Jon Bon Jovi was all smiles as he shared the exciting news with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY: his band Bon Jovi will be hitting the road again on the 2026 Forever Tour.
Bon Jovi was thrilled to be performing again last week, especially considering he once faced a serious vocal injury that almost forced him to stop singing.
Longtime Bon Jovi fans weren’t thrilled to learn that founding member Richie Sambora won’t be joining the band on their upcoming seven-date tour.
Fans were upset and took to social media after hearing reports that everything was fine between Bon Jovi and former guitarist Richie Sambora. Sambora had been a member of the band since 1983, but left in 2013 because of personal issues.
Sources close to the band have revealed to the Daily Mail that Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora aren’t on good terms, and Bon Jovi is reportedly blocking any possibility of a reunion.
‘Sambora has tried to re-join many times, but Jon has made it impossible,’ one insider said.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following the Bon Jovi story for years, and the tension with Richie Sambora actually goes way back. From what I understand, it really started in the mid-2000s when Jon brought in a new songwriter, John Shanks. It unintentionally sidelined Richie, who had been a huge creative force behind so many of their iconic songs – you know, classics like ‘Livin’ on a Prayer,’ ‘You Give Love a Bad Name,’ and ‘Wanted Dead or Alive.’ It created a real rift, as you can imagine, when someone who’d contributed so much suddenly felt less involved.
In 2013, during the band’s ‘Because We Can’ tour, Richie Sambora suddenly left. This happened while he was navigating personal issues with his former wife, Heather Locklear. Locklear had been hospitalized after a dangerous combination of prescription medication and alcohol, and her sister had to call emergency services. Fortunately, she recovered.
Sambora and Locklear were married from 1994 to 2007 and share a daughter, Ava, now 28.
Oh my god, Richie finally explained why he left Bon Jovi, and it just breaks my heart and makes so much sense! He told People magazine in 2021 that he really needed to focus on himself, like, do some serious personal work. It wasn’t about the band, it was about him needing to get his life right, and honestly? I totally get it. It’s just…so sad, but I respect him so much for prioritizing his well-being.
He explained that he understood Ava needed his support then, and that prioritizing family was the right thing to do – and what ultimately happened.
I’ve been following him for years, and it was really powerful to hear him talk about this. He finally admitted it’s been a tough year since realizing how much the constant touring and rock ‘n’ roll life had worn him down. It felt so honest and brave of him to share that he needed to address the impact it had on him.
Looking back on everything, it’s incredible. Over 31 years, we toured the world 14 times, spending a total of 18 and a half months on the road and visiting 52 countries. I definitely needed a break after that!
Richie Sambora shared with the Daily Mail that he tried to get back in touch with Bon Jovi as they approached their 40th anniversary in 2023.
He mentioned a documentary about the band and hinted at a possible reunion. ‘We created a lot of songs that really resonated with people,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘With the 40th anniversary coming up, it feels like the right time to consider it.’
In March 2024, Richie Sambora visited Jon Bon Jovi at his New Jersey home on his birthday and reportedly gave him a vintage guitar, hoping to mend their strained relationship.
However, a source revealed that Sambora was surprised when Bon Jovi showed him a preview of his eight-part Hulu documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.”
According to a source, the show cut a lot of genuine footage of Sambora, leaving it out of the final edit, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The documentary series included past interviews with Sambora where he discussed his struggles with pain medication. He confessed in one interview that he had become detached from reality, saying, ‘I was kind of gone.’ Drummer Tico Torres revealed in another scene that he often worried about Sambora’s well-being, wondering how to help him and prevent him from harming himself.
But our source called the docuseries ‘pure hogwash.’
According to a source, the documentary misrepresented the reason Richie left the band. It suggested he went to rehab and would eventually rejoin, but in reality, he left to focus on raising his daughter.
It takes real strength to walk away from a job that’s damaging your well-being and affecting your loved ones. Richie had the opportunity to earn a lot of money, but he chose not to if it meant his daughter and former wife would struggle.
Despite twice attending rehab, Sambora maintains he was sober during those stays. He told Guitar World magazine last year that the experiences were valuable, and he even ended up helping others as a sort of counselor.
In a recent interview about the documentary, Jon Bon Jovi explained that he and Richie Sambora have no bad feelings towards each other. They even got together in Palm Beach, Florida, in late 2024. Sambora also had a chance to reconnect with other former band members, Alejandro Torres and David Bryan, during that time.
This is when Bon Jovi reportedly told Sambora that he’d have to accept a lower salary if he rejoined the band.
According to a source, the band’s frontman excitedly welcomed Richie Sambora back, along with Dave and Tico. However, he also informed Sambora that his share of the profits would be reduced from 25% to 10%.
According to a source who spoke with the Daily Mail, Sambora was stunned and immediately returned to his car, clearly in shock, and drove away.
According to a source, Richie Sambora felt betrayed by Jon Bon Jovi once more. Cutting Richie’s share of the profits to a third is reportedly Jon’s attempt to disrespect him.
According to a source, Bon Jovi might not be interested in reuniting with Richie Sambora, as he was the only one who would challenge Jon Bon Jovi’s ideas.
After Sambora’s departure, band members are afraid to disagree with the leader for fear of getting fired, a source told the Daily Mail.
A source close to Bon Jovi said it comes down to a mismatch of personalities.
According to a source, Jon doesn’t want Richie to return because it would probably cause problems.
Richie and the band are completely incompatible. A reconciliation would be nearly impossible, as Jon is happy with the current situation and prefers to leave the past behind. It would be extremely difficult to bring Richie back into the group.
Bon Jovi announced they’ll be touring next year, starting with four shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City in July. After that, they’ll play concerts in Edinburgh, Dublin, and London.
Four years ago, Bon Jovi had surgery on his vocal cords, and he worried it might end his singing career.
But with no Sambora, our first source believes the band’s ‘magic is gone.’
Without Richie Sambora providing the strong musical presence fans have enjoyed for more than three decades, it’s unlikely these stadium concerts will be as successful.
But Bon Jovi seems willing to take the risk to avoid the headache of Sambora on tour.
According to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail, Richie Sambora chose to leave the band 13 years ago and is no longer a member.
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2025-10-29 06:34