The battle of Bon Jovi: Beginning of the end?
- Sambora left Bon Jovi in April
- Words have escalated in the tabloids
- Jon without Richie %27like Lone Ranger without Tonto%2C%27 observer says
These are the best of times and the worst of times for Bon Jovi.
They're the best of times because the band recently released its best album of new work in years, What About Now, which debuted at No. 1 in March. Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's profile outside the band skyrocketed in the past few months as the Sayreville, N.J., native campaigned for the successful re-election of President Barack Obama and as he's worked with Gov. Chris Christie on several fronts, including superstorm Sandy relief.
Last week, Jon Bon Jovi donated $1 million to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.
Yet these are also the worst of times, as lead guitarist and co-writer of many Bon Jovi hits, Richie Sambora, might not be with the band as it comes home to New Jersey for shows next week.
It's called the Because We Can tour.
But can they?
"It's like the Lone Ranger without Tonto," said Peter Mantas, entertainment director for the Jersey Shore-based Kitschens restaurants and a former Bon Jovi stage manager. "Richie Sambora is an essential piece of Bon Jovi. Most of the hits wouldn't have happened without Sambora as the co-writer. Without Richie, it's not Bon Jovi."
Jon and Richie. The two have become rock 'n' roll icons in the league with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who. Sambora's exciting and robust leads and flourishes on guitar supremely complement Bon Jovi's stoked and resonant tenor voice. They sound good and they look good together on stage.
Sambora exited the band in April with little explanation beyond the citing of "personal issues" on bonjovi.com.
It got ugly from there.
Bon Jovi intimated that Sambora was not with the band because of a drug relapse issue, according to the London Evening Standard, and Sambora told Bon Jovi to stop with the trash talking in the Daily Mail.
Since then, both sides have stopped the sparring.
"I love the man to death. He's always going to be the guitar player in the band. He's not been fired. There's been no fight," Jon Bon Jovi told the Detroit Free Press earlier this week.
But the fissure could be deeper than that.
Bon Jovi has toured around the world every year since 2000, except for 2009 and 2012. Some of the band members may be feeling burned out, but Jon Bon Jovi seems anything but.
He joined Christie as the governor signed the signed the Overdose Prevention Act into law in May. Bon Jovi's daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi, benefited from a similar law in New York state in November when she apparently overdosed on heroin at Hamilton College.
Bon Jovi is a member of the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and sits on the White House Council for Community Solutions. He's also active in the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which operates the JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurant in Red Bank, N.J.
Bon Jovi also routinely plays fundraisers and private shows with a group of Jersey-based musicians called the Kings of Suburbia.
"Jon's a doer," said Shore-based music promoter Tony Pallagrosi. And the band Bon Jovi will go on with or without Sambora.
"What's the name of the band – it's Bon Jovi," Pallagrosi said. "Obviously, Richie has always been an integral part of the band and of course it's different with him not being there, but the name of the band is still Bon Jovi."
As it stands now, Bon Jovi along with keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres make up the core of the band with touring members Hugh McDonald, bass, and Bobby Bandiera, guitar, also on board. Session guitarist Phil Xenidis has been filling in for Sambora, a role he also assumed in 2011 when Sambora missed 13 dates after entering rehab.
Requests for comment from Jon Bon Jovi, the band and Richie Sambora were denied.
"It's weird. This is the band's 30th anniversary,'' said former Asbury Park Press music writer Matty Karas. "It should be a celebration tour; this should be a big deal. It's kind of sad they're going through this."
"It sounds like they're longtime friends and partners and business partners who are having a serious spat,'' Karas continued. "Steven Tyler and Joe Perry spent time apart and Mick and Keith have a love-hate relationship. If they still want to be together, they will do what's good for the partnership."
So will Sambora rejoin his band of brothers when Bon Jovi hits the hometown stage next week?
Stay tuned.