with Joe Cortese

Richie Sambora is 65 Today

What's his real status with Bon Jovi?

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Richie Sambora is celebrating his 65th birthday today!

He spent 30 years as a member of the rock band Bon Jovi, before quitting in 2013.

The Hulu docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” examined the band’s rise to fame and Sambora’s abrupt departure.

It was 2013 – the band was starting the “Because We Can Tour.” Hours before their show in Calgary, Sambora phoned and said he couldn’t go on.

In the docuseries, Sambora said it was an “amalgamation” of things, including his health and family problems. He said his ex-wife Heather Locklear was experiencing some mental health issues, and their daughter, Ava, needed her dad’s support. “She needed me and I needed her, truthfully, we didn’t have enough time,” he stated.

The docuseries also examines some tension within the band during the songwriting and composing process – noting Sambora’s absence caused the band to make decisions without him, and that didn’t necessarily go over well.

Sambora also had two stints in rehab, in 2007 and 2011.

Jon Bon Jovi has said there was never a fight – there just came a day when Sambora announced he was done.

Since the docuseries, Sambora has said he would rejoin the band if Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal problems improved. Bon Jovi had vocal cord surgery and has spent months trying to recover.

He has recovered enough for Bon Jovi to release a new album, “Forever.” Despite Sambora publicly saying he would return, he was not part of this album.

Bon Jovi has said, “I’ve talked to him twice”  in the past 11 years. “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.”

So, Bon Jovi fans, it appears we are at an impasse. Sambora is still making music on his own, sharing performances from time to time on his X account.

And he certainly has a lot to celebrate as he turns 65. Sambora may soon have a son-in-law, as his daughter, Ava, just got engaged this past year!

 

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So, a big happy birthday to Richie Sambora!

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