Jon Bon Jovi has been talking about his love for Thin Lizzy and why he made a return visit to the statue of the band’s front man Phil Lynott in Dublin last week.
Watch: Jon Bon Jovi says Thin Lizzy 'came up at a very influential time' in his life
The Bon Jovi singer appears on Friday night's Late Late Show and he spoke to host Patrick Kielty about the huge impact the Irish band had on him when he was growing up in New Jersey.
Bon Jovi play Dublin’s Croke Park next summer and it will be their first Irish show since 2019. Back then, Jon also visited the Phil Lynott statue, which stands outside Bruxelles bar on Dublin’s Harry Street, to pay his respects.
"Thin Lizzy came up at a very influential time in my life because we were young teenage boys when Lizzy were doing The Boys Are Back in Town and Jailbreak and their version of Whiskey in the Jar . . . " he said.
"Thoe songs were breaking in America and they made storytelling fun."
Bon Jovi recorded a version of The Boys Are Back in Town for the deluxe edition of their 1988 album, New Jersey, and have occasionally played the track live.
Asked about how Thin Lizzy’s "stadium energy" influenced his own band, Jon (63) said. "Absolutely. I was thinking about how many times I’ve sung those songs over the years, how I learned to play those songs, which is why I write songs.
"Instead of a guitar teacher teaching you simple scales, my guitar teacher took out the sheet music to Boys Are Back in Town and said, 'play this.’ That was a magic potion."
On Friday's Late Late, Jon will also share stories from four decades of music, his connection he feels with his Irish fans. and his life off the stage - including his newest role as Grandad.
The Late Late Show, RTÉ One, Friday, 9.35pm
