Preview: How COVID-19 is driving the creativity of musicians
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders have led to a new level of creativity for some of the country's top music artists, such as Jewel and Jon Bon Jovi, they tell correspondent Lee Cowan in a report for "CBS Sunday Morning," to be broadcast Sunday, May 31.
"One thing I've really learned in my life is the darkest of times are the most fertile opportunities," said singer-songwriter Jewel.
"There's something there," Bon Jovi told Cowan. "No matter who you are, no matter where you live on this planet, we experience COVID-19 together."
His new album, "Bon Jovi: 2020," was supposed to be released in May, and he was to go on tour this summer. Both the release and live concerts have been put off until the fall.
Early on, Bon Jovi's wife snapped a photo of him washing dishes in the kitchen of their non-profit restaurant, JBJ Soul Kitchen:
View this post on InstagramIf you can't do what you do... do what you can!
A post shared by Soul Kitchen (@jbjsoulkitchen) on
The caption with the image on social media became the jumping-off point for a song he wrote, called "Do What You Can":
Bon Jovi and Jewel are not alone. The pandemic has led to several artists releasing new music and performing online. For example, the Rolling Stones hadn't put out a new song for eight years, until the band released "Living in a Ghost Town," which featured a video with a fish-eye view of empty streets. And country star Luke Combs and his songwriting partners came up with "Six Feet Apart," which deals directly with the impact of the pandemic.
"You know, I became homeless because I wouldn't have sex with the boss. I started living in my car, and then my car got stolen, and I was homeless for a year," Jewel says. "So I have really learned to see these are the times that shape us. It's not fun, and it's not comfortable, but we wouldn't change otherwise."
Since the pandemic hit, Jewel has started an online concert and talk series called "Live from San Quarantine," where she sings and shares thoughts on mental health and mindfulness.
"Our minds are a bit geared to look toward the negative, and we have to work harder to see what's actually working, and there's a lot working," Jewel says. "So it's just taking the wins where you get them, really having a chance to celebrate them."
To hear Jewel perform "Grateful" click on the video player below:
The Emmy Award-winning "Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9 a.m. ET. "Sunday Morning" also streams on CBSN [beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET], and is available on cbs.com, CBS All Access and On Demand.
Be sure to follow us at cbssundaymorning.com, and on Twitter (@CBSSunday), Facebook, and Instagram (#CBSSundayMorning).
For more info:
- Jon Bon Jovi (Official site)
- JBJ Soul Kitchen
- Jewel (Official site)
- Sean Wilentz, Department of History, Princeton University
- Our thanks to the famed Village Studios in Los Angeles