In 2020,
Jon Bon Jovi
became was the embodiment of the song he wrote about the pandemic, in which he sang, “When you can’t do what you do, you do what you can.”
He started 2020 by working with
Prince Harry
on a charity single in London. But as the pandemic hit,
Bon Jovi
keyboardist
David Bryan
announced he’d contracted COVID-19, and the band canceled a planned world tour in support of their new album,
Bon Jovi 2020
. The album’s release was also delayed from May to October. However, Jon himself soon became one of the most-seen faces during the pandemic.
In addition to doing a benefit specifically for his home state of New Jersey, Jon wrote the quarantine anthem “Do What You Can,” inspired by a caption
on one of his social media posts
that showed him washing dishes at his charity restaurant in Red Bank, NJ.
Initially, Jon invited fans to co-write the song with him online, but he later released an “official” version on
Bon Jovi 2020.
A
duet version
of the song and video with
Jennifer Nettles
was also released.
For the well-reviewed
Bon Jovi 2020
, Jon also wrote a few other songs inspired by the events of the past year, including “American Reckoning,” about the murder of
George Floyd
and racial injustice in general.
In November, Jon and the band released the quarantine concert film
On a Night Like This
, during which they played the entire album. A million fans tuned in to watch.
The star closed out 2020 by releasing a holiday EP with three Christmas songs
:
Covers of
Tom Petty
‘s “Christmas All Over Again,”
The Pogues
‘ “Fairytale of New York” and “If I Get Home on Christmas Day,” which was recorded by
Elvis Presley
on the 1971 album
Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas
.
By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
