Rocker Bon Jovi visits homeless on tour, 1 of 2

 

Call him the Pied Piper of Philanthropy; the Purveyor of Possibilities, the Crown Prince of Charity. Any way you slice it, Jon Bon Jovi is the rare exception in a music industry loaded with self-obsessed, over-indulgent stars. He is one of the few who knows that fans the world over have made him one of the most successful acts in rock, and that it is to people that Jon Bon Jovi must give back in order to keep the fame he has earned.

He is the embodiment of the axiom, "I can't keep what I have unless I give it away".

Usually when a rock n’ roll band goes out on tour, promoters and managers get ready to ‘handle’ their stars, and hotels across the land cringe bracing for raucous times straight out of 'The Hangover'. Tales of rock stars over-indulging in too much drink, the wonders of modern pharmacology, and the wiles of groupies are legendary.  Once upon a time in the days of bad 'Hair Bands' and spandex tights and torn blue jeans, the Jersey rockers had their share of manufactured fun too.

Happily, In rare instances, bands that endure---like U2 and globe-trotting front-man Bono--- mature beyond the music, and take on causes larger than fame or fortune.

Bon Jovi is yet another band with a deeper mission, a Higher Purpose of pursuing a greater good. On his current ‘The Circle’ tour, Jon Bon Jovi is rejecting the rock star down-time indulgences, and instead takes time between shows to venture into impoverished neighborhoods as Ambassador for the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, learning all that he can about how to help the homeless.

“I found a cause, a reason, something that was nondenominational. There were no prejudices involved. Doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, young, old. Republican, Democrat. Homelessness is something that can potentially affect anyone,” he states in his book, “When We Were Beautiful”.

The release of ‘The Circle’ is significant to Bon Jovi because the circle represents the actual cocoon that has nurtured the band, it’s family members, and the fans for over a quarter century. But for the deeper meaning of life, the circle represents the universe each of us lives in; bound and contained by a common existence where problems are overcome together, as one.

The One Great Truth that resonates through the record and Bon Jovi’s efforts with the homeless is that it’s easy to help people when times are good; but the real angels strap on their wings in good times and in bad, because within the circle, our inter-relatedness is unceasing, and our problems surmountable together.

In the past the iconic singer has sought to keep his life as an entertainer separate from that of philanthropist:

“My music and my philanthropic work are two different worlds. I don’t feel the need to preach about what the Foundation does from the concert stage nor do I feel the need to talk about my music and concerts during a site dedication or ground-breaking. Keep them separate: two different aspects of the same life. And they’re both fulfilling”, he said.

Be sure to check out part 2

Do you want to stay on top of all things Bon Jovi?  Follow Bon Jovi Examiner Glenn Osrin, here