Bon Jovi paid tribute to the late Chuck Berry with a cover of his iconic song "Johnny B. Goode" at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday night (March 18).
"The first time I ever sang in a talent competition, in the mid-'70s sometime, it was this song," Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd.
Bon Jovi had performed the song as a teen in Sayreville, N.J., at the Sayreville War Memorial with a group named Raze, according to Laura Jackson's 2003 biography, Jon Bon Jovi.
"Mr. Berry, thank you for everything," the singer continued. "God bless you."
Bon Jovi had appeared 22 years ago in Cleveland at the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where Berry appeared as a performer.
The rock 'n' roll pioneer passed away on March 18 in St. Louis. He was 90.
Watch the video below, which includes some stellar keyboard work by David Bryan and a great solo by Phil X.