Jon Bon Jovi: ‘No Great Overtures’ About Richie Sambora Return

Jon Bon Jovi recalled the shock of Richie Sambora’s unexpected departure from Bon Jovi and said the guitarist had made “no great overtures” about returning.

Sambora simply failed to show up for a show in Canada in April 2013, leaving the band to continue with Phil X in his place. In recent months Sambora has talked about the possibility of a reunion – especially if Bon Jovi’s voice issues are resolved and he’s able to tour again.

The frontman recalled the unexpected lineup change in a new interview with Classic Rock. “It was a shock,” he said. “Nobody anticipated it; no one saw it coming. I talked to him the day before – I remember it so well.

“It was Easter Sunday… and I was driving through the Lincoln Tunnel as I was talking to him, because I was living in New York, and I was like: ‘Yeah, I’m feeling great; the album is gonna come in at Number One; see you up there.’

“He said: ‘Can I stay home one more day?’ ‘Of course. You want to fly private tomorrow? Sure. Do it. I don’t care. See you up there.’ And then the next day the phone rings at three in the afternoon, and, you know… ‘I can’t go on.’”

Was Bon Jovi Getting ‘Stale’ Before Sambora Quit?

Responding to Sambora’s later accusation that the band were getting “stale,” Bon Jovi said: “I didn’t think so, and the collective, we didn’t think so. I personally thought that everything was going incredibly fucking well. And it was never brought up in the room, or in the writing, or in the recording, or during the first 20 shows of that tour.”

The frontman said he was still “heartbroken” over the experience, adding: “I’ve talked to him twice… 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.”