Looking back, Richie Sambora regrets his choice to leave Bon Jovi.
In the final episode of Hulu's new documentary series Thank you and good night: The Bon Jovi Story, the guitarist apologized for his controversial decision to leave the legendary rock band hours before he was scheduled to perform in Calgary on his 2013 Because We Can tour. But Sambora also claimed in an interview for the documentary, which premiered Friday, that the group “knew exactly why I wasn't on the plane that night.”
“People have a preconceived notion of Richie Sambora because they read about me in the tabloids and see the Bon Jovi machine,” he said. “This is a band. It's really, really hard being married to four other guys and being so close to them. Plus, you have a grown daughter.”
Sambora, who had been in rehab in 2007 and 2011, cited personal issues at the time as the reason for her sudden disappearance, but later told PEOPLE that her decision was due to concerns, especially her health and relationship with her daughter Ava. He said that this came from the need to put things first. So musician Phil X, who replaced Sambora in 2011, returned to cover the remaining dates of the band's 2013 tour.
“I don't regret leaving this situation, but I regret the way I acted,” Sambora said in the documentary. “So now I want to apologize fully to the fans, especially the fans, and to the players, because my legs and my mind didn't allow me to walk out the door.”
He added, “I think if you're in the mafia, probably the only thing you can do is disappear. And I did that.”
Despite the rocky start, the remainder of the tour went off without a hitch, with the group not missing any of its 80 performances. “At the end of the day, there was disappointment and sadness and anger, but none of that mattered to the world,” frontman Jon Bon Jovi recalled in the documentary. “It was the number one grossing tour in the world that year. That was it.”
The “Wanted Dead or Alive” singer admitted that he is “remaining hopeful” that Sambora will return someday. “I think it's like when you're in a situation like this in your marriage or your family and you're always hoping that your family will get better and everything will be okay,” he said.
Jovi also said that he would always feel “empty” without Sambora on stage. “The real magic of our live performance was when we sang together…that was our unique place,” he said. “It was as recognizable as a great combination of one and one to three. And I don't think it's been replaced, no.”
These days, Sambora looks back on his time with Bon Jovi with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
“John and I touched the earth with those songs, realizing that we were warriors who loved each other, watched each other's backs, and spoke the truth,” he said. “If anyone doesn't think we were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jimmy, [Page] and robert [Plant]you can slice it any way you want…come on!
Thank you and good night: The Bon Jovi Story ” is now available on Hulu.
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