Bon Jovi’s former lead guitarist Richie Sambora recently confessed to Music Radar that Jon Bon Jovi needed him to ‘shut up’ when they were working together.
Sambora had been a member of Bon Jovi since its formation in 1983 and performed as the band’s lead guitarist and co-lead songwriter. Having experienced 30 years of rock and roll, he quit the band in 2013, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his daughter.
Since his departure, the guitarist didn’t release any solo albums, but when Bon Jovi was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, he joined them on stage to play their hit songs to celebrate their success. It’s obvious that there were no hard feelings between Richie and the other band members. The reason for his departure was apparent, and he did return to perform with the band five years after quitting.
However, in a recent interview, Sambora revealed something rather unexpected. He indicated that he was underappreciated in the band because even though Jon Bon Jovi was the frontman, he sang and wrote songs as well. Yet, Jon wanted him to stay silent.
Here is how Richie Sambora got this matter of his chest:
“That was part of my deal, to shut the f*ck up. If I had a coffee place, the sign would say, ‘Have a hot steaming cup of sh*t the fuck up.’ That would be my coffee place. And do you know what? I did, and it worked out. Because that’s what Jon Bon Jovi needed, for whatever reason, and I was working with him and if he needed that kind of thing.”
Even though Sambora indicated how he was silenced considering some matters, he still doesn’t seem to have any hard feelings towards the band. He doesn’t know why Jon wanted him to stay quiet, but it worked out well for Bon Jovi because they reached remarkable success in 30 years.
