Jon Bon Jovi announces contest to crash a college graduation
Bon Jovi said the contest was inspired by the song "Reunion."
— -- While college graduations usually draw attention for their commencement speakers, one college somewhere in the U.S. will make headlines this year for its commencement rock concert.
Jon Bon Jovi announced today a new contest that will end with the rocker and his band crashing a college graduation.
“I know, having two kids graduating college this year, the joy that families that have gone through the years with their children getting ready for this moment,” Bon Jovi, a father of four, said today on “Good Morning America." “The idea that we would come by ... it’s pretty neat.”
Bon Jovi, 55, spoke to “GMA” by phone from Detroit, the latest stop on Bon Jovi's “This House Is Not for Sale Tour.”
It was a song, “Reunion,” on the “This House Is Not for Sale” album that inspired the college graduation contest, Bon Jovi said.
The song's chorus includes the lyrics, "Write your song, sing along, love your life ... Learn to laugh, dare to dance, touch the sky ... Take pictures each step of the way ... Make this the best of the rest of your days ... Start your revolution and I'll see you at the reunion."
College seniors can try for a chance to have Bon Jovi perform and speak at their graduation by sharing their best college moments on Twitter using the hashtag #JBJReunionContest. The contest is run in partnership with MTVU.
Bon Jovi said he plans to give the winning college graduates “some words” of advice. If he were a college senior, the singer would stretch far back into history for a dream commencement guest.
“Probably somebody who is smart like George Washington or Ben Franklin but if I could have a musician come out and talk to me I’d probably want [Frank] Sinatra to come back,” he said. “Can you imagine Frank coming out and giving a commencement speech?”