"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."Īs 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. "What's the name of the band – it's Bon Jovi," Pallagrosi said. And the band Bon Jovi will go on with or without Sambora. "Jon's a doer," said Shore-based music promoter Tony Pallagrosi. He's also active in the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which operates the JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurant in Red Bank, N.J.īon Jovi also routinely plays fundraisers and private shows with a group of Jersey-based musicians called the Kings of Suburbia. 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.īon Jovi is a member of the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and sits on the White House Council for Community Solutions.
He joined Christie as the governor signed the signed the Overdose Prevention Act into law in May. Some of the band members may be feeling burned out, but Jon Bon Jovi seems anything but.
There's been no fight," Jon Bon Jovi told the Detroit Free Press earlier this week.īut the fissure could be deeper than that.īon Jovi has toured around the world every year since 2000, except for 20. He's always going to be the guitar player in the band. Since then, both sides have stopped the sparring. Sambora exited the band in April with little explanation beyond the citing of "personal issues" on .īon 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. They sound good and they look good together on stage. Sambora's exciting and robust leads and flourishes on guitar supremely complement Bon Jovi's stoked and resonant tenor voice. 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. Most of the hits wouldn't have happened without Sambora as the co-writer. "Richie Sambora is an essential piece of Bon Jovi. "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. 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. Last week, Jon Bon Jovi donated $1 million to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. Chris Christie on several fronts, including superstorm Sandy relief. 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. 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. These are the best of times and the worst of times for Bon Jovi.