"This is Richie Sambora, our lead guitarist."

"Nice to have you with us!"

Led by vocalist Jon Bon Jovi, the Bon Jovi lineup  has remained surprisingly consistent over the  

years, aside from a few tweaks in the early days  and the usual addition of touring musicians.

In 2013, however, the announcement  came that longtime guitarist Richie  

Sambora was leaving the band, shocking fans.

"It wasn't a popular decision by any means."

He was replaced by Phil X, a stellar  session guitarist who has collaborated  

with a diverse collection of artists,  from Kelly Clarkson to Rob Zombie.

"It's so cool."

The change left many wondering  why someone like Sambora would  

depart from a successful band like Bon Jovi.

Life as a touring rock musician, though  luxurious and exciting, is not without  

its difficulties. One such challenge is  the extended time spent away from family.

"Jon cannot come to the phone.  We're in Australia, man!"

In a 2020 interview with People, Sambora shared  that the prospect of spending more time with Ava,  

his daughter with actor Heather Locklear, was  the catalyst for his decision to leave the band.

"It's certainly worked out for our family."

Sambora told the magazine,

"That was a time of psychological  maintenance for the family. You know,  

I ain't no angel. But I realized  Ava needed me to be around at that  

point in time. Family had to come  first, and that's what happened."

"I'm lucky enough to have an amazing  relationship with my daughter."

However, there might be more to the  story of why Sambora split from Bon Jovi.

In 2021, he appeared on an episode of Deep  Hidden Meaning Radio with Nile Rogers,  

where he said that his role within  the band was to stay quiet about his  

involvement in writing some of the  band's biggest hits. He told Rogers,

"That was part of my deal, to shut the f---k  up. [...] And you know what? Guess what? I  

did it. And it worked out, because that's  what [Jon] needed, for whatever reason."

But Sambora told the Daily Mail in 2020  that there's no ill-will between himself  

and his former bandmates, and he'd  even be open for a reunion, saying:

"It would have to be a special  situation for me to go back,  

but I'm certainly not counting it out.  I have no malice toward that band."

With a nearly 40-year career, Bon Jovi stands as  one of the most successful American rock bands  

in history. The New Jersey outfit has sold over  100 million albums and produced dozens of hits.

According to Billboard, the band has  charted 25 songs on the Billboard Hot 100,  

with four of those—including  crowd-favorite karaoke tunes  

"You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin'  On A Prayer"—reaching the top spot.