Guitarist Richie Sambora belives it’s time for him to reunite with BON JOVI
Ex-BON JOVI guitarist Richie Sambora recently told People that “there’s talking” taking place about his possible return to the band.
Sambora spoke to the magazine during the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday (November 4), and said: “There’s a documentary that’s being done about the band and stuff that I’ve participated in, and people want to come see us play, and it’s going to make everybody happy. I mean, essentially, that’s why you do it at this point.”
Richie continued: “I think that we wrote a lot of songs that changed a lot of people’s lives just by letting them have a good time. I know that’s what music did to me … kept me company. And I hope that I can reflect that in what I do.
“So yeah, it definitely could happen,” he said. “It’s just a question of when everybody’s ready to go do it. It will be a big, massive kind of undertaking.”
Touhing on when the actual BON JOVI reunion could happen, Richie said: “I’m not sure. It’s up to peoples, it’s got to be right. That’s all.
“It’s time to do it, though,” he added. “This is our 40th anniversary, but I feel younger than ever. I’m having a ball.”
Previously, Sambora spoke with the same publication about his decision to walk away from BON JOVI in 2013, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his daughter Ava, who is now 25.
“It wasn’t a popular decision by any means, obviously, but there was really almost no choice about it. I had a lot of conscious work to do around [my personal life],” he said.
“We’ve been through a lot of things together. That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family. You know, I ain’t no angel. But I realized, Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that’s what happened.”
Sambora, who did stints in rehab in both 2007 and 2011 due to alcohol and drug abuse, says that the rock and roll lifestyle eventually took its toll on him.
“My lord, when I look back and start to list the tours … 18-and-a-half months of being on the road, 52 countries,” he said. “It’s like, Wow. It was really time for a break. We did that 14 times over a 31-year period.”
Sambora, who became a member of BON JOVI in 1983 and played a pivotal role in co-writing many of the band’s iconic hits during the subsequent three decades, hasn’t participated in a complete concert with the group since he departed from the “Because We Can” tour a decade ago. In retrospect, he expressed his belief that BON JOVI should have strived to maintain a more cohesive band dynamic instead of evolving into a situation where Jon Bon Jovi took the frontman role exclusively. In response, Jon pointed out that Sambora‘s personal choices had led him down a different path.
In a memorable reunion, Sambora joined BON JOVI on stage in April 2018 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony held in Cleveland. This marked his first performance with the band in five years. Additionally, bassist Alec John Such, who hadn’t played with BON JOVI since a one-time performance in 2001, also made a special appearance. Together, they treated the audience to several beloved classics, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” and “It’s My Life.”
