Jon Bon Jovi Shows His Very First Music Contract, Revealing He Earned Only $180
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The “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer began his career by performing on a Star Wars Christmas album.
Jon Bon Jovi’s music journey began in a galaxy far, far away.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the 63-year-old rock star shared a photo of his very first music contract on Instagram, revealing the modest payment he received.
The document, signed by renowned producer Meco Monardo, covered Bon Jovi’s “services in connection with a Christmas album tentatively entitled Christmas in the Stars,” produced for RSO Records and based on characters from Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
According to the contract, Bon Jovi earned just $180 and gave up any royalties from the album. He captioned the post, “First ever contract back in 1980, always fun finding these … No doubt it’s online somewhere.”
Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album debuted in 1980 and primarily featured C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels as both singer and narrator. The album is also notable for including Bon Jovi’s first professional recording, where he lent his vocals to the track “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
The Grammy-winning rocker previously explained how he accidentally became part of the Star Wars Christmas album during an April 2024 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live. When Kimmel asked how it happened, Bon Jovi recalled, “I was a gopher in a recording studio from fall 1980 until ’83, when we did the first record.”
He went on to describe the experience: “There was a guy named Meco Monardo, who was making tribute records to ride the Star Wars craze. He was pretending to be a young boy singing the song, but it sounded like an old man trying to sound young. He asked me, ‘Young boy, can you sing?’ And I said, ‘Sure, I think I can.’ He said, ‘Go in there, and if you want to do this, it pays $183.’ So I got $183 to sing.”
When Kimmel asked if he remembered the song’s title, Bon Jovi didn’t hesitate: “Hell yeah. ‘R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas.’”
Although his first professional recording was on the Star Wars holiday album, Bon Jovi’s breakout hit came later with “Runaway,” which he personally delivered to a DJ on cassette. He recalled that both he and the DJ were confident it would be a hit.
“Runaway” eventually became the band’s first top 40 hit, officially launching Bon Jovi’s career. Over four decades later, Bon Jovi is recognized as one of rock’s most iconic groups, having sold more than 130 million albums worldwide. The band continues to thrive, releasing their 16th studio album in 2024.