Clare Sidoti
Staff Writer
Fans were left in shock on Tuesday as news spread that Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist, Richie Sambora, would not be performing with the band on their current leg of their Because We Can Tour.
Bon Jovi were starting back on their world tour in Calgary, Canada, following a two and a half week break when the guitarist failed to join his bandmates on stage. The band’s website issued a statement that read: “’Due to personal issues, Richie Sambora will not be performing on this upcoming leg. All shows will go on as scheduled.”
They have also let fans know that they can get a refund before show time if they so choose. No further information has been released.
It is unclear how much time Sambora will take off. The current leg of the tour (which includes North America, South Africa and Europe) wraps in Rutherford, New Jersey on July 25. There’s nearly a two month break before the next scheduled concert in Brazil. There has been no announcement on whether Sambora will make an appearance at any of these dates. The band did announce today that Phil X will be replacing Sambora for the foreseeable future.
According to local radio station Q107’s Jeff and Sarah Show, who live tweeted the show, the band were 45 minutes late to the stage on Tuesday:
Apparently Sambora only let the band know at 3.30pm that he would not be joining them on stage that night. Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd ‘I had two choices – pack up and go home or give you everything I got” and that “’Richie Sambora won’t be performing for a while. If there’s ever a night I need you, it’s tonight, Calgary!”
In 2011, Sambora was left off the tour as he entered rehab to deal with his sobriety issues. While it is unknown whether there’s been a recurrence of these, Jon did let fans know during the concert that he is neither in jail nor in hospital.
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