Bon Jovi Preaches Passion at Oxford
Monday June 18 2:11 PM ET
LONDON (AP) - Jon Bon Jovi told students at the prestigious Oxford Union debating society that the secrets of his success were ``passion, perseverance and possibility.''
Bon Jovi gave a 20-minute speech extolling the virtues of hard work and self belief to students of the elite 800-year-old university.
``Nothing is more important than passion,'' he said Friday.
``Whatever you decide to do in life, just be passionate about it. Don't be intimidated by competition, as success is sweeter and failure less bitter when you have given everything.
``You have to be true to yourself - it's your life. You are the masters of your destiny and passion, not pedigree, will win the end,'' he said.
The New Jersey rocker, on a British tour that coincides with the release of his band's live album, ``One Wild Night,'' also advised students to ``be humble and stay humble.''
``I spent years playing in bar bands, watching and learning my craft - that was my university,'' he said.
The 178-year-old debating society has played host to world leaders and Nobel Prize winners, but has not shied away from more marketable guests, including O.J. Simpson, Jerry Springer and Michael Jackson.