‘Truly healthy again’: Bon Jovi opens up about his recovery, highly anticipated return to Gillette

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bon Jovi is coming back to Gillette Stadium.

The band announced plans to return to Foxborough next July, marking its first performance there since 2013.

For Jon Bon Jovi, the return is about more than another concert. The longtime New England Patriots fan has deep ties to the team and Gillette Stadium.

“Gillette, I mean, for me, it’s the home of the Patriots,” Bon Jovi told Boston 25’s Gene Lavanchy. “It’s where I spend every training camp.”

Bon Jovi even recalled the time Patriots owner Robert Kraft asked him to suit up as the team’s mascot to surprise Mike Vrabel for his birthday.

“My dear friend Mr. Kraft called me, and he says, ‘I need a favor,’ to which I said, ‘Well, I don’t care what it is, I’m in,’” Bon Jovi said. “And he says, ‘Would you dress up as the mascot?’ And I thought, ‘Oh, I just said I’ll do whatever.’”

Now, he’s looking forward to returning to Gillette in a more familiar role.

“For us to come back to Gillette and be able to share it with the fans there and Mr. Kraft and the team, it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he said.

The concert also marks a significant comeback for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer following vocal cord surgery and years of recovery.

Bon Jovi said the band performed 14 shows this year as he tested his voice and worked his way back into performing.

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“I’m feeling fantastic,” he said. “We worked out 60 songs over the course of those 14 nights. So the beautiful thing now, Gene, is that out of my entire catalog, there’s nothing that I can’t do. I’m really, truly healthy again.”

That gives the band plenty of options when deciding what fans will hear at Gillette. Bon Jovi said the setlist will balance the songs audiences expect with newer material and deeper cuts from the band’s catalog.

He also said he still marvels at hearing tens of thousands of fans sing back to him songs written decades earlier.

“It is really a miracle that songs happen the way that they do,” Bon Jovi said, reflecting on the staying power of hits including “It’s My Life,” “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.”

And despite having an audience ready to sing every word, Bon Jovi made it clear he isn’t taking any shortcuts following his recovery.

“I do hit the high notes every night,” he said. “There’s no tape around here, my friend.”

Bon Jovi is scheduled to perform at Gillette Stadium on July 28. According to the announcement, presale tickets begin Wednesday, Oct. 28, with general sales starting Friday, Oct. 30, through Bon Jovi’s website.

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