Chicagoans spread hope with a city-wide sing-along of Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer'

Grace Hauck | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: Chicago residents belt out Bon Jovi hit while quarantined A coronavirus quarantine didn't stop Chicago residents from belting out a Bon Jovi hit song.

CHICAGO – A loud cheer went up outside the high-rises in the city's South Loop. Two people whipped out electric guitars on a porch. One played a clarinet standing yards away from neighbors, another a violin from a balcony overlooking Lake Michigan. Kids danced in living rooms and on front yards. Some shouted lyrics at trains and buses as they rolled past.

Under stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, people scattered throughout the Chicago metro area belted out Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" at 7 p.m. Saturday night, standing at windows, in yards and on balconies in freezing weather. Chicagoans shared dozens of videos capturing the citywide sing-along on social media.

Spotted exactly 3 people on their balconies singing Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer here in Chicago's West Loop. It is also just 29 degrees F.



We'll have plenty more evenings to get this right. pic.twitter.com/o8FKv93wKc — Andy Sternberg (@andysternberg) March 22, 2020

Enjoying this quarantine sunset whilst being serenaded by my neighbors signing in unison from their balconies. #LivinOnAPrayer



(I actually hate this song, but I am “living” for neighborly Chicago love. We may not be a quarter or even half way there, but we’ll get through this) pic.twitter.com/VzUTiZGIFV — Hannah Alani (@hannahalani) March 22, 2020

@BonJovi folks under a stay home order in Chicago are singing your tune ... because we need all the music we can get now @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/kkKlxY9xsh — Jeremy Ross (@JeremyAdamRoss) March 22, 2020

Video of tonight’s Chicago “Livin On A Prayer” sing-along in downtown, courtesy of Jen Dean pic.twitter.com/vTsImUCqvP — Grace Hauck (@grace_hauck) March 22, 2020

One Chicago radio station played the song at the designated hour. The man himself even gave the Windy City a shout-out on Instagram: "Sing it out, baby. We’re all going to come through this together. Be strong," Jon Bon Jovi said in a post.

Illinois's stay-at-home order took effect Saturday night and was expected to last until at least April 7. All nonessential businesses were expected to close, and schools were expected to stay closed until at least April 8.

More than 750 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the state as of Saturday. Most cases occurred in Cook County, where Chicago is located, according to the Illinois Department of Health. At least six people have died after contracting the virus.

For Jennifer Gorny Carlson, whose 6-year-old daughter danced on their lawn Saturday night, the sing-along was a "beautiful way to join together and share a brief moment of happiness in unity."

"We’ve been sick for weeks, unable to get tests, and a health care family on the front lines. We just came out of the house for the first time in two weeks to dance with friends – from a safe distance – so it truly was joyful," Carlson said.

Rebecca Kell and Jenni Spinner, who have been working from home all week in their 50-unit building on the city's North Side, created the Facebook event for the sing-along on Wednesday. The two initially expected just a few friends to join. But by Saturday evening, nearly 20,000 people said they "went" or had marked "interested" in the event.

"'Livin' On A Prayer,' it’s a good universal anthem song," Kell said. "It’s just the one song that, no matter what the crowd is, if somebody does 'Livin' On A Prayer,' people will sing along."

The Rogers Park couple decided to create the event page after seeing the viral videos of Italians signing together from their balconies while under lockdown.

"We were sitting around, not going to work, dealing with this, so we thought – hey, we should do one," Kell said. "It’s kind of a nice distraction from being stuck at home."

In the city's South Side Bridgeport neighborhood, Toni Cannatello participated with her aunt, cousin and 73-year-old grandmother, Annette Rodich, who sang while wearing a face mask and carrying an oxygen tank for her lung disease.

"No matter what is happening in the world, all you need is love, togetherness and prayer that we will make it out of this sadness the world is facing right now," Cannatello said.

In Oak Park, Diana Nichols sang with her 7-year-old son. The two have been keeping busy with online learning, experimenting with new recipes and playing with Legos, Nicholas said.

"When I heard about this, my son and I jumped at the opportunity. We sing at home all the time, so this was a great idea to keep us all together," Nichols said. "We can't wait for the next song."

The next Chicago sing-along was scheduled for Saturday, March 28. The song? The Jackson 5's "ABC."

Follow Grace Hauck on Twitter @grace_hauck