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Bon Jovi Ends Pittsburgh Concert Early, Blames Sore Throat

PITTSBURGH (AP/KDKA) - Bon Jovi needed more medicine than prayers when it cut its Pittsburgh concert short because the band's namesake blamed a cold for his sore throat.

The group was performing at PPG Paints Arena Wednesday night when Jon Bon Jovi told the audience he has had a cold since Saturday night. But he said he would keep pushing on.

He also said: "This is the day when I need a karaoke singer. Which one of you guys in a bar band knows all the words to Bon Jovi songs?"

Brad Evanovich's wife Lauren started pointing to him.

"He said 'Born To Be My Baby can you do it?' I said 'yeah' he said 'you sure' I said 'yeah' he said 'get up here.' It's crazy, it's the craziest feeling I've ever had in my life," Evanovich said.

Full Interview With Brad Evanovich:

A crew member gave Evanovich the microphone and sent him center stage.

"Well at that point I basically stopped remembering what was happening 'cause I was in shock," he said.

Bon Jovi thanked the man, and at that point, faithful fans knew something was wrong.

"As he was trying to sing different songs, you could see him getting frustrated with himself," Kathy Berggren said.

He sang "Bad Medicine" and wrapped things up after 90 minutes of the expected two-and-a-half hour show with "Livin' on a Prayer."

"I think he thought he could do it and I think it started going south on him after the show had already started," Evanovich said.

The band is scheduled to play New York's Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Fans were empathetic, but hope that the singer will make it up to Pittsburghers.

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(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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