Bon Jovi fans, keep the faith!
A reunion of the “Livin’ on a Prayer” rockers could be on the horizon, founder Richie Sambora told PEOPLE exclusively at the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
Asked about the group reuniting at the Arcadia, Calif., horse races, Sambora, 64, said there was “talk.”
“There’s a documentary being made about the band and the things I’ve been involved in, and people want to come see us play, and that will make everyone happy,” said the guitarist. “I mean, basically, that’s why you’re doing it at this point.”
Ava Sambora says ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora ‘has been such a rock for me throughout my life’
Richie Sambora (left) with fellow Bon Jovi members Jon Bon Jovi and Alec John Such.
Ke.Mazur/WireImage
Sambora continued, “I think we’ve written a lot of songs that have changed a lot of people’s lives just by letting them have a good time. I know that’s what music did to me… it kept me company. And I hope I can reflect that in what I do.”
“So it could definitely happen,” he added of the reunion. “It’s just a question of when everyone will be ready to do it. It’s going to be a big, massive undertaking.”
As for the weather? “I’m not sure. It’s up to the people, it has to be right. That’s all,” Sambora told PEOPLE.
“Still, it’s time to do it,” he added. “This is our 40th anniversary, but I feel younger than ever. I’m on the ball.”
Richie Sambora on the ups and downs of touring with Bon Jovi: ‘You get paid to be away from your family’
Sambora also said the amount of love people have for Bon Jovi four decades after it was formed is “incredible.”
“It shows you that music is an international language,” he explained. “And it lasts a lifetime.”
“People like to go back and hear a scrapbook of their lives. And I kind of was the conduit for that very, very happily and I work very hard,” the rocker continued.
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Jon Bon Jovi from Bon Jovi performs in 2019.
Shlomi Pinto/Getty
Sambora was one of the founding members of Bon Jovi – along with Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres, David Bryan and Alec John Such. He wrote some of the biggest hits, including “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
The legendary rocker left the band in 2013 to prioritize his relationship with daughter Ava, now 26, who he shares with ex Heather Locklear.
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In 2020, Sambora revealed to PEOPLE this difficult choice — and why he didn’t regret it.
“It obviously wasn’t a popular decision by any means, but really there was almost no choice,” the rocker said at the time. “I had to do a lot of conscious work around it [my personal life].”
He continued: “We went through a lot together. It was a time of psychological support for the family. You know, I’m no angel. But I realized Ava needed me around at that moment.”
“The family had to come first and that’s what happened,” added Sambora.
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Sambora, who overcame an addiction to painkillers and an over-reliance on alcohol after rehabs in 2007 and 2011, also told PEOPLE that the touring lifestyle eventually took its toll.
“Lord, when I look back and start listing the tours… 18 and a half months of travel, 52 countries,” he said. “It’s like, wow. It was really time to take a break. We’ve done it 14 times over a 31-year period.”
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Source: HIS Education