Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen interview on Today

Jon was interviewed by Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today about the newly opened JBJ Soul Kitchen... Here's the segment.

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JBJ on the Soul Kitchen, Katherine Heigl on JBJ

There was a nice Associated Press article overnight about the recently opened Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen.

In three decades as one of the world's biggest rock stars, Jon Bon Jovi has eaten in some of the world's best restaurants, savoring the best food the planet has to offer.

Yet there's no place he'd rather have dinner than The Soul Kitchen, a "pay-what-you-can" restaurant he and his wife Dorothea established in a former auto body shop near the Red Bank train station in central New Jersey.

Read the rest of the article here.

Meanwhile, Katherine Heigl has talked about locking lips with Jon in New Year's Eve.

"I play a young woman who's a caterer and she's catering the New Year's Eve party and event," she explained. "Jon plays my big, famous musician ex-fiance who comes back into town to sort of win me back."

And then Heigl beamed, "Yes, I made out with him!"

How was it?

"It's always so nerve-wracking," she said. "There's all the giggles and there's all the Altoid popping."

And Bon Jovi couldn't have been more of a gentleman. "He's just a gem," Heigl said. "One of the nicest guys ever."

Read more at this link.

Jon Bon Jovi: The Billboard Cover Story

Jon graces the cover of this week's Billboard.



You can also check out the article on their website:

Driven by the intense work ethic, broad vision and rock'n'roll charisma of its frontman and namesake, Jon Bon Jovi, this band is still breaking new markets, finding new fans and remaining relevant while most of the rock groups that emerged in the '80s either have disbanded or are relegated to playing decades-old hits with little hope of charting new ones.

If Bon Jovi were a stock, it would be a blue-chipper-savvy investors would be bullish. And Jon Bon Jovi is CEO, the personification of that delicate intersection of art and commerce. He accepts that description, with a caveat. "The commerce is really just a by-product of the art," he says, calling from a hotel room in Los Angeles where he's decompressing from the latest mega-tour by writing and cutting tracks with multiple Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer John Shanks for what will end up being the next Bon Jovi album.

Read the full article here.

Is Richie Sambora FINALLY releasing another solo album?

I think I was in my first year of secondary school (and possibly even still in primary school) when Richie first started talking about making a third solo album. I've since had two university graduations and started working full time if that gives you any indication of how long it's been. But it seems that some progress -- as in the kind of progress that might actually see a record finished and released -- is being made. A few days ago session drummer Aaron Sterling blogged this:

I’m here at Oceanway for the next few days working with the great Richie Sambora on his next solo record. He’s a super cool guy and the music has been a blast to play. We have a great band with Curt Schneider, Rusty Anderson and Matt Rollings.

Curt Schneider also has this photo on his website:

The pic seems to be of all the guys Aaron mentioned, plus what looks like Luke Ebbin (who produced Crush and Bounce for Bon Jovi) and another guy that JoviTalk has yet to identify.

Do you think Richie's third album will finally come to fruition? Are you looking forward to it if it does?

Memphis on Blu-Ray and other bits

According to Blu-Ray.com, David Bryan and Joe DiPietro's musical Memphis is getting a Region A release next year:

Shout! Factory and Broadway Worldwide, Inc. have announced a new deal to bring Broadway's 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Memphis to Blu-ray in the U.S. and Canada. Under this multi-year agreement, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive home entertainment distributor to release Memphis featuring the original Broadway cast. The Blu-ray will hit retail shelves in 2012.

In other news:

• Jon Bon Jovi is reportedly trying to sell his SoHo penthouse for $45 million
• Jon -- along with Billy Falcon and Obie O'Brien -- are working on the new Soraia album (thanks, Hath!)
• Hugh McDonald plays bass on Mitch Malloy's upcoming album

Richie Sambora / Nikki Lund - How to Love

New music from Richie and Nikki. Live footage shot by a fan.



What do you think? Beats White Trash Beautiful and Crazy, no?

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation turns five

The Soul Foundation celebrated its 5th anniversary this week. Here's a Facebook thank you video from JBJ.

Happy birthday Tico Torres

Bon Jovi's very own hitman Tico Torres has turned 58.

Happy birthday, Tico!

Here he is singing What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.