Quarantined Chicagoans Spread Joy with Citywide Sing-Along of ‘Livin on a Prayer’

People scattered throughout the Chicago-metro area who were obeying stay-at-home orders sang Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” at 7 p.m. on Saturday from their windows, yards, and balconies in below-freezing weather.

Chicago residents shared dozens of videos of the citywide sing-along to social media:

We’re just over here livin’ on a prayer. @BonJovi #Wrigleyville #QuarantineLife #BonJovi #Chicago pic.twitter.com/TRzAcgX8Fl

— Brittany Johnson (@itsbrittanyyj) March 22, 2020

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

@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

One Chicago-area radio station even played the song at the designated time. Jon Bon Jovi himself posted on Instagram, giving everyone in Chicago a shoutout.

View this post on Instagram

Hey Chicago! Heard we’re singing and I wanted to join in.

A post shared by Jon Bon Jovi (@jonbonjovi) on Mar 21, 2020 at 3:59pm PDT

“Sing it out, baby. We’re all going to come through this together. Be strong,” Jon Bon Jovi said.

Illinois’ stay-at-home order went into effect Saturday night and is expected to last until at least April 7, meaning all nonessential businesses and schools must stay shut until April 8.

More than 1,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Illinois as of Sunday afternoon, with most of the cases clustering around Cook County, according to the Illinois Department of Health. At least nine people have died after contracting the virus as of Sunday.

Rebecca Kell and Jenni Spinner, who have both been working remotely from home all week in their 50-unit apartment on the city’s North Side, made the Facebook event for the sing-along on Wednesday.

Both citizens initially expected only a few friends to join, but by Saturday evening, they had an overwhelming 20,000 responses.

“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.”

Kell and Spinner got inspired by the Italians singing together from their balconies while under lockdown orders.

There is already another Chicago sing-along to the Jackson 5’s “ABC” scheduled for March 28.