“He wasn’t kicked out. He quit”: Jon Bon Jovi on Richie Sambora’s Bon Jovi exit
Jon Bon Jovi has reflected on Richie Sambora’s exit from the band, which he recalls as a “complete shock” as there was “never a fight, nothing”.
Bon Jovi are due to release brand new album, Forever, on 7 June. A documentary following their story so far also landed on Disney+ last April, in which Jon is also asked about Sambora’s departure. The guitarist, since replaced by Phil X, left in 2013 mid-tour prior to a show in Calgary, Canada.
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Speaking to Classic Rock for its new print issue, Jon states, “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 twenty shows of that tour.”
He goes on to say he still feels “heartbroken” about the event. Since his exit, Jon says he has spoken to him twice. “He. Quit. The. Band. I swear to Christ there was never a fight, nothing. David and Tico have talked to him once, at the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame induction. He wasn’t kicked out, he quit. And he hasn’t made any great overtures about coming back,” he says.
“Life goes on. You have to get your reader to understand just one thing, because I’m as confused as anyone else was. If you or I commit to a job, and you don’t show up for the job, people are going to be let down. The band were let down, that’s something you can assume.
“Oh, and by the way, there’s also a hundred and twenty guys waiting on a pay cheque on Friday. Oh, and then there’s the fans that travelled to see this band, and bought tickets, hotels, flights. And there’s the promoter that paid us the money to do a hundred shows… You’ve got responsibilities. So we went on. It was that simple.”
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story is streaming now on Disney+. Forever, the new album, lands on 7 June.
You can find more Bon Jovi updates via their official website.
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