Jon Bon Jovi said he isn’t against Richie Sambora’s return to Bon Jovi.
The frontman recently sat down with Classic Rock and revealed that he was shocked and hurt by Sambora’s sudden departure. Bon Jovi admitted he is still heartbroken over it. The singer said he had only talked to him twice. When asked why, he replied:
“[Slowly, as if explaining to a child] 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.”
Bon Jovi Tried To Move On After Sambora
When the interviewer mentioned the public thinks Sambora wants to come back, but Bon Jovi doesn’t want him back, Jon noted:
“But what? 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.”
The rocker went on to talk about how Richie’s departure affected the band:
“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.”
Jon Still Misses Richie
In a June chat with Record Collector magazine, Jon also said he really misses Sambora. Bon Jovi talked about his feelings about Sambora’s departure:
“It’s heartbreaking that Richie left and that he did it in that way. We were shocked. I miss him personally and creatively, in the studio and as an integral part of the band onstage.”
The vocalist added:
“If you don’t show up for work, your boss is going to say, ‘What the f*ck?’ Get help. And if you don’t want to get help…It’s 11 years now. David and Tico have seen Richie once and I’ve seen him twice. It’s not like we haven’t tried.”
Sambora played with Bon Jovi for over 30 years and helped write many hits. He left the band in 2013 to be with his family.