The New York Post’s Page Six reports:
Richie Sambora didn’t jump — he was pushed, sources say.
The hard-partying Bon Jovi guitarist left the band over “personal issues,” the group announced on its Web site this week. He was replaced at Tuesday night’s show in Calgary, Canada, by Theofilos “Phil X” Xenidis, who also filled in during Sambora’s second stint in rehab in 2011.
“Jon [Bon Jovi] has been trying to get rid of him. He drinks constantly and has a stream of Hollywood bimbos around all the time,” one insider said. At the urging of his wife, Dorothea, Bon Jovi wants to keep the tour free of booze and drugs. But Sambora is apparently no longer striving for sobriety. “He told me that he didn’t believe in rehab,” said our source. “He really is a hard partier, and so are the women he hangs out with.”
Sambora might also be depressed over the lackluster sales of his latest solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown, on which he was said to have spent $1 million of his own. He also lost several million dollars in his failed clothing company, White Trash Beautiful.
source: nypost.com
16 Responses
It’s not like bon jovi is a rock band, glam band yes. If the guy is suffering from alcoholism then no one can make him stop. Get rid of him or do us all a favor and totally disband the group. I love rock and heavey metal music, they don’t qualify on any level.
Nobody wants to watch a friend commit suicide. You get to point in your life and either you stop or let it kill ya!
Def Leppard’s Steve Clark, R.I.P.
Well, eveyone in the band is an employee of JBJ, so JBJ doesn’t need an excuse to let any one of them go. If Ritchie is an alkie who refuses to clean up, that’s more than enough reason to sideline him.
I had a feeling that Phil X (Xenidis) would be called back. I saw a clip of him doing “Wanted dead or alive” with Bon Jovi, and he’s very impressive. From a talent/performance perspective, he’s definitely not a step down from Richie in any way shape or form. He plays Richie’s guitar parts as recorded out of respect for the songs, but when John let him sing a verse of “Wanted” I said holy crap, this guys more than up to the task.
Every Band has “issues”……….Jon has been the only member NOT to experience marriage-dovorce-marriage and seems to be focused on what is best for the band. But also, you need to take a look at what and “WHO” got you to where you are…….and Ritchie (for better, for worse) more than helped Jon achieve his dreams……..BEST WISHES, RITCHIE!