Growing up,Jon Bon Joviconsidered fellow New Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen a mentor, something he claimed was common among musicians of the Garden State.
“Being from New Jersey and being at all in the music business, you had to know what the E Street band was, even if it wasn’t your musical tastes,” Bon Jovi, 64, explained to PEOPLE. “He is the cornerstone of New Jersey rock and roll. Of course, there was Frank Sinatra, there was Frankie Valli, there was Whitney Houston; there’s incredible singers, but the E Street band was hugely important for anyone who picked up an electric guitar.”
Shared Roots
Like Springsteen, 76, Bon Jovi started out at the Stone Pony, the famous Asbury Park music club that opened in 1974. Along with local bands, national acts like the Ramones, Elvis Costello, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and the Smithereens also played there before their careers took off.
Becoming friends with Springsteen was “one of the highlights” of his career, as he looked at the E Street Band as New Jersey’s version of the Beatles.
A Hometown Hero
“They made the impossible possible — 25 miles from your house was a guy that was making records,” he explained. “They weren’t just the posters on the wall; it was just right there. So when you’re 17, that’s like seeing Jesus and the disciples.”
Eventually, the two developed a closer connection, which he talked about in 2024’s Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. “Our connection is deep, on a whole different level of friendship, because how many guys can talk like we can talk, in close quarters, about life, and love, and loss,” he said.
New Jersey Royalty
Despite having very different musical careers, they’ve experienced many similarities, so much so that Bon Jovi joked that he’s “the prince of New Jersey,” while Springsteen remains on the throne.
For Bon Jovi, Springsteen was more than just a musical mentor—he was proof that rock stardom was possible right in his backyard. Their shared roots at the Stone Pony blossomed into a deep, unparalleled friendship, leaving Springsteen as the undisputed king of New Jersey rock, and Bon Jovi as its proud prince.
