Bon Jovi reunited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, with Howard Stern inducting the New Jersey group on Saturday at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium.
During his long speech, Stern joked about the Rock Hall taking so long to induct the “Livin’ On A Prayer” group, despite selling 130 million albums.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“Yes, the dream has been realized,” Stern said, reports Rolling Stone. “The dream I’m talking about is that this great band of brothers are finally joining their fellow musicians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Like the name of their album says, 100 million fans can’t be wrong and I agree. They got to the chorus and never bored us. I love these guys and so do you. It’s my honor to induct into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hugh McDonald, Tico Torres, Sir Alec John Such, David Bryan, Richie Sambora and the one and only, Jon Bon Jovi.”
Jon Bon Jovi delivered a 20-minute speech himself, tracking the band’s history and thanking everyone involved in bringing the band to this stage.
“I’ve been writing a speech like this since I first strummed a broom and sang from the top of the stairs of my childhood home,” the frontman said, reports Variety. “I’ve written it many ways and many times. Some days, I write the ‘Thank you’ speech. Other days, I write the ‘F–k you’ speech. Writing it has been therapeutic in a lot of ways. I certainly see things differently tonight than I would have 10, 20, 30 years ago. In the end, it’s really all about time.”
Every member of the band got their own chance to speak, including former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. They then performed “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “It’s My Life,” “Livin’ On A Prayer” and the 2017 song “When We Were Us.”
While Bon Jovi reunited for the occasion, Dire Straits did not. Bassist John Illsley and keyboardist Guy Fletcher spoke, but the band’s primary songwriter, frontman and guitarist Mark Knopfler was nowhere to be found.
The other 2018 inductees were The Cars, The Moody Blues and Nina Simone. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was inducted as an early influence on Rock.
The ceremony also included a tribute to Tom Petty from Brandon Flowers and a tribute to Chris Cornell by Heart singer Ann Wilson and Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Steve Van Zandt also gave a rock history lesson when introducing the first class of “Hall of Fame Singles.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction will air on HBO on May 5.
Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty
