Did anyone predict this Jon we have today?

Take yourself back to somewhere between '95 through '97 looking into the future. Did you think that this is the Jon we'd have 15 years later? As a rock star and as a person? Musically & Vocally? Did you think he'd be fat and bald? Did you think he'd have endless youth?

How do you feel about the end result of what we have today? Are you surprised that the band is still going? Are you disappointed or just happy that he's still around?

What will Jon bring to the table within the next 10 years?

Jon is looking for commercial success and that's a fact. So Jon will bring to the table less rock sound, more pop style or something like that.

Aloha !

15 years ago? No, but that's because 15 years ago he was promoted Destination Anywhere and believed in what he was selling, and created it because he believed in his music, as opposed to trying to create music of which he thought others would like.

10 years ago though? Yes. You weren't around back then, but Dry County had become a war zone during the Bounce era. Many European die hards were saying Jon had started to turn into an arrogant twat, and that his vocals were starting to get worse up to the point that he just wasn't capable of singing the classics anymore would he continue to sing the way he did back then.

Then there was a big change in 2008 when he changed his style of singing and started sounding differently. The European 2008 tour was the last time Jon sounded decently. Suddenly he was able to hit all notes in These Days and Dry County again. Sadly, it'd be the last time as well. Sure, he's sung rare stuff in 2010 and 2011 and yes, it was a welcome surprise, but to say he sang them well is an overstatement. Most of us, moi incluis, were just happy to hear them.

And the twat thing? I think it's fair to say it's gotten worse over the years. Overpriced tickets, insane VIP packages, screwing American fans over more and more in regards to setlists and show length, hanging out with "important" people, refusing to sign autographs, it's gotten worse over the years. So yeah, I predicted the Jon Bon Jovi we have nowadays, and the other thing I'm predicting right here and now is that it'll backfire within the next 10 years.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

No I could have never predicted at the time DA was around that the whole BJ story could have turned into what it is today.
From a songwriting point of view everything is lame and standard with a standard-pop production that ruins everything even more.
DA after TD was the proof of the great artistic way Jon was going through and then….everything went up in smoke. Crush was a very mediocre record with IML saving it (and the band) from a commercial failure.
I think the ego of the man has drastically changed during those years, distracting him from music and performances to go to “business stuff” and to that ridiculous attempt to make that acting career.The fact he has a separate changing room from the band says a lot about what the man think about himself these days as well as the fact he believes to be a CEO of a company running a brand since 30 years.
JBJ doesn’t even know what a CEO is and what the f..k a CEO do, day after day.
From a performance point of view, I missed the last three tours with no regrets. Jon has been able to give some decent performances during the last 5 years but it’s simply too sad for me to hear how he struggles today to sing the old tunes. I had the luck to see them during KTF and TD tours so….I’ll go to San Siro – Italy because it’s the band playing in a unique venue 40 min. far from where I live but if they won’t positively surprise me with the performance, I guess it will be my farewell concert.
Future…correct me if I’m wrong but I believe we are a couple of records away from the end of his current contract. I think at that time we could understand where the billionaire wants to do, considering members of the band seem to having enough (see Richie latest “issues”) and the fact he has a family far from being perfect (as everyone).

Let me just say that I don't hate today's BJ music and some of it is enjoyable but it's not the Bon Jovi music I want or what I predicted.

Let me also state that Richie has morphed into exactly what thought beside the in and out of rehab stints. Richie still remained consistently cool as a person. The dude wants to rock and although not everyone loved his latest solo attempt, the right direction was there. I also predicted that he might lose a little all-around but not to the point of disappointment.

Back to Jon, everything I predicted for Richie is exactly as what I predicted for Jon. I thought Jon would remain cool and make the music that he wanted to make which would result into music that I wanted to hear. I didn't see big numbers but big quality. I didn't see Jon playing pretend politician and mixing it with his music. I didn't see the change in his vocal tone.

Jon needs to revamp and reinvent himself. I was the biggest Jon defender a few years back and still am to an extent but this is not the Jon I saw coming.

I used to think the bashing was just on this board but it is everywhere now, YouTube comments and other related boards. Not drastic bashing but people just being factual about everything we discuss here.

He is relying on his diehard fan-base only but that will continue to dry up if he is not careful. Some will love anything the guy does which is very harmful. I've read comments on YouTube from fans who think Bon Jon songs are amazing that were mislabeled as Bon jovi. It's no wonder why he continues in the same direction. Some of them are clueless

I felt something was going to be rotten for the band and music fans as soon as, in fall 2003, Jon went into the CEO shit, buying himself his sports team - you could see immediately how big his head was becoming...It was heading the wrong direction. Not immediately it was obvious musically, but you could totally feel Jon was *using* the music 'door' just to make money and to become a relevant USA figure - his obsessive goal to become what he thinks to be a perfect role model, ate his soul from the inside....
Since that everything went downhill

No, I never predicted this Jon. I became annoyed by his lack of focus on music (He became distracted with the football team, his acting "career", politics etc). But I really began to lose respect for him after watching the WWB documentary. That documentary did a lot of damage, because it makes him look like a miserable, arrogant old man who is complaining during most of the film. It's painful to watch.
I don't know what he'll be like 10 years from now. Honestly, I don't think the band will still be here ten years from now. Their audience is shrinking with each record, their last records were mediocre at best and the current tour is pretty much a mess. So, where do they go from here?
I think ten years from now, Jon will own the NFL team he always wanted and he'll do the occasional Jon Bon Jovi and Friends show for those few who are interested in watching that.

Yeah, I'm not very optimistic....

2000 was when I became a fan of Bon Jovi and I was very very young so I wasn't up to date with tons of interviews and shows but I always thought Jon was cool.

Up until about, 2008, I started to realize that Jon had changed massively. Infact, it may of been 2006. He looked miserable on stage and lost his energy and his vocals were nowhere near as good as they used to be.

Now, I think the man is a totally different person to what he used to be. Yeah, he got older and put weight on and looks older, but that's now what matters. What matters if the fact that he only talks about himself. In band interviews, he talks about himself and in his own, he still says 'I have a number one album.' Yeah, he does, but he is part of a band. Just like everyone else.

He looks bored in interviews now apart from the odd one. He has lost his coolness that I always thought he had. Not many people have thought Jon was ever cool but I always have.

The documentary did him no favors. I wish it never got released now.

You know what - this is the most indifferent I feel about Bon Jovi at the moment. The whole album/tour has been a total farce. I've never felt so underwhelmed about the band as I do at the moment. I never thought or predicted I'd feel like this.

I dont like the new album at all - maybe if the whole Richie didn't happen I could like the tour. They'll only play a couple of songs off What About Now and it'll still be a brilliant tour.

No.

The Richie thing has been handled so badly by Bon Jovi management. As fans we are essentially their employers and the people that pay their wages. Its prudent that we know what is going on. It smells of arrogance to me.

Did I ever predict this? No. Because the band have seemed to changed their ethos on the fans of late.

I think Jon should have released WAN as a solo album and still did a combined band tour to support both his and Richie's solo efforts. I think that would have been cool and different.