Grammy-award winning band Bon Jovi has a soft spot for the tough financial times its fans in Spain are going through, so they waived fees for their June concert in Madrid.
Bon Jovi, 51, told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo that he loved the country and didn't want to alienate the fans who might not have had the means to attend the concert because of Spain's battered economy, which is outside of their control.
Urgent: Is Obama Telling the Truth on IRS, Benghazi Scandals?
"When we started planning our tour for our album, 'What About Now,' we did a study and found that, due to the economic situation, Spain wouldn’t be on the roadmap," he said. "However, we didn’t want to ditch the fans of a country I love and has treated me so well for 30 years."
Ticket sales will go towards the costs for the venue, operating costs and show staff, according to El Mundo. Tickets that would have cost between 76 to 85 euros, or $98 to $125 in the U.S., are now going for 18 and 39 euros, equivalent to $23 and $50.
The concert will be held at the Vincente Calderon Stadium in Madrid, which seats 54,960.
Spain's economic crisis has been crippling. Unemployment jumped to a record 27.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013, and the number of young jobless people is a staggering 57 percent.
Many comments on the BBC News Europe story were positive.
"Although I find Bon Jovi's music utterly bland and the guy is probably a millionaire a few times over, it's reassuring that a current pop/rock star actually has some understanding of political and economic events in the world," one commenter wrote.
The New Jersey-based Bon Jovi has released 10 studio albums, two compilation albums and one live album. The group has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide and performed upwards of 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries.
In 2006, Bon Jovi was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and in 2004, they were ranked No. 14 in "Q" magazine's 50 Greatest Bands of All Time. The band was also honored with the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004. As songwriters and collaborators, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.
Urgent: Is Obamacare Hurting Your Wallet? Vote in Poll
Related stories:
Bon Jovi to Watch Christie Sign NJ Overdose Law
Spanish Archbishop Warns of Social Collapse Over Euro Debt Crisis