Jon Bon Jovi has discussed how another artist from the music industry changed his life when he was broke.
In a new public interview in Fairmount Century Plaza, the rocker answered some questions about his music career. During the interview, the singer recalled how he and his band got a hit: By reaching out to a DJ. He explained:
“So remember I had two albums prior to ‘Slippery [When Wet],’ the first one with the song ‘Runaway.’ I got a record deal in a very unique fashion; I went to see a DJ with a cassette tape because I was frustrated like so many other young aspiring songwriters, nobody was calling me back. No record company, no managers, nobody had sent letters and cassettes too.”
In his words, there was one reason he reached out to a DJ. The rocker continued:
“So I thought, ‘Who is the loneliest but the most passionate man in the music business?’ I thought, ‘A DJ, because he’s in a room by himself, doesn’t know who he’s speaking to, and passionate about records and artists that he cared about.’ I knocked on the window of a radio station and played that song, ‘Runaway,’ for a DJ. He said, ‘That’s a hit song.’ I said, ‘I know.’ Through that I got a record deal, I put the band together.”
The DJ, named Chip Hobart believed the song was a success and aired it on WAPP, which is now WKTU. The now-hit song rapidly gained popularity, leading Bon Jovi to participate in a contest organized by the radio station to find the top unsigned band. They emerged victorious, and by the summer of 1983, the song had achieved significant success.
The Passing Of Hobart and Jon Bon Jovi’s Tribute
Throughout the years, Bon Jovi and Hobart stayed connected. When Hobart passed away in 2021 after a long battle with cancer, the musician was deeply saddened. In a touching Instagram post, Bon Jovi shared a few throwback photos of him and Hobart over the years along with his post and paid tribute to the man who played a crucial role in his career:
“Every kid dreams of hearing his song on the radio… in 1983 I took it to another level by taking ‘Runaway’ to a radio station. I’ve thanked [Hobart] a thousand times for that day. This week I reached out to my old friend to ask him to play ‘Runaway’ on a very special project we’ve been working on. I found out that Chip Hobart had passed away in March… thank you my friend, for the 1001st time. We’ll dedicate the first spin to him. Love to his family.”
You can watch the recent interview below.
