JON BON JOVI 'Couldn't Understand Why God Was Taking Away' His Vocal Ability

During a panel about the upcoming BON JOVI docuseries "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, California on Friday (February 9),Jon Bon Jovi opened up about the vocal injury he experienced that threatened "to bring everything to a screeching halt."

"I pride myself on being a true vocalist," he said. "I've sung with Pavarotti. I know how to sing. I've studied the craft for 40 years. I'm not a stylist who just barks and howls. I know how to sing. So when God was taking away my ability, and I couldn't understand why, I jokingly said the only thing that's ever been up my nose is my finger. So there was no reason for this."

Elaborating on his vocal injury, he said: "One of my cords was literally atrophied. So my vocal cords, they're supposed to look parallel. So let's pretend one of them looks as thick as my thumb and the other one is as thick as a pinky. So the strong one was pushing the weak one aside. And I wasn't singing well. So my craft was being taken from me."

He continued: "Fortunately, I found a surgeon who was able to do this really cutting-edge implant to build the cord back up. It's still in the process."

While the documentary was being filmed, the singer was unsure he would ever be able to sing professionally again.

"I say in the film in the latter episodes, 'If I just had my tools back, the rest of it I can deal with,'" he said, according to USA Today. "I can write you a song. I can perform as well as anybody, but I need to get my tools back."

Regarding where he stands in his recovery, he said: "I'm 19 and a half months into my rehab and Friday night [February 2 at the MusiCares 'Person Of The Year' ceremony) was the first time I'd sung in public. Saturday morning was the first time I'd woken up without multiple voices in my head. That was the best feeling. It was just me. So I'm a work in progress."

He added: "But, boy, do we have a great film and I've got a damn good album and I feel really great about all of it. Give me this last piece of the puzzle and it's going to be a joy to go back to work."

Jon said that "Thank You" is a warts-and-all account of the 40 years of BON JOVI that includes plenty of interview footage from current and former members of the band, including departed guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora.

"One thing we agreed on Day One was this was not going to be a VH1 puff piece," he said. "This had to tell the truth. This had to have all the warts in it in order to tell the truth.

"Without arguing over editorial stuff and letting [director Gotham Chopra] do his thing, there were some punches in the nose," he said of his bandmates' interviews. "But I got over it."

"Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" will debut April 26 on Hulu.