Jon Bon Jovi and Tico Torres spoke about Phil X’s role in Bon Jovi following Richie Sambora’s departure in a recently resurfaced interview, originally recorded two years ago. The two revealed how Phil managed to leave his mark in the band’s history through his extraordinary talent and personality.
When asked about the impact Phil X had on the band after stepping into such a significant role, Tico Torres was direct in his praise.
“Oh, he saved our asses quite a bit. 11 years ago. And he’s extremely talented. To be able to encompass the music and be able to play it in such a short amount of time. And he’s an extremely positive gentleman,” Torres said.
Jon Bon Jovi then elaborated on how Phil X first came into the picture and gradually became an indispensable part of the band.
“You know, when he came on in 2011, when Richie had to go to rehab, he filled in for what, a dozen, 15 shows, something like that. We thanked him, thought, you know, we’d see you down the road somewhere,” Bon Jovi said. “In 2013 when it happened again and we called on him and he filled in the next night. It’s not like we shut down the tour for 2 weeks so he could rehearse. The next show we played to a sold-out arena and he’s like, ‘Got it.’ So he was, he’s an incredible versatile musician. Now it took a couple albums for him to find his place on the record. But on this record, that’s him, you know?”
Bon Jovi went on to describe a specific moment that cemented Phil X’s creative identity within the band, recounting a last-minute contribution during the recording of “Living Proof.”
“‘Living Proof’ is another example. The last instrument on the last day was the solo on that song. It was okay. I actually thought it sounded dated. I was like, ‘Eh.’ But I was ready to shut down. We were done. It was the last day on the last thing. And he came in and he says— and he’s Greek by heritage— he said, I got this bouzouki tuning I want to just run by you. And he puts the E string in the B string notch, tunes it up to that, plays me this. I fell out of the chair. The creativity till the last instrument on the last day by all of us was there,” Bon Jovi continued.
“I went, you’ve just— now you’re making your mark here. Because one thing, you know, even Richie would have never been able to do is, oh, I got a bazooka tuning for this, you know. So now, like, Phil is starting to have an identity, and so it’s cool,” he added.
The interview highlights how Phil X has steadily carved out his own place in Bon Jovi, moving beyond simply filling Sambora’s shoes to becoming a distinct creative voice within the group.
Phil X’s journey to becoming a permanent fixture in one of rock’s biggest bands was anything but straightforward. Born Theofilos Xenidis on March 10, 1966, in Toronto, Canada, he spent decades building a reputation as one of the most versatile and reliable session guitarists in the industry before his name became synonymous with Bon Jovi.
Long before the arena stages, Phil X had already accumulated an impressive résumé. In the early 1990s, he toured with Aldo Nova and played and recorded with Triumph, appearing on their final studio album Edge of Excess in 1992. He went on to work with a wide range of major artists, including Avril Lavigne, Alice Cooper, Tommy Lee, Rob Zombie, and Chris Cornell, cementing his status as a go-to musician across genres.
His entry into Bon Jovi came through producer John Shanks, who recommended him as a “just-in-case” fill-in when concerns arose about Richie Sambora’s reliability ahead of the band’s 2011 tour. Sambora, the band’s founding guitarist and co-songwriter, missed 13 shows that year due to personal issues and a stint in rehabilitation. Phil X stepped in, with his first show taking place on April 30, 2011, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The debut was met with a wave of social media confusion from fans who had no idea who he was.
Sambora permanently left the band in 2013 after playing only a handful of shows that year. Phil X was called upon once again and transitioned into a full touring role. He was officially named a permanent band member in March 2016, after contributing guitars and backing vocals to four tracks on Bon Jovi’s album This House Is Not For Sale. The transition was not without its emotional weight. Phil X has openly spoken about struggling with impostor syndrome in the wake of replacing such an iconic figure, though he gradually found his footing and his own voice within the band.
Phil X has since become a fully integrated member of Bon Jovi in every sense. He participated in the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 as their lead guitarist, a milestone that underscored just how far he had come from his days as an anonymous fill-in. Alongside his work with Bon Jovi, he continues to front his own band, Phil X & The Drills, and remains active as a creator and performer in his own right.
Source: Quotable
