“We have to get out there and do it for the fans, really. I feel a second obligation,” the band’s classic-era guitarist said
(Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty)
Richie Sambora has reignited the possibility of reuniting with Jon Bon Jovi by revealing he is currently in talks to rejoin the band.
Though the electric guitar player prefaced the comment by saying nothing has been set in stone, Sambora did confirm discussions are ongoing and that he feels particularly strong about rekindling the band’s classic-era guitar/singer partnership.
Speaking to Planet Radio, Sambora touched upon a potential return to Bon Jovi following his departure in 2013, commenting, “We're talking about it. I don't think there's any reason not to at this point.”
Sambora went on to acknowledge Bon Jovi’s recent vocal issues, which prompted the vocalist to take a step back from singing, but said he was keen to take part in a reunion “for the fans”.
He continued, “Jon [Bon Jovi] was having a hard time with his voice a little bit there and he needed to take a little bit of a breather.
“I don’t know when Jon’s going to get his voice together and [when the Bon Jovi reunion is] going to happen, but we have to get out there and do it for the fans, really. I feel a second obligation.”
It’s not the first time Sambora has gone public about his potential reunion with Bon Jovi. In November last year, he hinted a long-awaited link-up between the two artists could take place at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
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When probed as to whether Glastonbury Festival could be the event at which a Bon Jovi concert is staged, Sambora replied, “It’s a possibility. We’re talking a bit.”
(Image credit: Jeff Kravitz / Getty)
Elsewhere in the Planet Radio interview, Sambora discussed the current state of his relationship with the band, and suggested he would be up for contributing his songwriting chops on future original material.
“You know what, there's no malice,” he reflected. “I mean, we did something… there's not a lot of bands that did what we did. I mean, obviously, bands like The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2 [have].
“If [Bon Jovi] doesn't let me [write music], he's crazy. I'm on a tear,” Sambora went on. “Actually, I did write that other [Bon Jovi] stuff, too. It's a misnomer when people go just because his name is on [the band] that's the name. We just couldn't think of anything else really.
“People think that I just come up with the guitar parts and something like that. But songwriting is conceptual. You have to have a concept. It's a story. And it can sometimes just come from looking out the window and observing and a lot of times it comes from your own life and for the most part of Bon Jovi my life was a lot (more) colorful than everybody else's in the band.”
The topic of songwriting in Bon Jovi has been discussed by Sambora before, with the guitarist suggesting to Nile Rodgers’ Deep Hidden Meaning Radio he had to downplay his contributions in the band as “that was part of my deal, to shut the fuck up”.
Sambora joined Bon Jovi back in 1983 to replace the outgoing Dave Sabo, who left to form Skid Row. After contributing to 12 albums over the course of almost three decades, Sambora suddenly left the group in 2013 due to personal reasons.
Following his departure, Bon Jovi recruited Phil X to fill his position for a handful of US and European tour dates. In 2016, the Greek heavy metal axeman became the band’s full-time guitarist and featured on their most recent studio album, Bon Jovi: 2020.
Sambora temporarily teamed up with Bon Jovi back in 2018 for a performance during the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
