Jon Bon Jovi reveals financial details of his first-ever music contract
Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi has revealed the small sum he was paid for his first-ever recording contract.
The ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ singer has enjoyed an illustrious career, selling over 150 million records worldwide and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
However, it wasn’t all glitz and glam for the vocalist. The rock icon’s career began in film, and his first-ever recording contract was signed in 1980 and was for the Star Wars holiday album, Christmas in the Stars.
Posting the contract on Instagram, Bon Jovi shared that the document was signed by famed music producer Meco Monardo. He was paid for “services in connection with a Christmas album tentatively entitled ‘Christmas In The Stars’ produced by the undersigned on behalf of RSO Records Inc.”
In red pen, the amount the now world-famous singer was paid for his service was scribbled into the contract as $180.
He also waived his right to any royalties for the album. In the caption, Bon Jovi wrote, “First ever contract back in 1980, always fun finding these … No doubt it’s online somewhere.”
The album was eventually released in 1980. On it, C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels narrated and sang throughout. Jovi features on the comedically named track, ‘R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.
In 2024, on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bon Jovi elaborated on how this occurrence happened by chance: “I was a gopher in a recording studio from the fall of 1980 until ’83, when we did the first record,” he shared.
He added, “There was a guy named Meco Monardo, who was doing these kind of tribute records taking advantage of the Star Wars craze, he was pretending to be a young boy singing the song.”
Bon Jovi went on, “It sounded like an old man pretending to be a young boy, and he says, ‘Young boy, can you sing?’ And I said, ‘That’s what you know… yeah, I think I can. He says, ‘Go in there and if you want to do this it pays $183,’ and I got $183 to sing.” Though his estimation was three dollars out, the story rings true.
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