Should Richie Sambora Return to Bon Jovi?

Three years ago, when I first got into Bon Jovi, I would’ve said, “heck yes, Richie should definitely return to the band!” Now, I have my doubts. For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, Richie Sambora was the guitar player for the American hard rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits like “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “It’s My Life,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” For years, he was known as Jon Bon Jovi’s right-hand man, but on one fateful night in April 2013 on the Because We Can tour, Sambora decided not to show up for the gig and didn’t inform the band of his whereabouts. Shortly afterwards, Phil X became the band’s new guitarist and has been with them ever since.

Sambora stated multiple times that he left the band in order to take care of his family and be there for his daughter, Ava Sambora. Bon Jovi carried on without Sambora and recorded three more studio albums since then: Burning Bridges (2015), This House is Not for Sale (2016), and 2020 (2020). Sambora has been here and there. He did RSO with Orianthi, performed some low-key gigs, and even joined Bon Jovi on-stage for their performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. In recent years, Sambora has been working on a new studio album that keeps getting pushed back, and pushed back, and pushed back. Then, on February 11, 2022, Sambora was revealed to be Jacket Potato on season four of The Masked Singer UK.

Just days after being eliminated from The Masked Singer UK, Sambora did an interview with Absolute Radio, discussing what it was like performing as Jacket Potato and if he plans to rejoin Bon Jovi in the near future. “We’re talking about it. I don’t think there’s any reason not to at this point,” said Sambora. He further stated that Jon was having trouble with his voice, therefore, he needed to take a break from performing. Was it necessary to bring up Jon’s vocal issues? Probably not, but Sambora wasn’t wrong, considering what happened on Bon Jovi’s 2022 tour. 

When asked about when the reunion will possibly take place, he couldn’t give an exact answer. “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,” said Sambora. The interviewer also asked if he wants to write new music with the band and according to Sambora, they’d be crazy not to let him write with them.

“Actually, I did write that other [Bon Jovi] stuff, too. It’s a misnomer when people go just because his name [Jon Bon Jovi] is on [the band], that’s the name. We just couldn’t think of anything else really,” Sambora continued.

Now, I just want to inform you all that nothing has been confirmed by the band. Just because Sambora is ready to go, that doesn’t mean Bon Jovi will take him back any minute now! 

As mentioned earlier, Sambora left the band during the Because We Can tour in 2013 and gave no warning whatsoever. Plus, there’s been negative things said between him and Jon Bon Jovi throughout the years. 

In an interview with Rock Antenne, released on September 29, 2020, Jon said that he wished Sambora “had his life together.” In mid-October 2020, Sambora countered Jon’s statement by telling DailyMailTV that he indeed had his life together. He believed Jon was trying to see if he could pull off stadiums by himself and that he was making it difficult for Sambora to return to the band, the article continued. According to Blabbermouth.net, Sambora believed that Bon Jovi should’ve made more efforts to become a band, instead of “Jon being the front guy and nothing else.”

Then, in an article published by Ultimate Classic Rock on November 15, 2021, Sambora told Nile Rodgers on Apple Music 1’s Deep Hidden Meaning Radio that his job in Bon Jovi was to shut the f**ck up! In other words, many people assumed that Jon did all of the singing and writing because Sambora kept his mouth shut about it for Jon’s sake, according to the article. 

Don’t get me wrong, I would love for Sambora to return to Bon Jovi because he’s the reason why I got into the band in the first place! However, things have changed since Sambora left. Both he and Jon have thrown blows at each other since Sambora’s departure from the band in 2013. Now that Jon can’t sing, there’ll be more pressure on Sambora to cover up for Jon vocally. Also, because he called rejoining Bon Jovi a “second obligation,” it sounds like Sambora doesn’t really want to return to the band. Instead, he believes he has to rejoin the band to make the fans happy. 

I don’t know the full story, however. These are strictly my opinions on the situation.

Despite all of that, I know the band would benefit greatly from a reunion with Sambora because people have been commenting nonstop for him to return to Bon Jovi for years. The harmonies don’t sound the same without Sambora’s soulful voice. Plus, with Bon Jovi’s 40th anniversary coming up, what better way to celebrate the band than to have him come back? With the passing of original bassist Alec John Such in June 2022, it was another reminder of how unpredictable life can be. So, it wouldn’t hurt for Bon Jovi to reunite with Sambora before it’s too late. 

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Do you think it’s a good idea for Richie Sambora to return to Bon Jovi? Let me know in the comments below to start a conversation.

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana