Richie Sambora inspired Bon Jovi's new album.
Richie Sambora
Frontman Jon Bon Jovi admitted the band went through tough times following the abrupt departure of guitarist Richie in 2013 and the group's move from Mercury to Island Records but says all of the turmoil influenced their latest record 'This House Is Not For Sale'.
Jon told Fox 5: "We've been through holy hell. I had a couple of songs ... in the turmoil. They are really more about the turbulence in the record label, Richie leaving ... other things outside that were forces."
Jon, 54, previously insisted that Richie's departure came completely out of the blue and there was no conversation between the bandmates before he left.
He said: "Everyone says, 'Well, what happened?' We were in Calgary. The last album was entering the charts at number one. We're sold out every single night. It's show 21 and the short of it is, Richie just didn't show up at the show.
"And we haven't seen him in person since. There was no fight. There was no money. There was nothing I swear in my whole career, and he'll tell you the same thing. So we went on."
Richie, 57, now has a new band RSO with his girlfriend Orianthi and he still plays Bon Jovi songs.
He said: "I wrote them, they're my songs too. I get to play them, I get to do them the way Ori and I do them now. It's a different incarnation but when you write a good song, if you're fortunate enough to write something that gets to a global audience you really can't mess it up too bad. You can't mess 'Livin'On A Prayer,' 'Wanted Dead or Alive' or 'I'll Be There For You' up."
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