On this day in 1990, Jon Bon Jovi topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Blaze of Glory.” The song, taken from his debut solo album of the same name, topped the chart for a single week. It was also an international hit, reaching No. 1 in multiple countries. The single also appeared in the 1990 Western film, Young Guns II, earning it an Academy Award nomination.
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Blaze of Glory is both Bon Jovi’s debut solo album and the soundtrack of Young Guns II. The album contains songs from and inspired by the movie. According to Songfacts, Emilio Estevez let Bon Jovi read the movie’s script, and he used it as the inspiration for “Blaze of Glory.”
[RELATED: Behind the Star-Studded Affair of Jon Bon Jovi’s Solo Album ‘Blaze Of Glory’]
John Fusco, the screenwriter behind the Young Guns movies, had used “Wanted Dead or Alive” as mood music for the first film. So, Bon Jovi came to the set with an acoustic guitar and played him “Blaze of Glory.” Fusco loved it and placed it prominently in the movie.
“Blaze of Glory” brought Jon Bon Jovi several award nominations. The song brought Grammy nominations for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Additionally, it was up for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. The song won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Young Guns II was also Bon Jovi’s first role in a feature film, per IMDb. Before playing a small and uncredited role in the film, he appeared in The Return of Bruno, a 1987 made-for-TV movie, as himself. Since then, he has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including Little City, Destination Anywhere, Pay it Forward, Sex and the City, Vampires: Los Muertos, and many more.
Jon Bon Jovi Enlists Legends for Blaze of Glory
Blaze of Glory was a solo project for Jon Bon Jovi. As a result, he didn’t bring in Richie Sambora, Alec Such, Tico Torres, and David Bryan into the sessions. Instead, he tapped the likes of Elton John, Benmont Tench, Jeff Beck, Little Richard, Alan Silvestri, and Aldo Nova to bring the songs to life.
“Blaze of Glory” featured slide guitar from Beck with Tench on Hammond organ and Randy Jackson of American Idol fame on bass.
Featured Image by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
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