Sammy Hagar defended Richie Sambora after a fan criticized his recent performance of Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer.’ Sambora played the song during the Rock for Responders Concert on February 27 at the USS Iowa in San Pedro, California.
He performed alongside Orianthi and Phil X to honor first responders, military personnel, and emergency management partners. Kings of Chaos, featuring Hagar, Robin Zander, Glenn Hughes, Matt Sorum, and other musicians, also played at the event.
After Sambora’s appearance, a fan accused him of being intoxicated during his performance. The comment came under an Instagram post where he was seen drinking tequila from Hagar’s glass. It read, “Watching his performance of ‘Living on a Prayer’ from the other night, it’s clear he’s off the wagon. I don’t blame Jon for not wanting to bring him back.”
Hagar quickly responded, shutting down the claim, “No, he was not drinking anymore than that shit from my glass. I was with him all night. He’s fucking great, always has been and always will be. That performance wasn’t even planned and wasn’t rehearsed. He just jumped up and did it — that’s real.”
Sambora sought treatment for alcohol and pain medication addiction in 2007 and 2011, but he said he was sober both times he checked into rehab. In a July 2024 interview with Guitar World, he explained how rehab helped him and how he even supported others during his stay.
Sambora also expressed frustration with the Hulu docuseries ‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.’ He felt it misrepresented him and made him look like he left the band in 2013 because of substance issues. “One of the things… that was reflected in the documentary [was] that people thought I was, what, a drunkard? Like I didn’t show up one day because I was high? That doesn’t make any sense to anybody,” he said.
His possible return to Bon Jovi remains uncertain. The rocker has been clear about his conditions for rejoining the band. In a November 2024 episode of the podcast ‘Howie Mandel Does Stuff,’ he said he would only consider it if Jon Bon Jovi’s voice fully recovered.
Bon Jovi has been dealing with vocal issues since undergoing surgery two years ago, and his recovery has been slow. In an interview with The Guardian, Jon admitted that his voice still hadn’t healed enough for him to handle the demands of a tour.
