Howard Stern has been so many things in his career–talk radio star, TV host, celebrity judge, a briefly attempted movie star–that it’s easy to forget he began as a music DJ. But his longtime friends in Bon Jovi didn’t forget, and when they finally got the call to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate (and entertaining) for the induction speech than the former self-proclaimed “King of All Media.”
In keeping with what you’d expect, Stern made a lot of dick jokes, and some tasteless numerical comparisons of Bon Jovi album sales to sperm counts and death tolls (as always with Stern, not all is humor is for everyone, nor would we want it to be). And naturally he took the time to take plenty of potshots at Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner, and artists he likes less than Bon Jovi, like Harry Chapin and Bob Dylan. But as usual, beneath the schoolboy language and insults, Stern’s inner fanboy sincerity came through, as he actually led the crowd in a singalong of “Wanted Dead or Alive” that went on just a little awkwardly too long, and deliberately so:
One imagines Tico Torres, Phil X, Hugh McDonald, David Bryan, and Alec John Such were happy to get the public acknowledgement by name, when so many of the media sometimes seem only aware of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. And we can’t disagree with Howard: “John Such” would be a good band name too.
What did you think of Stern’s speech? Are Bon Jovi long overdue for this honor? Runaway to the comments below, and Never Say Goodbye to the idea of posting one.
Image: YouTube/MarchofTheRashbaum
More music:
- A Beatles music medley spanning five decades.
- Tommy Wiseau’s music video for The Armed.
- The Lovecraft poem that matches Billy Joel.
