Richie Sambora!!!

Then I wonder why it is that Jon still seems to be coming up with every word under the sun to keep from calling it what it is. Why is it, when he's asked flat out if alcohol or drugs is the "issue", he deflects instead of confirming it? It's not like it's out of any noble concern for Richie's privacy; because he crossed that line a long time ago. He's done everything BUT say it; so why all the euphemisms if it's that clear cut and Jon wouldn't put his own ass in a sling if he said it point blank?

EDIT TO ADD: I find it hard to believe that more people don't question Jon's statement that Richie quit at 3:00 on show day, period. Phil-X and Jon have both made comments that shoot holes in that story. But I agree with you that IF Richie's departure was that abrupt, there must have been some catalyst. And it's true that the catalyst could have been that Richie conveniently fell off the wagon just long enough, and at exactly the right time, to miss the show. But if people can be objective enough to think beyond Jon's transparent attempts to re-focus everyone on Richie's addictions again, they might realize that it's also true that the catalyst could have been something else entirely.

I was thinking in an interview somewhere he had alluded to it as well, I know David did in the one with he and Tico. He seemed so hurt, the way he talked. I've tried to find that old tape but know it's somewhere on a board. Seems he said "demons". I've personally never thought it was "just" about being home, never thought it was money and maybe the creative had been building but just to quit 20 shows in ?? I had and still have concern for Richie.

It was a long time with out seeing each other.
Remember the debate about had they talked - Jon says 5 years, almost sounded like no contact but on Niteline with Strahan he did say not seen him. Richie said they talked. I still say a text, communication with management, a congrats on twitter or the ALS challenge to Richie were communication but to Jon - not so much. His definition imo is more face to face.

Of course, most of the social media world apart from "us" is talking about Jon's opinion of the Kardashians/RealHousewives.

He alluded to it in nearly every interview he did after the fangurl write up Kate Whatshername did in that "respectable" British publication. But for some reason, he's avoiding saying it flat out.

No one is saying that that wasn't a part of it, but the people that think that is all that there is to it are the ones that need to wake up!

Really wished Jon hadn't opened his mouth on this again just to get a dig in. The arguments got tedious years ago, there's no need for him to take a little swipe just stick with the "Didn't turn up" line and move on.

His need is to sell tickets and presale for Europe starts this week ...

Obviously it takes two to tango so at some point Jon's actions contributed to the result. However, there is a possibility that all the problems stem from Richie's addictions. A possible scenario could be Richie's increasingly destructive and addicitive behaviour around 2004-2010 resulted in Jon becoming more dictorial and colder with Richie, almost a snowball effect.

So, in the end Jon would have played his part, but the root cause could have been Richie. I don't really like this complete guesswork but it is what it is, internet forum and all. Btw, I don't neccesarily believe the above to be the case, but just wanted to suggest a way where his addictions could have been "all that there is to it".

As for my own speculation, I think the seeds were sewn in the period between These Days and Crush. Jon essentially became a solo act from that point. He seems like an honest enough guy, so I guess the rest of the band knew what was happening but become increasingly fed up with it. That situation pushed Richie one way, while his addictions (or more importantly his lack of reliability) pushed Jon another way.

The only part I can't reconcile is how Richie could be so unhappy with Bon Jovi's direction if he was so heavily involved with the songs. Crush and Bounce are hardly masterpieces and Richie was heavily involved in those (his guitar sound defines Bounce) and TLFR was deemed Richie's album, something he seem to take as a compliment. Was this a case of if you can't beat them join them?

The idea of it being Shanks and Jon and also Richie on the side might be the case but I can't see how that started any earlier than 2013. You don't co-write every single song on an album and then it's said you were a minor part in the making of the album. I think he absolutely contributed to the mediocrity. I think he was for sure under Jon's thumb and under-utilized playing wise but any solo material he released between 2001 and 2010 was pretty god damn poppy.

So why do you think Jon said, specifically, that it had been that way over the last 3 or 4 records prior to THINFS? Even if you include the new songs on the Greatest Hits as one of them, that would still go back to LH, if not all the way to HAND. Do you think it could have been that Richie was involved in the writing process, but it was primarily Jon and Shanks in the studio? That might explain the credits.

Richie's solo material between 2001 and 2010? Are you talking about the one-offs, like "One Last Good-bye", "Great Hall of Fame", "When a Blind Man Cries", etc.?

I don't know why he said that. It's baffles me to think Richie wasn't as present and available on those albums. I hear his playing in the recordings. I know what he sounds like and to a rough degree what Shanks sounds like. There's video footage of Richie recording the songs and it wouldn't make sense considering a chunk of the post 2005 material wasn't produced by Shanks. 1/3 HAND, Half of Lost Highway, What do you got, etc. If he's credited with writing the songs and is seen in the studio recording the songs....I just don't know. He raved about the time he had playing on Have a Nice Day and breaking down the isolated tracks it's him.

The Circle is where it gets iffy. A whole lot of echo-y guitars, jangly. Richie's never quite played the intro to Superman Tonight the way it was on the record so I start to have my doubts but knowing he co-wrote the songs and hearing him on others I don't know. He's certainly talked about how proud he is of making the guitars sound synthy on the production side.

Yeah I was talking about the one offs. When a blind man cries would have been pre-Crush so not so much that one. One Last Goodbye and Take Me On...even him appearing in an N'Sync movie. Nothing about those decisions tells me he was that dissatisfied about leaning into the pop sound. The production style he had on OWN 2001, the song with LL Cool J. It all felt very Hollywood, you know?