Fall On Your Knees

One day last week, (while I was driving to work), my friend Camilla called. She tells me (while I'm driving!) that she just heard on the radio that Bon Jovi passed away. Before I start a National Enquirer sized rumor, this is not true. It was Richie Sambora’s father who passed away.

Camilla obviously wasn’t paying complete and full attention like I require my friends to do when they hear the name “Bon Jovi” on the radio. Seriously, what is wrong with her? She knows the drill.

I pulled over because I started wailing the second I heard the words come out of her mouth. And not because I just bought Bon Jovi tickets for July 5th, either. (woo hoo!)

It’s no secret that I like all kinds of music. There are, though, only a few performers that I love. Adore. Can’t live without listening to all the time and most importantly, would pay money to see.

Barry Manilow and Bon Jovi. (odd combination, I know)

They speak to me and I hear them. Well, not so much anymore since I started on that new medication (I’m TEASING!), but it’s true.

As I tried to pull myself together enough to get to work after Camilla’s Bon Jovi news, I flashed back to a day that I have never forgotten. It was 1977 and I was just a rock-chick-in-training back then, busily chewing watermelon flavored Bubblicious and hula-hooping on my front lawn when our next door neighbor, Jeannie, hysterically ran out of her house, right past me and pounded on our front door. My mom answered and after seeing them exchange a few words, I watched mom fall to her knees and felt my hula hoop fall to the ground. Elvis Presley had died. Have mercy.

I didn’t understand this completely until last week when I received Camilla’s call. I have never even met Bon Jovi, but his music is a big part of me and (until I actually arrived at work and found out that he was still very much alive,) I really felt as though I lost a close friend. I now understood why my mom fell to her knees hearing of Elvis’ death. The same thing would have just happened to me if I hadn’t been sitting when I took Camilla’s call. I’m sure of it.

Just like my mom, I have Inspirational/Gospel singing Elvis on my list. It's 2007 now and during my 40 years on earth, I've had my share of skinned knees. Like a "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Inspirational Elvis always pulls me back on my feet. Give him a listen and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

You can imagine my elation at seeing Jon Bon Jovi living and breathing on American Idol last night. He even kissed Melinda. Awesome! Far better than the kiss LaKisha got from Simon. (Which I don’t understand at all, but whatever.) I do understand this, though, not one of the remaining contestants “hears” Bon Jovi. They’re all talented but none of them got it. Well, maybe Jordin’s mom does. (poor Bon Jovi-what a comment).

I was a little disappointed, especially after seeing “Hologram Elvis” sing a duet with Celine Dion on last week’s show. WOW!

Tonight, when Bon Jovi takes the American Idol stage, I hope they all listen. I like these Idol contestants and it's sad to see two of them livin' on a prayer, but, I have no doubt we will see them all again. They're already half way there. All they have to do is take Bon Jovi's hand and they’ll all make it, I swear.