Jon Bon Jovi Discusses the Unlikelihood of a Richie Sambora Reunion
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In a recent discussion featured in Classic Rock magazine, Jon Bon Jovi opened up about the slim chances of former guitarist Richie Sambora rejoining Bon Jovi. It’s been a decade since Sambora surprisingly left the band, and according to Jon, their communication has been minimal since.
The Shock of Sambora’s Departure
Detailing the unexpected nature of Sambora’s departure, Jon Bon Jovi recalled the events vividly. “It was a shock,” he admitted. The memory of their last conversation before Sambora left is still fresh in Jon’s mind. It was Easter Sunday, 2013, and Jon was traveling through the Lincoln Tunnel when he spoke with Sambora. The band was doing well, with their album set to take the number one spot. “Yeah, I’m feeling great, the album [2013’s What About Now] is gonna come in at Number One, see you up there,” Jon recalled telling him.
The response from Sambora was simple yet unexpected. “He said: ‘Can I stay home one more day?’ ‘Of course. You want to fly private tomorrow? Sure. Do it. I don’t care. See you up there.’ And then the next day the phone rings at three in the afternoon, and, you know… ‘I can’t go on.’”
Sambora later commented that his decision to leave was influenced by a feeling that the band was becoming “stale.” However, Jon disagreed with this viewpoint. “I didn’t think so, and the collective, we didn’t think so,” he told Classic Rock. “I personally thought that everything was going incredibly fucking well. And it was never brought up in the room, or in the writing, or in the recording, or during the first 20 shows of that tour.”
Jon also expressed his ongoing sadness about the split. “I’ve talked to him twice,” he revealed. He emphasized the finality of Sambora’s decision, “He. Quit. The. Band. I swear to Christ there was never a fight, nothing… He wasn’t kicked out, he quit. And he hasn’t made any great overtures about coming back.”
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The Aftermath and Flickers of Reconciliation
After Sambora’s abrupt exit from the Calgary show in 2013, the band quickly found a substitute in Phil X, who took over for the remainder of the tour. By early 2014, Jon confirmed that Sambora had permanently quit the band.
Though there was a brief moment in 2018 where fans felt a glimmer of hope during the band’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where Sambora reunited with his former bandmates, his sentiments about returning fluctuate. In November 2023, Sambora hinted that a return “could definitely happen” as part of the band’s 40th-anniversary celebrations. Yet, his dissatisfaction was apparent with the new Bon Jovi documentary series, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which premiered last month.
A representative for Sambora shared with People magazine that despite visiting Jon and bringing him a birthday gift – a nice guitar – the screening of Jon’s documentary led to displeasure. “Richie flew out to see Jon and brought him a birthday for his present – a really nice guitar – but they screened Jon’s documentary instead,” they stated. “Richie left after the third episode because he was sick and tired of what he was seeing.”
