Jon Bon Jovi says he considered Bruce Springsteen 'a hero growing up' as he opens up on their enduring friendship

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jon Bon Jovi reflected on his enduring friendship with Bruce Springsteen as he revealed he considered 'The Boss' "a hero growing up."

“Our connection is deep, on a whole different level of friendship, because how many guys can talk like we can talk, in close quarters, about life and love and loss?” the 62-year-old singer shared, according to People.

Jon Bon Jovi says Bruce Springsteen 'is like a big brother'

Bon Jovi, who joked that the 'My Hometown' singer is the “the Ghost of Christmas Future” given their age gap and parallel journeys in life, said, "Our relationship is deep, and he’s a dear friend of mine, and he really is like a big brother."

The artists lived in New Jersey as Bon Jovi grew up in Sayreville while Springsteen lived in Freehold, just 18 miles from the 'Blaze of Glory' singer's place.

How did Jon Bon Jovi meet Bruce Springsteen?

The duo's camaraderie traces back to their Jersey roots in the late 1970s when Bon Jovi who was still in high school performed a Springsteen cover at a local venue only to have 'The Boss' himself showing up and performing along.

“It was so inspirational because those records by the [Asbury] Jukes, and by Bruce, were written and sung by guys in our backyard,” said Bon Jovi.

“They weren’t the centerfolds of Circus magazine that made the dream just out of reach. These guys were capable of making the impossible seem possible," he added.

In the latest docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story' which began streaming on Hulu on April 26, the rocker recalled singing a cover of 'The Promised Land' when Springsteen appeared.

“I looked up, and there’s Bruce onstage with me. That was the guy,” the singer shared.

"And he jumps up and sings his song with me…. So you go to high school the next day. Needless to say, you look at the teacher and you look at the kids, and you go, ‘I got a story to tell!’ and it’s a lot better than history class," he said in the docuseries.

Bruce Springsteen calls Jon Bon Jovi 'a hardworking guy'

In the docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight', Springsteen also opened up on his initial impression of Bon Jovi.

“I like to play. I think that was [what I heard], ‘There’s some young kid running around here from New Jersey, he’s making some kind of noise,’” said the boss.

"That was the first thing I knew about Jon. He’s a hardworking guy, put everything he had into his music," Springsteen said of Bon Jovi.

"We’ve become much closer, probably as we’ve gotten older here, you know, recently, as being the only two guys in the same game here," he added.