In a recent SiriusXM interview, Jon Bon Jovi spoke candidly about his life and profession while revealing some interesting exchanges he had with Bruce Springsteen, another artist. The two musicians’ mutual experience with Imposter Syndrome was one of the things they talked about.
When the journalist asked the singer if he had ever dealt with the illness, Jon said yes and added that he thought many musicians would at some time in their careers. The artist also mentioned discussions he had on the matter with Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, recalling that these two legendary musicians also admitted to occasionally feeling as though they were misleading people.
His response and remarks are as follows:
“Throughout any guy’s career, you have to have [Imposter Syndrome]. I don’t know anybody who’s so full of himself that they think that they had it the whole time. I’ve talked to Paul McCartney, to Bruce Springsteen. You know, everybody at one point or another thought they were full of it, that they were like, ‘Nah, I’m fooling everybody. I’m just getting away with it.’ I think everybody has that.
And then, it’s those who work their a–es off, not one or two or five or ten albums but twenty albums in. You know, you talk to Bruce today, he’s working his a– off. You talk to Paul McCartney at 80+ years old, he’s off to rehearsals right now. He’s 80! I mean, Jimmy Buffet or the guys that I’m friendly with. That’s what they do. I was 25 minutes late today because I was at rehearsal in New Jersey this morning. I’m in Florida now.”
Given that Springsteen and Bon Jovi have been friends for many years and have performed together on stage together at multiple live performances, it seems that their shared experience with this condition helped to forge a connection between the two. Even better, they get to perform with McCartney in 2022 and even join him onstage.
