Is Bruce Springsteen Jon´s idol?
 

Do you know which people Jon cites as his idols? I always thought that he liked and looked up to Bruce. Like to an older brother when you´re young. But I don´t remember reading it anywhere.

So who has influenced Jon? Mellencamp?

Elvis and Frank Sinatra are two people who have influenced Jon greatly that he never had the chance to meet. I think they would fall more into the "idol" category. He has said was more influenced by Southside Johnny than Bruce though he looked up to both of them. For songwriting, he admires Tom Waits.

Becky

Tom Waits? That sounds strange. I mean they´re like the opposites to each other.
I saw Jon perform some song with Southside Johnny and maybe even Springsteen was there and backing them up on a song. When was that and do you know which song it was?

All of them. LOL Jon has talked very often about how much he admires Tom Waits. Maybe you could do a google search for Jon Bon Jovi and Tom Waits and find some interviews that have been posted on line where he talked about it. He mentioned Tom Waits quite a bit when he would play Jersey Girl on his DA radio promotion the summer of 1997. That's just one instance. There are many more.

Becky

I remember Jon doing an interview on a French radio before they opened for the Rolling Stones in Paris in 1995, and he said if Keith Richards needed someone to carry his luggage he'd be happy to do it.

Ponrauil

Do you remember a couple of years ago when Jon did a version of "Sympathy for the Devil" on some benefit show? It sounded awful and he had a hard time to get the song rocking.
Where was that? And why did he choose that song? Does he like the Stones a lot?

Yes.

Wembley 1997, Carlsberg Concert or something like that.

Don´t know why he chose that song. If I remember right they had to choose a song from a certain year. But he probably likes them since they´ve been playing Sympathy/JJ Flash/Brown Sugar quite a lot on their past tours.

true.
And I think he likes DeNiro too ...in a different style.

Jon's "stage act" is pure Mick Jagger. The Springsteen links are coincidental and because of Jersey. It would have been hard for Jon not to be influenced by Bruce in some fashion but I feel pretty confident in saying the Rolling Stones are the bigger influence.