Welcome to the Forum...

Yes, Jon's voice has always been a topic of conversation around here...

In summary, Jon's had a steady vocal decline since 1993 (maybe even earlier) but no one cared because his voice was still enjoyable. He still had power and a range that might have required a little more effort on his part but regardless, his voice was still enjoyable. That in itself could be a question or a poll on here "what year did Jon's voice start to become unenjoyable?" I think that's the real question...

In reality, probably only a handful of people know the actual cause. Jon's doctors, Jon's vocal coaches, and obviously Jon himself. My opinion is, it's a combination of thing. Mother Nature effects all people differently. Jon's tone could have changed due to age. An 18 year old Jon is not supposed to sound the same at 55. His father has a deeper tone and maybe that's just Jon's fate. I'm sure Jon's Whale Scream that he abused during every performance throughout the 80's and early 90's is probably a major contributor. Now a days these artists are getting surgery through early detection. They probably didn't do that back then or it was more riskier. And then to top it off, I'm sure smoking didn't help (and no, he doesn't smoke anymore)...

It's also my opinion that his voice is damaged beyond repair. His chords are shot and you can't change someone's natural tone.

I do however want to mention that Jon can still sing and actually sing quite well... His vocal range is what's shot and the technique he uses today to reach though notes is what throws people off into thinking that he has no voice... When Jon sings in his capable lower register, he sounds amazing. Jon could probably sing New Orleans like he did in 1997.

I was listening to bootlegs the other day from the OWN Tour back in 2001. I was amazed by how great Jon sounded. Back in 2001, I had nothing to compare his voice to but the past and I remember being disappointed however listening to it now and comparing it to 2016, it's a world of a difference. Point being, I can't even imagine how Jon will sound in 10 years but he'll be 65 by then.

At the end of the day, Jon's singing technique that he used during the 80's was definitely the path of destruction. But then again, at age 25 Jon probably didn't think he's still be singing past 40 being that the span of a rock star wasn't as long back then either... When I listen to boots from'88, '89, '90, I wouldn't wish to change a thing. Those performances are gems of pure gold...