Legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi has abruptly abandoned a show at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Thursday (July 24), telling fans he was “hurt” and then leaving the stage, never to return.
The 64-year-old rocker is currently in the throes of his band Bon Jovi’s Forever Tour. Bon Jovi was rocking out during the band’s eighth night of the group’s nine-day residency in New York when the star cut the night short after bashing out a rendition of hit track Livin’ On A Prayer.
An eyewitness told Page Six that the star said to the crowd: “I’m sorry, I’m hurt, and you’re not getting the best of me.”
He also told fans who had their night cut tragically short to keep a hold of their tickets. “Don’t throw away your ticket stubs, I’m gonna figure something out, okay? Just hold onto it, we’ll figure out how to reschedule.”
Despite the star’s abrupt departure, host of the Jon Bon Jovi Discussions podcast Jerry Braden took to X to share that the rocker was battling a sinus infection.
“Due to a sinus infection, Jon couldn’t sing the end of Bed of Roses & let the audience sing. He said the internet trolls can have at it tomorrow, but thanked the supportive fans for having his back,” Braden said.
He added: “Fans at the show (and online fans) are supporting you. We believe in you.”
Once the band’s Forever Tour officially wraps in New York on July 26, it’ll be off to Scotland for a gig in Edinburgh on August 28, followed by a three-night stint at Wembley Stadium which kicks off on September 4.
Bon Jovi shared his excitement on Instagram earlier this month ahead of the opening night of his latest tour, which marks his big his return to the stage after four years off, following surgery to repair a damaged vocal cord.
As the first show got underway, the rock icon opened by singing the first line of the Beatles’ 1967 classic With a Little Help from My Friends, as per People.
Making a light-hearted reference to his vocal surgery, he sang: “What would you do if I sang out of tune?”
Later in the performance, Bon Jovi reflected on his long-awaited return, telling the crowd: “I haven’t heard the roar of a crowd in four years and I didn’t know if I would remember what that was like.” He added that he was “grateful and humbled by this whole ordeal.”
According to the celebrity magazine, the band played for more than two hours, treating fans to a 21-song set.