Rock icon Jon Bon Jovi was captured on camera assisting in persuading a woman to step away from the edge of a bridge in Nashville. The Living on a Prayer singer intervened to coax the unidentified woman back over the railing of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the incident occurred on Tuesday night while the 62-year-old was filming a music video on the bridge.
In the clip shared by local police, Jon Bon Jovi, accompanied by a member of his entourage, is seen approaching the woman. He leans over the side railing, gradually moves closer to her, and then heroically lifts her back over the railing before embracing her.
Officers responded to the scene, with Nashville PD Chief John Drake commending Jon Bon Jovi’s actions, stating, “It takes all of us to help keep each other safe.” The police department’s social media post read, “A shout out to Jon Bon Jovi and his team for helping a woman in Nashville on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge Tuesday night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.”
Jon Bon Jovi, who has sold over 120 million records worldwide with his band formed in 1983, shared earlier this year with People magazine that he is gradually “getting back” to performing live following a rare throat surgery in June 2022. At the opening of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit for his band, Bon Jovi noted, “I guess I am [regaining my vocals].” Regarding returning to live performances, he added, “We performed last night in Nashville, and everything was very good. So step by step, I’m getting back to it,” the Grammy winner concluded.
In the summer of 2022, Jon Bon Jovi underwent a vocal fold medialization procedure, also known as thyroplasty. In May, he openly discussed the vocal surgery in a cover story for AARP’s June/July 2024 issue.
During the interview, Bon Jovi recounted his initial fears about potential vocal loss, saying, “People had to talk me off the ledge, because you’re like, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong! What’s wrong?'”
Bon Jovi rejected the use of lip-syncing and Auto-Tune for live performances, stating, “I’d rather get hit by a bus on the highway.”
As he explored treatment options, fellow performer Shania Twain recommended her doctor, Robert Sataloff, who had helped her with her own voice issues. Sataloff told AARP that Bon Jovi had worked harder and more diligently throughout his career than many fans would realize. However, he clarified that Bon Jovi’s thinning vocal cords were not due to injury or illness, but rather the natural process of aging. “Eventually it catches up with all of us,” Sataloff explained.
