i dont know if this has been posted before and its a few years old buthere goes





INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPIRE featuring guest editors


Interview with Richie Sambora by Haji Ra October 21, 2003



Dateline: October 2003: Haji Ra Interviews New Jersey Rock Legend Richie Sambora

These days, it most certainly is good to be Richie Sambora, the guitarist and sometime vocalist for the wildly popular rock band Bon Jovi. He is married to the gorgeous and talented Heather Locklear, they have a wonderful daughter, he lives in a beautiful home in the Los Angeles area and his band is as popular as ever. Bon Jovi's latest offering, "Bounce," scored the highest debut position (#2) on the Billboard charts of any album in the bands' illustrious career, a career which now spans over two decades.




Haji, don't interrupt me.



But Richie is not satisfied. As you will see below, he has become disillusioned with the manner in which his native New Jersey is being run. The success of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the political arena has given birth to a notion in Richie's mind that entertainers truly are capable of effectively wielding political power. Richie now has his sights set on New Jersey Governor James McGreevey's throne. Currently planning a relocation of his family to the Garden State, he intends to build grassroots support for an eventual run at the State's top post. Anyone familiar with this man's enormous will to succeed and his genuinely compassionate nature knows that McGreevey is in grave danger of a swift and violent end to what Sambora alleges has been an ineffective reign as New Jersey Governor.



Haji Ra: Great to see you again, Richie.

Richie Sambora: Yeah, Haj. Last time I saw you was backstage in Melbourne. You had just been through that thing with the guy and the rice.



H: Total nightmare, as you know. Let's get down to brass tacks, Richie: why Governor of New Jersey?

R: I know what you're probably thinking. Hey, this guy's got everything a man could possibly want out of life. Money, fame, a frigging unbelievably hot wife, Jon Bon Jovi as a friend... but you know, I want more. I look at this building moratorium McGreevey's proposing, his profligate spending habits and his broken election campaign promises to the people of New Jersey and I'm furious. I spent my formative years in Woodbridge, New Jersey, the town where McGreevey served as Mayor prior to being elected Governor. I've maintained contacts with the people of that town, and they're not happy with the way he's left things there. It's perplexing to me that a man like this could ever ascend to the position of prominence he now holds in a democratic society.

H: What is it about your musical career that you think has prepared you for a new career in politics?

R: Listen to the songs, Haj. We're not Springsteen. He's out there penning embellishments of New Jersey life. He's pandering. We're giving folks the real thing.

H: Embellishments?

R: Yeah, you know, I'm driving on Highway 9, or I'm driving on the New Jersey Turnpike. You'd think that all people in New Jersey do is drive around. That's just not true, and fairly irresponsible on Bruce's part.

H: Maybe, but --

R: It's all so exaggerated. Guy can't get a job at the refinery, or guy hates his job at the factory, or guy lost his job at the refinery or the factory. Then he gets in his car and drives around. It's all so tongue-in-cheek, ya know? Most of New Jersey doesn't even have refineries. What is a refinery, anyway?

H: Something to do with oil, I think.

R: Right, right. Bon Jovi's singing about Tommy, who used to work at the docks. Now that's real life stuff, my man. New Jersey has an entire Eastern border that's pure coastline. There's gonna be a dock or two when you've got a geographical setup like that. I'm just tired of the Springsteen obsession people seem to have. You'd think he shits gold bullion or something. But back to your question. My musical background has prepared me for politics in that I think I've been someone who has forged a unique musical style for myself, one that is instantly recognizable. Example: you know that little thing I did in "Living on a Prayer" with my guitar? That wow-wow sound? As you know, I got that from Frampton. But what I did was I made it my own little signature thing by giving it a sweet little groove. Almost menacing, at times. Then I brought it back for "It's My Life," and the people just ate it up.

H: I'm not sure I'm making the connection between that and politics.

R: I'm talking about giving the people what they want. It's just like, you know, I don't wake up with perfect hair. It takes a certain creativity to get it right. Sometimes that's me, sometimes that's Miguel, my stupendous stylist. It's all part of the package. Knowing who to associate with. Taking from different places and distributing to the masses. Like Robin Hood.

H: Oh. Moving on, how does Heather feel about your political ambitions?







Please don't interrupt me again, Haji.



R: She's cool with it. You know, it was her suggestion that I launch this campaign. We've been following the California recall situation and witnessing first-hand the connection that Arnold has made with the people. And why wouldn't he? He's like this handsome loveable guy with rich friends. It's such a political lock these days. So Heather says, "Richie, they could love you like that in Jersey." That got me thinking. Bon Jovi kills in Jersey. Just kills. We did Atlantic City this past winter and man, you wouldn't believe the intensity in that crowd. Can I just talk for a minute about how amazingly hot Heather is?

H: Go ahead.

R: She's gotta be, like, almost in her late forties. Works out all the time. Eats right. What a body on her! I remember seeing her on TV before we met and thinking, "God I so want to take her clothes off and make love to her." And now I do. Constantly.

H: You were talking about how the people in New Jersey would love you.

R: They already do, but not politically. I have to get them to see me as a leader and not just some guy in a totally rocking band with a hot-as-balls wife. Arnold was able to do that, if you substitute "lucrative film" for "rocking band." I want to effectuate change. I want to be respected. Being elected governor of a state will help me on both those counts.

H: Vonnegut once said, "We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down." Do you feel like this new chapter in your life is, in effect, jumping off a cliff and hoping to grow wings?

R: What a quote! Who said that?

H: Kurt Vonnegut.

R: Gosh, that's really smart. I feel that way, yeah. Wow. You think that guy would mind if I used that quote for something?

H: I really can't tell you.

R: That reminds me. In "Lay Your Hands on Me," there's a line that goes, "I can show you how to fly and never ever come back down." I want the people of New Jersey to jump off a cliff like Kurt Vonnegut so I can show them how to fly. This way, nobody needs to grow any wings, which would be impossible anyway because we're humans and not some kind of bird.



HAJI -- Please don't interrupt me again.



H: Any plans to record a solo album between campaign stops?

R: I've been in touch with a few producers. Steve Albini wants to work with me. I just hate traveling to Chicago to make a record, ya know? I'll probably go with someone local, or I'll produce it myself. I'd like to do something with the Neptunes if at all possible, so guys, if you're reading this... (laughs).

H: This has been really interesting, Richie. I wish you all the success in the world in your new endeavor.

R: I'm not the person for whom you should be wishing success, Haji. Someday soon, and I don't know exactly when that day will come, but it will be soon.

H: What will be soon?

R: I'm sorry. I didn't finish that sentence, did I?

H: You were saying something about success.

R: Right. Californians will be successful when I am elected to lead them.

H: You mean New Jerseyans?

R: Of course. New Jerseyans want a leader they can trust. They are tired of politics as usual. Sambora for Governor.

H: Thank you so much, Richie.

R: Any time

i got this from http://www.smalldoggies.com/intvw_rsambora_01.html