Richie Sambora confirms plans to reunite with Bon Jovi
He has told Absolute Radio's Leona Graham
Last updated 23rd Feb 2023
Richie Sambora has told Absolute Radio he’s planning to reunite with Bon Jovi and hopefully record new music with the legendary band.
Fresh from being unveiled as Jacket Potato on ITV show The Masked Singer over the weekend, Richie Sambora dropped by Absolute Radio for a chat with our very own rock aficionado Leona Graham.
During the wide-ranging chat, the ever-genial Richie spoke to Leona about what it was like performing on The Masked Singer, why he chose the Jacket Potato costume, his legendary career with Bon Jovi, and the enduring appeal of the band’s timeless anthem ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ and why the song more relevant than ever today.
Elsewhere in the interview, Leona asked Richie whether he plans to join forces with Bon Jovi again following his performance with them at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018.
Answering in the affirmative, Sambora said: “We're talking about it. I don't think there's any reason not to at this point.”
“I made the decision when I started to work here in London over the last six months, I hooked up with Hipgnosis and Merck Mercuriadis, and we started to work together and I started to write with other artists and making my own records and now I'm saying to myself, ‘how am I going to ignite this? Let's put on a potato head!’”
Confirming that he hopes to perform with Bon Jovi again, Richie added: “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.”
Richie also said his relationship with Jon is still good a decade on from his Bon Jovi exit, explaining: “You know what, there's no malice. 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).”
Richie swiftly returned to the subject of the Bon Jovi reunion when talking about his post-Masked Singer plans, saying: “There’s a new (solo) album coming out, probably at the end of the end of March or the beginning of April and (it’s) with Bob Rock. It’s a rock record. Yeah, it's a lot of fun and the songs are good, and I'm thrilled and I can't wait to get out and play again.
“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.
“I've had such a privilege and an opportunity - and this is not bulls---, it's really true - my life is pretty good, always has been and I get to do what I love to do for a living and it's a damn good living. And I never really stopped really.”
Asked by Leona if he will write new music with Bon Jovi, Richie said: “Oh, if he doesn't let me, he's crazy. I'm on a tear.
"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.
“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) colourful than everybody else's in the band!”