On August 7, 1990 Jon Bon Jovi released his debut solo album Here are some facts about it:
= The album was Jon Bon Jovi's first solo project while the band was on a break after their "New Jersey Syndicate tour".
= The album includes songs from and inspired by the movie "Young Guns II".
= Emilio Estevez initially requested "Bon Jovi's" "Wanted Dead or Alive" for "Young Guns II", but Jon Bon Jovi felt the lyrics didn’t fit and wrote "Blaze of Glory" instead.
= Jon Bon Jovi wrote "Blaze of Glory" after borrowing a script from the movie from his friend Emilio Estevez.
= Jon Bon Jovi performed the song acoustically for screenwriter John Fusco, who loved it and included it in the film.
= "Blaze of Glory's" lyrics tell the story of a gunslinger facing his own mortality.
= The track's lyrics reference Cain and Abel from Genesis.
= Jon Bon Jovi wrote the lyrics to "Blaze of Glory" on a napkin in a diner on the set of "Young Guns II".
= In 1990, guitarist Aldo Nova wrote the main guitar riff for the song.
= Jon Bon Jovi worked with Aldo Nova on his album "Blood on the Bricks" after Nova contributed to "Blaze of Glory".
= "Blaze of Glory" spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped the album achieve triple-platinum sales.
= It won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, received an Oscar nomination, and the album received Grammy nominations.
= "Blaze of Glory" is Jon Bon Jovi's only solo No. 1 single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on September 8, 1990.
= "Blaze of Glory" music video was filmed at "The Rectory" near Moab, Utah and involved filming atop thousand-foot cliffs outside Moab, Utah, with all equipment flown in by helicopter. Jon and the crew camped out in the desert heights for three days.
= Photographer Mark Weiss captured Jon for the album’s back cover during the video shoot. There are also few shots of Jon with a rainbow in the background from this session.
= The album was completed in seven weeks with two studios running 12 hours a day.
= The album was produced by Jon Bon Jovi and co-produced by Danny Kortchmar, known for working with Neil Young and Don Henley.
= The recording sessions featured Elton John, Little Richard, Jeff Beck (who played slide guitar on the title track and 6 more tracks), Randy Jackson (who played bass on the title track and 6 more tracks), and Aldo Nova (who wrote the main guitar riff for "Blaze of Glory" and plays guitars keyboards) and more.
= The songs "Blaze of Glory" and "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'" featuring Elton John on piano. He also sang backing vocals on "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'".
= The album peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double-platinum in the US.
= It also achieved sustained transatlantic success, including a gold disc in the UK.
= The song "Miracle" reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box, and No. 20 on the Album Rock Tracks charts.
= The music video for "Miracle" features Jeff Beck on guitars and stars Matt LeBlanc in one of his earliest acting appearances.
= The single "Never Say Die" was released only in Poland, Canada, and Australia.
= "Bang a Drum" was later covered by Chris LeDoux in 1998, featuring Jon Bon Jovi on guest vocals and Shawn Lane on guitar solo; this version reached No. 68 on the US Hot Country Songs chart and had a music video.
= Jon Bon Jovi made his acting debut in "Young Guns II" as a pit inmate who is shot back into the pit.
= The song "Blaze of Glory" remains a crowd favorite and is regularly performed in "Bon Jovi's" live setlists, over 500 times.
= The song "Blaze of Glory" was included in the 1994 "Bon Jovi" greatest hits album "Cross Road".
= Jon Bon Jovi performed "Blaze of Glory" at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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