In a chat with Classic Rock magazine, Justin Hawkins opened up about his earlier comments on Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal performances. Last year, on his YouTube show ‘Justin Hawkins Rides Again,’ The Darkness vocalist mentioned that Bon Jovi was struggling with his singing and might need therapy.
When asked if he ever filtered his thoughts about other musicians during the recent interview, the singer explained:
“No, and I don’t listen to any of the stuff before I react, either. That would be cheating. I never disrespect anybody, though. Jon Bon Jovi’s voice, for example, isn’t operational at the moment.”
The interviewer pointed out that many fans shared Hawkins’ views on Bon Jovi’s live vocals in 2022. So, he replied:
“Yes. I am sympathizing, too. Whether you are a fan or not doesn’t matter. Jon Bon Jovi has a distinctive way of delivering songs, and he has lost it, whether temporarily or permanently. I was offering solutions and explanations.”
Hawkins’ Thoughts About Bon Jovi’s Singing
In April 2022, Bon Jovi started a US tour for their latest album, ‘2020.’ Hawkins, who watched fan-filmed videos from this tour, shared on his YouTube channel that it was tough for an artist not to be able to give their best at a show. He commented:
“I expect [Jon Bon Jovi] ‘s feeling the same way, really. But there must be a huge machine around Bon Jovi that stops him from being able to pull the plug on it, really, which is what needs to happen, I think. I mean, I’m not talking about pull the plug forever.”
Offering ideas to fix the problem, the singer added:
“And I think a lot of the time, a situation like that… It doesn’t sound like it’s a polyp or some sort of lump on his vocal cords ’cause that would be more unpredictable — he would be hitting the notes, and then it would squeak off, and it would do something unexpected.”
The Reason Behind The Singer’s ‘Bad’ Performances, According To Hawkins
Hawkins claimed that Bon Jovi’s voice was not as good as it used to be because he was tired. Expressing sadness and disappointment over the 61-year-old artist’s condition, he also said:
“And I don’t think it’s a voice injury; I think it’s more of something like a manifestation of performance anxiety that’s stopping him from delivering his trademark Gale Force 10 mega vocal that you need on these huge tracks, these anthemic mega hits. And I feel like the people around him need to tell him to stop.”
On a similar note, critics from different music magazines mentioned a change in Jon Bon Jovi’s singing, with some saying it ‘felt like he had forgotten how to sing.’ Others commented that it could be related to the effects of COVID, as the vocalist got it in 2021.
