Jon Bon Jovi On ‘Jersey 4 Jersey’: ‘These Are Our People’

Jon Bon Jovi addressed the coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming multimedia Jersey 4 Jersey fundraiser set for April 22nd with Bruce Springsteen, and others. Bon Jovi, who also stepped up in the wake of the devastation New Jersey faced during Hurricane Sandy starting his JBJ Soul Kitchen, explained to USA Today: “These are our people and in these times of need we all come together.

COVID-19 has hit as close to home as possible for the New Jersey rocker, with his 17-year-old son Jacob getting slammed with the virus, and bandmates David Bryan and touring percussionist Everett Bradley both recovering from COVID-19.

Bon Jovi revealed: “Everett had it bad. He's about 85 percent on the road to recovery.” Regarding Bryan, Bon Jovi said, “He had it hard but I’ve spoken to him this week and he sounds so much better.”

He spoke about the importance of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund which will benefit from the upcoming Jersey 4 Jersey special, and touched upon how Jersey is being hit on all fronts: “It’s the out-of-work restaurant worker, it’s the out-of-work retail worker who never thought they were going to be in dire straits and asking for a meal and wanting to volunteer, which, as you know, is the model of the Soul Kitchen. But we just say well take a raincheck on that and see you the next time because the volunteering opportunities aren’t there. So we’re just here to provide meals for our neighbors and they’ll come back when they can. They're very appreciative because we’re there for them.”

Not too long ago, Jon Bon Jovi explained that the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey is a win-win situation, no matter how you look at it: “You are teaching the man to fish instead of giving him a fish. When you come into this restaurant, there are no prices on our menu. So, if you are in need, you participate — and that means bussing the table, washing a dish, working in our gardens. If you are here to just enjoy a meal and affect change directly by buying a 'Pay It Forward' card, you are paying for your meal and for someone else's that are here in the restaurant or are going to come tomorrow, and you don't know the difference between who are in need and who are not in need.”