Bon Jovi to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year

Jon Bon Jovi performs at the fifth annual Love Rocks NYC concert in New York. FILE PHOTO (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES – Ahead of Sunday’s Grammy Awards, rocker Jon Bon Jovi will be honored Friday as the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year, recognizing his contributions to the music industry along with his extensive philanthropic work.

The Grammy-winning artist will be honored at MusiCares’ 33rd annual benefit gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center, hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan.

Among those set to perform at the event are Bruce Springsteen, Melissa
Etheridge, Shania Twain, Jason Isbell, Brandy Clark, Damiano David, Goo Goo Dolls, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, The War and Treaty, and Lainey Wilson.

“MusiCares is thrilled to honor Jon Bon Jovi at the 2024 Person of the Year Gala,” Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement last year announcing the rocker as this year’s honoree.

“His remarkable contributions to rock and roll have not only left an
indelible mark on the music industry, but also in the hearts of countless fans around the world. Furthermore, his long-standing commitment to serving food-insecure and unhoused individuals inspires us all. We’re looking forward to celebrating him and the many ways he has made a difference in this world.”

MusiCares is a charitable arm of the Recording Academy that offers programs to support the health and welfare of people in the music industry, including financial grants, support resources and crisis relief efforts. The Person of the Year gala is the organization’s major fundraising event.

The organization cited Bon Jovi’s 2006 establishment of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation aimed at combating hunger, poverty and homelessness by providing food, housing and job-training programs.

“I’m truly humbled to be this year’s MusiCares honoree,” Bon Jovi said in a statement released by MusiCares. “MusiCares’ work with music
professionals is vitally important in creating much needed support and wellness programs that cultivate a healthier and more vibrant community for us all.

“Philanthropic work has been a cornerstone of my life and has always
run in tandem to my music career and achievements. Nearly two decades ago when I formed the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchens, I saw firsthand and continue to see today the impact of charitable community-based work. I know this for sure: helping one’s community is helping one’s self.”

Previous Person of the Year honorees include Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Dolly Parton. (CNS)