In 1986, American rock band Bon Jovi featured singer/songwriter Jon Bon Jovi declaring to the world that he was a cowboy, wanted dead or alive. A few decades later, that cowboy made his way to Texas to screen the World Premiere of a four-part docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
With Red Carpet and Post-Screening Q&A appearances from Gotham Chopra, Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres, David Bryan and more, SXSW press and audiences were given a never-before-seen look into rock & roll history.
After 40 years, fifteen studio albums, hundreds of performances, and thousands of fans, the power of the band's music is alive and well.
"It's been a hell of a journey. It seems like 40 years is a long period of time but it's really a blink of an eye. We've been a part of the American patchwork of pop culture for four decades now, and people have been along for that ride at various points and they should see that there are ups and downs and that's what a real career is built on." - Jon Bon Jovi, Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist
While often more entrenched in the world of athletes, director Gotham Chopra was drawn to a similar tenacity and focus practiced by the iconic group. It was his vision as a media maven growing up with songs like "Runaway," "Livin' On A Prayer," and "Bad Medicine" that gave him a clear direction for this project.
"In sports, there's always someone bigger, stronger, faster. In music, there's talent everywhere. But it's that relentlessness, that unwillingness to give up that I think really defines. That, to me, is the legacy." - Gotham Chopra, Director of Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story
