Jon Bon Jovi returns on stage 4-years after health scare

Four years. One repaired voice. Twenty-one songs. Jon Bon Jovi’s comeback was worth every second of the wait.

The rock legend returned to the stage Tuesday night, launching his Forever Tour with a sold-out performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden–his first live concert since undergoing vocal surgery.

Bon Jovi wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room. As The Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends played, he cheekily sang, "What would you do if I sang out of tune...?" earning instant laughs from the crowd.

The jokes quickly gave way to emotion.

"I haven’t heard the roar of a crowd in four years and I didn’t know if I would remember what that was like," Bon Jovi told fans, adding he was "grateful and humbled by this whole ordeal."

He also thanked the nearly 20,000 fans in attendance, calling them "personal, private guests because they are coming here to give love and to support us. I’m just honestly thankful."

Backed by longtime bandmates Tico Torres, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, John Shanks, Phil X and Everett Bradley, Bon Jovi powered through more than two hours of hits, including Livin' on a Prayer, It's My Life, Wanted Dead or Alive and Keep the Faith.

The comeback follows years of recovery after doctors discovered one of his vocal cords was deteriorating.

"One of the cords was literally atrophying," he previously revealed, admitting the diagnosis was "confusing." But after surgery and extensive vocal training, he says he's "fully recovered."

Bon Jovi also praised his loyal bandmates for standing by him.

*"They said, 'No, we're with you,'" *he shared. "My love for them has only deepened."

Judging by the thunderous reception at Madison Square Garden, fans never stopped believing either.