Bon Jovi on tour: The Frank Sinatra connection

Jon Bon Jovi is hitting the road — without Frank Sinatra.

The Sayreville-born rocker has retired the picture of Sinatra that he used to keep backstage at Bon Jovi shows, he recently told ExtraTV.

“There was a picture of Sinatra that I kept in the quick change (room behind the stage) for years and years, but I’ve retired him just recently,” Bon Jovi said.

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It was an early-period Sinatra pic, circa 1947 by William Gottlieb. There’s also a profile shot of Vince Lombardi and the Notre Dame football slogan, “Play Like A Champion Today,” in the room. A shot of the room is included in the “Bon Jovi: Work” picture book by photographer David Bergman.

Both Bon Jovi and Sinatra are Jersey-born singers whose stardom is worldwide. Bon Jovi professed his adulation for Old Blue Eyes of Hoboken to Howard Stern in 2016.

“I emulate a lot of what I do after Frank,” said Bon Jovi to Stern. “I have very, very, very few regrets. I wish I’d met him. That’s the one regret.” 

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Bon Jovi admired Sinatra’s stance on Civil Rights, his work to get President Kennedy elected in 1960 and his founding of Reprise Records. He named-checked Sinatra in the 2000 Bon Jovi hit, “It’s My Life,” with the line,  “Like Frankie said, I did it my way.”

“Frank Sinatra had just died and I said, it means everything to me because I really, really, finally am old enough to understand Mr. Sinatra,” said Bon Jovi about the “It’s My Life” tribute.  “That line became everybody’s buddy, brother, or friend.”

As far as must-haves for touring, Bon Jovi needs his stage sneakers and his special tea, he said.

“If you ever sipped my tea, it ain’t tea. There are about 10 Halls Mentho-Lyptuses in there that are dissolved," Bon Jovi said. "So I’m probably eating 20 Halls Mentho-Lyptuses during the course of the night that are melted into tea. So don’t drink my tea!”  

Bon Jovi recently announced dates for a North American “This House is Not for Sale 2018 Tour” that includes two shows, April 7 and 8, at the Prudential Center in Newark.  

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The tour begins March 14 in Denver and concludes May 14 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Other area dates include May 3 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and May 9 and 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

The band will be  inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14 at Cleveland’s Public Hall. Stern will be doing the induction.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com. Twitter: @chrisfhjordan