Although Elvis Presley is now remembered for his Las Vegas residency and shows, it seemed that the rocker had a love/hate relationship with the place. Apparently, the shining casinos didn’t seem very appealing to him after a while, and he wasn’t the only one who ‘resented’ Vegas a bit.
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were speaking to TMF Studios when the host asked Bon Jovi whether he could think of a fate that would be ‘worse than death.’ The frontman’s answer was brief:
“[To] play in Vegas. You know like the schmaltzy versions. [starts singing in a slow, jazzy tone] ‘You give love a bad name…’ I mean, like Wayne Newton.”
However, funnily enough, a year after this interview was conducted, Jon and co. played a Vegas gig. The band then continued to take the stage in the Entertainment Capital throughout the years, and when the singer chatted with the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2018, it seemed that he had changed his mind about the city.
Bon Jovi even ‘fondly’ remembered the first time he ever visited the city while sharing some of the memories he couldn’t forget:
“I have loads of memories in Vegas. I’ve raced cars and done simulated skydiving. I loved seeing the Tyson-Bruno fight. I’ve done several videos in Vegas. I’ve even driven cross-country and drove into Vegas on a motorcycle. I also got married at Graceland Chapel in 1989.”
Although the frontman seemed to think playing in Vegas for long durations, like Wayne Newton, could’ve been ‘worse than death,’ the band had been a frequent visitor of the city, playing shows up there until 2021.
