were "Snake" Sabo (Skid Row) and Reggie Wu (Heaven's Edge).


Good thing Sabo found Skid Row..... lol

Jon really did play an intricate part in defining the 80's, which puzzles me so much as to why he's so against it.