During a recent appearance on Motorcycle Mayhem Radio, Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo spoke about not getting the Bon Jovi gig over Richie Sambora.
“Jon [Bon Jovi] was like, ‘I think I’m gonna have this guy Richie come in and be the…'” the guitarist recalled how Jon Bon Jovi decided to hire Sambora. When the host said “It’s amazing how it comes together,” Richie replied, “Yeah and he was like, ‘You okay?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah. I’m fine.'”
He continued, “I go, ‘Matter of fact’ because I knew Richie. I was a fan of his and he’s a couple years older than me or whatever and he had been playing shows in the area as well. I just thought the world, I still do, thought the world of him and and looked up to him and his playing and his voice and his presence and stuff.”
“He just became a wonderful friend as well, but it made so much sense. If Jon were Robert Plant, Richie was Jimmy Page. If Jon were Steven Tyler, Richie was Joe Perry. I wasn’t that guy. I wasn’t built to be that guy with him,” Sabo further explained.
Then, the host interrupted and said, “God had a different plan for you.” Sabo added, “Yeah and I knew that. I used to get the question a lot. ‘Man, are you are you bummed out that you got kicked out of Bon Jovi?’ I go, ‘No.’ First of all, it wasn’t even Bon Jovi. It was just Jon Bovi Jovi. And secondly, no I wasn’t meant to be. I go, ‘I’m exactly where I’m supposed to.'”
Dave Sabo grew up in Perth Amboy, while Bon Jovi lived nearby in Sayreville, just three blocks away. They met when Sabo was 11. Sabo previously revealed that he and Bon Jovi made a childhood pact to help each other succeed in music.
Bon Jovi, who started playing guitar first, later introduced Sabo to his teacher and, after getting signed, kept his promise by connecting him with his manager, Doc McGee.
