Watch Jon Bon Jovi end Madison Square Garden concert due to illness
Jon Bon Jovi ended his July 23 show at Madison Square Garden early because of a sinus infection.
Who says you can’t bring out Bruce Springsteen to close your show?
Springsteen joined Bon Jovi at the band’s Sunday, July 26, show at Madison Square Garden in New York City to perform the Bon Jovi hit, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” and the Springsteen classic, “The Promised Land,” to close the night.
“The king of the great state of New Jersey!” said Bon Jovi, according to social media videos. Springsteen then gave Bon Jovi a hug on the Garden stage.
The moment comes after Bon Jovi left the stage after a performance of “Livin’ on a Prayer” about 90 minutes into a concert on Thursday, July 23, saying he felt “great” but “it’s not going to get any better.” A Bon Jovi rep said at the time that he was dealing with a sinus infection. The show was the eighth of nine concerts scheduled for the Garden after Bon Jovi, 64, had surgery on his vocal cords to correct problems that go back a decade.
The rocker returned to the stage on Sunday for the scheduled finale.
“This has been the privilege of a lifetime to come and do these shows for you,” said Bon Jovi on stage during the encores. “We had some of our very best shows, I think, we ever, ever, ever had. I want to let you know that this is a continuation, this is not the end of a chapter.”
Upcoming shows of the Forever Tour are Aug 28 in Edinburgh, U.K.; Aug 30 in Dublin; and Sept. 4, 6, and 9 at Wembley Stadium, London. Bon Jovi said he intended to reschedule the July 23 Madison Square Garden show, but no announcement regarding a new date has been made as of press time.
“We want to thank you all for your friendship, your kindness and your support,” said Bon Jovi from the stage on July 26. “You were there for us, you were there for me. So many people have been on this journey with us from the beginning. Some people got off the road, off the train, over the course of these 43 years, but every single one of their contributions meant everything so we can all be here together tonight.”
Duo The War and Treaty joined Bon Jovi on stage for “The People House,” released on the 2024 Bon Jovi album “Forever,” earlier in the evening.
Springsteen also attended the July 14 Bon Jovi concert at MSG and participated in Bon Jovi’s backstage pre-concert group circle. The Boss has been seen out and about in the past few days; He attended the John Mellencamp concert Saturday, July 25, in New Jersey, and he received the inaugural Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties award from the ACLU at the Washington Hilton.
Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis” at the ceremony.