• Bon Jovi to perform live on 'American Idol'


    By Anna Chan, TODAY

    The "American Idol" hopefuls are going to get a lesson in rock 'n' roll stardom this season. Fox announced on Wednesday that Bon Jovi is set to perform live on the March 14 results show.

    The band, which has sold more than 130 million albums since forming in 1984,  won't be performing any of its classic hits that older viewers will be familiar with, though. Instead, Bon Jovi will be performing its new single "Because We Can," from the upcoming album "What About Now," out March 12.

    This week, "Idol" kicks off its Sudden Death Round in Las Vegas. The show will go to live airings the week of March 5.

    "American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

    Which musicians would you like to see perform on "American Idol"? Give us your picks on our Facebook page!

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  • Bon Jovi opens up about daughter's trouble with drugs

    Jason Redmond / Reuters file

    Stephanie Bongiovi, left, with parents Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Rose Hurley in 2010.

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    As Jon Bon Jovi prepares to return to the stage to perform at the 12-12-12 concert (on Dec. 12) to benefit victims of Superstorm Sandy, the rocker is opening up about his daughter's troubles last month. Stephanie Bongiovi's arrest at her Hamilton College dorm room came after a suspected heroin overdose, an incident that "shocked" Bon Jovi.

    "I appreciate the outpouring of kindness in light of what happened in my household," Bon Jovi said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm shocked as much as the next parent with this situation and had no idea. But then you surround them with the best help and love and move on, and that's where we're at with it."

    Bon Jovi reflected on his early days as a parent to a baby girl. "I didn't have any sisters. We bring home this girl the first day. Now what? Where's the manual? There was no manual. So you bring her up the best you can, you surround her with hugs and kisses and know that she may eventually fall down.

    "Steph is a great kid. Great GPA. Cool school, Hamilton College up in Clinton, N.Y. Everything about it is idyllic," the rocker said. "She was doing great. Then a sudden and steep decline. Hopefully, we caught it when we did and that's the end of it. But who knew? I've got three more to come," said the father of four.


    Are his daughter's struggles a result of bad decision making? "I hope so," he said. "I'm confident, but no one knows the future. It is what it is."

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  • Concert to help Sandy victims raises nearly $23 million, Red Cross and NBCUniversal say

    By NBC News staff and wire services

    A live televised concert to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy brought in nearly $23 million, the American Red Cross and NBCUniversal said Saturday.

    The Red Cross said website and phone traffic exceeded that of telethons supporting the charity over the previous five years.

     “We are incredibly grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support for those who are suffering as a result of Superstorm Sandy,” American Red Cross Chief Marketing Officer Peggy Dyer said in a statement.

    The one-hour, commercial-free telecast organized by NBCUniversal, "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together," included appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Tyler, Mary J. Blige, Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny DeVito and NBC News' Brian Williams. TODAY co-anchor Matt Lauer was host.

    "We haven't seen a storm like this in 100 years," said Lauer.

    The show also featured Bon Jovi surveying the devastation in New Jersey. He then performed an unplugged version of "Living on a Prayer." Images of the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy were also interspersed throughout the show, along with victims pleading for aid, reminding viewers just how immense the damage was.

    "New Jersey was hit really hard. Some beaches were destroyed. Boardwalks were torn apart. But they will be rebuilt," said late-night host Fallon. "This song is dedicated to all the good times ahead." He then joined Tyler,  Joel and Springsteen for an upbeat cover of "Under the Boardwalk."

    The stars reminded those affected by the storm that people care. 

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    "My prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the hurricane," Mary J. Blige said. "Things are gonna get better, so please hang in there, be strong and have faith. And please, everybody watching tonight, give something, anything. Every penny counts." She performed "The Living Proof," a song she wrote about surviving difficult times and the brighter days ahead.

    Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closed the show on a message of hope with a rousing rendition of their tune "Land of Hope and Dreams."

    Money collected during the concert will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those impacted by disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.

    To donate, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-HELPNOW or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

    This article includes reporting by Reuters.

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  • Stars perform to help victims of Sandy

    By NBC News staff and wire

    New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi joined Sting, Christina Aguilera and other music stars on Friday in a televised benefit concert to raise funds for victims of Sandy, the superstorm that has killed nearly 100 people in the United States and devastated large sections of the Northeast.

    The commercial-free one-hour telecast organized by NBCUniversal, "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together," included appearances by Billy Joel, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Tyler, Mary J. Blige, Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny DeVito and NBC News' Brian Williams. TODAY show co-anchor Matt Lauer was host.

    "Voice" coach Aguilera kicked off the program. 

    "We've come together tonight to tell every single person who's suffering that we are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave anyone behind because every single one of you matters," the star said before beginning her performance of her hit "Beautiful."

    "We haven't seen a storm like this in 100 years," said Lauer.

    The show also featured Bon Jovi surveying the devastation in New Jersey. After the touching clip, which also showed the rocker talking to impacted residents, he performed an unplugged version of "Living on a Prayer." Images of the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy were also interspersed throughout the show, along with victims pleading for aid, reminding viewers just how immense the damage was.

    Slideshow: Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together

    NBC

    Launch slideshow

    "New Jersey was hit really hard. Some beaches were destroyed. Boardwalks were torn apart. But they will be rebuilt," said late-night host Jimmy Fallon. "This song is dedicated to all the good times ahead." He then joined Steven Tyler, Billy Joel and Springsteen for an upbeat cover of "Under the Boardwalk."

    "That ain't bad! ... Jimmy Fallon is a bold man to take the lead vocals," Jon Stewart joked after their performance, before getting serious again. "You never think that it's going to be your home or where you grew up. Now that it is, I find it more difficult (to ask for donations). ... We're asking for your help. Text, call, whatever you can do for the Red Cross."

    The stars tried to give hope throughout the program, reminding those impacted by the storm that people care. 

    "My prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the hurricane," Mary J. Blige said. "Things are gonna get better, so please hang in there, be strong and have faith. And please, everybody watching tonight, give something, anything. Every penny counts." She performed "The Living Proof," a song she wrote about surviving difficult times and the brighter days ahead.

    Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closed the show on a message of hope with a rousing rendition of their tune "Land of Hope and Dreams."


    Money collected during the concert will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those impacted by disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.

    To donate, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-HELPNOW or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  

    Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Green Day singer calls Bon Jovi the worst band to play with

    Danny Moloshok / Reuters

    Hey, Bon Jovi! Green Day members Mike Dirnt, Billie Joe Armstrong and Tre Cool arrive for the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 6.

    By Courtney Garcia, NBC News contributor

    In a candid interview on Friday, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong had no trouble admitting that, in the punk band’s 25 years of touring, Bon Jovi would have to be the worst act they’ve ever performed alongside.

    Armstrong appeared on the UK’s Kerrang! Radiowhere he took the time to answer his fans' random questions about the group, including one inquiring as to the best and worst bands they’ve ever shared the stage with.

    "The best is probably The Hives,” the 40-year-old rocker replied. “They're a great live band. [As for the worst] Oh boy, I have to go with Bon Jovi."

    No specific reasons were given as to why Armstrong feels such distaste towards the American rock group, but unfortunately for him, the two will soon perform together again, at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 21 and 22, though they will appear on different nights of the event.

    Later in the interview, Armstrong also admitted to having a few prima donna moments in his time.

    "When you’re on the road, that happens all the time because you start to go a little wacko," he said when asked about any odd arguments that had transpired within the band. "The last time was probably right before we were about to go onstage at Shepherd's Bush. We were having a band fight about personal stuff, and I was being a total diva."

    Green Day is currently promoting their ninth studio album, "¡Uno!," which will be released Sept. 24 and is part of a three-album set, reports NME. The second record, “¡Dos!,” will be out on Nov. 12 and "¡Tré!" on Jan. 14, 2013. They have released three singles to date -- "Let Yourself Go," "Oh Love," and "Kill the DJ" -- and premiered their fourth as a music video on Tuesday. The group will also be putting out a pair of documentaries, one to focus on making the albums, and a second "created from vintage footage shot during the band's pre-"Dookie" days."

    Among other questions posed during the Kerrang! interview, Armstrong was asked how much longer the band would be around and indicated that, at the moment, there was no specific end in sight.

    "I’m just trying to live in the moment because sometimes I can’t believe I’m 40 and still doing this," he said. "But it’s still resonating in my life. And 'Basket Case' is one of those songs now ... It’s stopped being mine. It belongs to all the people singing it in the audience now."

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  • Bon Jovi and Warren Buffet share the stage in an unlikely ukulele duet

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    Well, here's an unlikely musical couple: Bon Jovi and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett shared a stage Tuesday at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. Buffet, who was there to speak about his charitable efforts, revealed that he learned to play the ukulele 60 years ago "as a way to court girls," Forbes reports.


    Bon Jovi, who recently opened Soul Kitchen as part of the JBJ Soul Foundation, also spoke at the event and co-hosted an end-of-night reception, so it was natural the two would cap things off by taking the stage together. Since Buffett didn't know the lyrics to "Livin' on a Prayer," the two played a song he was familiar with: "The Glory of Love," popularized by Bette Midler. Take a listen on the link above.

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