Bon Jovi’s Childhood Mischief Inspired him to play Guitar

Jon Bon Jovi recalled a chore-avoiding escapade that led to his discovery of, and his future with, the guitar. Jovi came from a musical family, owned an instrument at an early age, but had no interest, as he told Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock NIghts radio show.

“My mother actually bought me a guitar when I was seven,” Bon Jovi explained. “She said, ‘You know, you should learn how to play the guitar.’ When you’re seven, all you care about is little league and cartoons and second grade.”

So the guitar became just another item of clutter in the family home, until young Jon was eventually asked to do something about it. “I remember one day it’s like, ‘Why don’t you go and clean the TV room?’ ‘Okay, I’ll clean the TV room,’” he said.

“I took the guitar amongst other things and I figured, ‘I’m gotta stash this stuff, I’m not going to go put it away.’ … So I opened up the basement door and just threw the stuff. And you hear the guitar go klunk-klunk-klunk. … ‘Ooh, this sounds like a future for me!’”

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