Jon Bon Jovi on his touring future: “I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis”

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Jon Bon Jovi is still working on getting his voice back to what it was before he underwent surgery for atrophied vocal cords — and if he doesn’t, that may mean the end of his touring career. 

“This is the first time I’m saying this,” the 62-year-old tells the U.K.’s The Sunday Times. “If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I once was … then I’m done.” He adds, “And I’m good with that.”

Bon Jovi is getting ready to release their new album, Forever, on June 7, and while Jon may sound OK on the record, that doesn’t necessarily mean his voice is ready for a tour yet, and he’s not 100% sure it ever will be. 

“There is a big difference between being in a studio and going out on the road,” he says. “But I want to perform for two and a half hours a night, four nights a week — and I know how good I can be.” 

He adds, “[So] if I can’t be that guy … put it this way, I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis.”

Jon’s surgery is one of the many storylines in the upcoming four-part Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. It’s set to premiere April 26.

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