Rock star Jon Bon Jovi says his band "never doubted me" as he prepares to return to touring after four years, saying he is "fully recovered" from his vocal injury.

The 64-year-old US musician has kept a low profile since he underwent vocal cord surgery after they began to atrophy, and has spent the last few years recovering from the procedure.

Frontman Bon Jovi and his rock band will kick off their first tour since his injury next month, with the singer hailing his comeback as a "rebirth".

In an interview with People magazine, the singer said: "I'm fully recovered. It was longer than I'd ever expected but it had to be right. We never lost faith."

"I think that this is a rebirth. It is simply about the joy," he added.

During his recovery, Bon Jovi made public appearances and performed occasionally at events such as the MusiCares gala in Los Angeles, California, in February 2024.

Reflecting on what his return to the stage means, he told the magazine: "It's not about perfection. It's about excellence. It's like I have the gift to be able to hold this light.

"The gift that I receive is being in the reflection of that light when it hits the audience, and that's what I've been working for - I've been training to find the ability to hold that light.

"It's like this whole spiritual communion between the band and me and the audience."

Bon Jovi also hailed his bandmates - David Bryan, Tico Torres, Hugh McDonald, Phil X (Theofilos Xenidis), John Shanks, and Everett Bradley - for their loyalty during his recovery.

He said: "They never doubted me and never looked for work or decided to retire.

"The sacrifices that each one of them have made to be there for me is on a whole 'nother level.

"They said, 'No, we're with you.' Every day of every rehearsal they were there with me. My love for them has only deepened."

The singer, born John Francis Bongiovi, also said it was "confusing" when he first found out about his injury, adding: "I'd often joked and said the only thing that's ever been up my nose was my finger.

"I never did anything to hurt the cords, I didn't have any excesses. I'm a trained vocalist. I've practised the craft."

Bon Jovi continued: "I used to always have my nose to the grindstone, always put my head down, thinking of tomorrow, never living in the today.

"This forced me to not only live in the today but be appreciative for every today that's still here."

The rock star previously said in an interview with The Times that he would be "done" with music if his singing continued to struggle.

The group announced their 16th studio album, titled Forever, in 2024 and later revealed their comeback tour.

The Grammy award-winning band formed in 1983 and are known for their hit songs Livin' On A Prayer, It's My Life and You Give Love A Bad Name.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2018.

In 2024, the group appeared in the four-part documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story which documented the singer's surgery and examined the band's future.