Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi is still lamenting the 2013 departure of his ex-bandmate Richie Sambora because he misses the “formidable duo” they once formed.
The guitarist, who previously struggled with substance abuse, quit the group in the midst of its Because We Can tour in 2013, but instead of scrapping the remaining gigs and calling it quits, singer Bon Jovi decided the show must go on – with or without his old pal.
“It wouldn’t be fair to Tico (Torres, drummer) or David (Bryan, keyboardist) or to me, to have let it (the group) falter because of Richie’s… problems, his issues,” he explained to Pollstar.
“So there was no way that I was going to (bring the group to an end)… The name of the band is Bon Jovi, it’s not anything else. This isn’t a band that is dependent on the guitar player like Van Halen or U2 or something, it was about the songs and it was about me. We got it.”
However, the rocker insists fans aren’t the only ones missing Sambora onstage with the It’s My Life hitmakers.
“I wish he was here, too, because we were a formidable duo,” Jon sighed. “Our voices were the magic and he’s a great guy and all that kind of stuff, but his choices have led him astray.”
Sambora’s exit put added pressure on the remaining Bon Jovi stars to step up their performances for fans, and the 57-year-old frontman admits it hasn’t been easy.
“I didn’t expect the Richie debacle to have happened, so that threw a wrench in the works,” he shared. “So we accomplished all of this with one arm tied behind my back, so it’s all good. It’s all good. It’s better than all good.”
Bon Jovi previously enjoyed a one-off reunion with Sambora last year (18) as they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, where they performed a hits medley together for the first time since the guitarist walked away from the band.
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