‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story’ has been streaming on Hulu since 26th April, it is exploring untold stories about the iconic band through its original members namely Jon Bon Jovi, drummer Tico Torres, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Hugh McDonald and guitarist Richie Sambora. Sambora’s exit came as a shock to the whole music industry in 2013 and now the fans will finally be able to know about the whole thing that went down.
Richie Sambora’s unfortunate exit
Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the duo who co-created several hit songs for the band share a long-term friendship and have gone through a lot together including the guitarist’s sudden exit from the band. In the episodes of the documentary, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, the rockstars unveil the journey of three decades of performing together.
In episode three, Richie starts speaking about his departure from the band as an amalgamation of things that were related to his family. He discussed how his wife at the time, Heather Locklear was going through mental health issues and their daughter was able to see those issues so his family needed him and he needed them. Sambora also talked about the pressures of being in the biggest band in the world. Bryan also speaks in the third episode about how tension started to build up when the band recorded the album and shares how Richie had a creative block given his personal struggles and continuous absences during studio sessions.
Furthermore, the 62-year-old frontman, Bon Jovi spoke about the issues that began at the time when the group released the 2009 album, The Circle. Jovi was enjoying his time and he thought everyone did too but Richie was struggling and admitted how he should hit the brakes on the band’s exhausting go-go-go attitude at the time. As for Sambora, he got really upset when someone filled in for me while recording the song The Fighter and that is when the real issue started to take heat. He felt that the band was telling him that we could do it without you. Even though Bon Jovi had no idea but Richie was crushed that someone had replaced him, all the band members saddened rather than being pissed off.
The drummer, Tico Torres called Sambora’s exit and the band’s decision to keep going was an important one. It was difficult because everyone loved him and it was hurting also. As for Richie, he doesn’t regret leaving the situation but he does regret how he did it. The iconic guitarist apologized to his fans and the guys of the band because his feet and spirit weren’t allowing him to leave.
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora’s friendship: Here is all we know!!
In the 1980s, when Jon Bon Jovi was putting his whole band together, he was looking for a guitarist. According to the documentary, the band’s founding bassist, Alec John Such introduced Jon Bon Jovi to Sambora and he joined the band officially in 1983. In the first episode of the docuseries, we see a flashback with Sambora in an interview where he recalls all the events about him joining the rock group.
Richie talked about how Alec called him up and told him that he is playing a new band, John Bongiovi and Wild Ones. He also invited Sambora to watch the band and the guitarist seemed happy to do the same. Bon Jovi highlighted that he and Richie immediately hit and Jovi also realised that Sambora was incredibly talented, he was able to play, sing and write.
So, even when Richie left the band, there was never animosity between the former band members. The frontman also told People that Richie & he watched the first three parts of the docuseries together at his home. There will be always a void about Sambora’s exit, Bon Jovi further added. Before this, the 5 original members of Bon Jovi came back together in 2018 to perform at the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.
