HE'S NO DARLING OF THE CRITICS SAYS JON BON JOVI, BUT HE MEASURES HIS MUSIC BY THE RESPECT THAT COMES WITH 26 YEARS OF SUCCESS -- "60 MINUTES" SUNDAY ON CBS

"I Haven't Had a Bad Year Since the Doctor Slapped Me on the Ass"

Critics just couldn't see past the big hair he sported when his was one of the hit "hair bands" that broke out in the 1980s and they still can't, says Jon Bon Jovi. That's okay the rocker tells Steve Kroft. He gets his respect from family, fans and a phenomenal success that's still going strong after 26 years. Bon Jovi's interview will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, May 18 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"There are critic's darlings. That I won't be. I got that...We've had to suffer the hangover of...the '80s decade," says Bon Jovi. He feels he's gotten enough respect, though. "Is longevity respect? Is coming home and having your family be proud of you respect? Is having those generations of people, heads of industry, or football coaches or Johnny Average... spending their hard-earned money [on his recordings and concerts]...respect?" he asks Kroft.

Hair or no, Bon Jovi has seven albums that have gone platinum and enough hit singles to keep filling stadiums in major cities - no mean feat in today's sluggish industry. And besides, says Bon Jovi, just one of his platinum albums, maybe just one song from it, "Living on a Prayer," is enough to etch a special place for him and his band on rock's pantheon. "One of the biggest albums of all time is called 'Slippery When Wet.' If 'Living on a Prayer' hasn't crossed generations and had its influence on this culture and isn't the biggest Karaoke song or stadium song it's up there..." he says. Click here to watch an excerpt.

Bon Jovi tells Kroft he is still enthusiastic about performing. "You'd think why would I beat myself up like that after 25 years? Because you want to be the best. I don't want to think that anyone's coming in there and going to be better tomorrow night," he says.

Late this summer, Bon Jovi will end a 15-month tour that will translate into approximately $250 million in ticket, t-shirt and CD sales. It's all part of a charmed life he leads. "I haven't had a bad year since the doctor slapped me on the ass," he laughs.

Kroft's profile of the rock star includes concert footage, a look inside Bon Jovi's mansion in New Jersey and a tour of a Philadelphia street, whose old townhouses were restored as part of his charitable efforts to improve the neighborhood.