Bon Jovi is one of those bands that many of us find to be a guilty pleasure, much like Journey. Their music is cheesy, goofy, a bit over-dramatic, and sounds incredibly dated, yet remains iconic and will undoubtedly live on through classic rock radio and Spotify playlists into the future. Throughout rock history, there have been iconic pairings of lead singers with guitar players that have gone on to help define these bands. Guns N’ Roses has Slash and Axl, Aerosmith has Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, The Rolling Stones have Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Led Zeppelin had Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Much in the same vein, Bon Jovi had Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
According to Billboard, Bon Jovi are preparing their first post-Richie Sambora album to be release later this year. The reasons for Sambora’s departure in 2013 still aren’t even entirely clear, with Sambora making statements in the past about how tough life on the road was for him, but Jon Bon Jovi claims he hasn’t even spoken with Sambora since then. He just stopped showing up.
“I haven’t seen him in over three years. He just didn’t show up for work anymore. And that’s the truth of the matter,” Bon Jovi said. “And, you know, life goes on.”
No doubt Bon Jovi will still see success in a post-Sambora world, but the legendary pairing is going to be what fans will clamor for. Oh well, there can be a big reunion tour somewhere down the line if these two can somehow meet in the middle. Then they’ll be… halfway there. Until then, fans will be livin’ on a prayer in hopes of the two making up. Have hope, though; if Axl Rose and Slash could reconcile, that means that anything — literally anything — is possible.
(Via Billboard)