Richie Sambora Reveals He ‘Probably Would Have Left’ Bon Jovi ‘Earlier’

Richie Sambora recently shared his thoughts on the new Bon Jovi docuseries Thank You, Goodnight, reflecting on his departure from the band and the potential for a future reunion.

As the New Jersey rock icons gear up for a busy year with their 16th studio album Forever set to release on June 7 and the docuseries now available on Hulu, the band’s former guitarist has expressed mixed feelings.

Sambora, who appears in Thank You, Goodnight and addresses his sudden departure before a Calgary gig in 2013, mentioned in a recent interview on The Allison Hagendorf Show that the documentary is heavily skewed towards Jon Bon Jovi’s perspective. “Hey, look, this obviously was [Jon Bon Jovi’s] personal perception. And this documentary was his perception, his baby. I really had nothing to do with it,” Sambora said. He noted that there were “some incongruencies about time periods and this and that,” but acknowledged that it gave him a platform to introduce his new music.

Adding to Hagendorf’s idea that the docuseries serves as a celebration of the band, Sambora suggested that it “could have been more of a celebration.” He explained, “We could have cut that down to about two hours, because, to me, the celebration would have been the great songs that we wrote and how we sold all those millions of records and played for people for… I was in the band for 32 years, which is unbelievable anyway.”

Sambora Might Have Left Sooner

Reflecting on his relationship with Bon Jovi, Sambora admitted that he might have left the band earlier. “I probably would have left earlier. I might have left a couple of albums before because… I think Jon was moving into a place where he wanted to not really be a band,” he said. Sambora highlighted Jon’s early aspirations to be a solo artist and recalled urging him to embrace a band dynamic to achieve global success.

When asked if anything crucial was omitted from the docuseries, Sambora responded:

“Everything. There’s one thing that’s not in there, and it’s everything. Like I said, to me, this is Jon’s baby.”

Will Richie Sambora Reunite with Bon Jovi?

Addressing the possibility of rejoining Bon Jovi, Sambora was candid about the challenges, particularly Jon’s vocal issues. “The fans would just love it. It’s not finance. It has nothing to do with that. The world could use it,” he remarked. However, he expressed skepticism about the success of Jon’s recent vocal operation. Sambora explained:

“Physiologically, it doesn’t seem almost possible, where your brain teaches this plastic thing how to… almost like you’ve gotta relearn speech in a way.”

Despite the uncertainties, Sambora remains open to a reunion if Jon’s voice recovers. He concluded:

“I would definitely go. [My new solo single] ‘I Pray’ was earmarked almost for Bon Jovi. It was almost gonna be that ‘It’s My Life’ moment. So if he gets [his voice] back, I’ll go play. I got songs.”

As Bon Jovi celebrates their 40th anniversary and prepares for a landmark year, fans are left hoping for a future where Sambora might once again join his old bandmates on stage.