Though it has been 11 years since Richie Sambora unexpectedly left Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi has no hard feelings towards his former bandmate.
While promoting the upcoming Hulu docuseries, “Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” the Bon Jovi frontman opened up about where his relationship with Sambora stands today and explained why “there’s no animosity” between the two.
“There was never a fight,” Bon Jovi told Entertainment Tonight of Sambora’s sudden exit from the band in April 2013. “It was never about money, it was never about a girlfriend. He had issues … and he literally didn’t show up. We were playing for 20,000 people, and there’s a black hole on the stage.”
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Jon Bon Jovi, left, and Richie Sambora got together to watch the new Bon Jovi docuseries. (Getty Images)
“Substance abuse or anxieties or single parenting, all those things weighed on him, losing his dad. These were all very hard things,” Bon Jovi added. “But in fairness, why would I take away the livelihoods of not only the band, but the 120 guys in the crew? Or the millions of people that bought a ticket? What am I going to do? Shut it down because you don’t want to go to rehab?”
Hours before Bon Jovi was set to play a show in Calgary, Sambora did not show up – leaving Canadian musician Phil X to step in. Phil X became the band’s official lead guitarist in 2016.
During a Q&A at a screening of the band’s docuseries in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Bon Jovi further explained why he feels “lucky” to have shared so many memories with Sambora.
Lead singer of Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi, right, shared that he and former bandmate Richie Sambora are “not in contact.” (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
“He wanted to be home more than he wanted to be on the road, but you got to show up for work,” Bon Jovi said, per People. “So there’s no animosity. An integral part of my story for three of the four chapters was my right-hand man, asked to join my band and I was lucky to have met him. But life went on.”
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“When he quit the band, it was going to stop because he quit the band. So I don’t hold any animosity,” he continued. “Unfortunately, rock and roll’s not a life sentence. And I respect the idea that he wanted to stay home and raise his daughter. It’s unfortunate for us and for the world, but I am not mad about it.”
While Bon Jovi previously said he and Sambora had not been in contact during the production of the docuseries, the musician told ET that the duo actually watched the first three episodes of the documentary together and further explained how time has been an instrumental part in the healing of their relationship.
Richie Sambora ultimately left Bon Jovi to focus on his family. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
“You read, you talk to professionals, you sit with yourself, you learn to understand from a different perspective that his choices weren’t made out of animosity either,” he told the outlet.
“I have very few regrets. Mistakes are part of life and part of the journey,” he added. “Also having no creative control over the edit, truly not wanting a puff piece, giving the director and the producer their opportunity to create this film … When I view some of the things that were said, and I might not agree with them, I was never going dispute them. Because that’s your truth.”
The docuseries will also touch on Bon Jovi’s health journey as he recovers from vocal cord reconstruction.
Jon Bon Jovi has a “desire” to tour amid his recovery from vocal cord surgery. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
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“Day to day, I’m working hard on it,” Bon Jovi told ET. “Nothing else matters until I work on getting better. It’s up to God at this point. I’ve done everything I can do.”
During Hulu’s panel for the docuseries at the Television Critics Association in February, the singer opened up about his surgery and revealed one of his vocal cords was “atrophying” at the time, according to People.
“So the strong one was pushing the weak one aside, and I wasn’t singing well,” said Bon Jovi, who described one vocal cord being “thick as the thumb” and the other being “thick as a pinky.” He added, “My craft was being taken from me.”
Jon Bon Jovi visits the Empire State Building on Sept. 15, 2023 in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)
“But nonetheless, and I say in the film, and in the latter episodes, if I just had my tools back, the rest of it I can deal with,” he said. “I can write you a song, I can perform as well as anybody. But I need to get my tools back.”date on his health.
In March, Bon Jovi spoke with Boston’s Mix 104.1 radio station to discuss the band’s upcoming album, “Forever,” and give fans an update on a possible tour.
“I don’t know about a tour,” Bon Jovi said. “It is my desire to do a tour next year, but I’m just still recovering from a major surgery.”
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“Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” premieres April 26 on Hulu and Disney+.