Richie Sambora!!!

Some folks literally join the forum to force their one-track mind on the others. I like some good discussion and exchanging opinions but when somebody states his opinion as some kind of a fact, I have to laugh and skip that part. Sorry, any theory without proper evidence *and 10 sec vid isn't one* can't be taken seriously. Richie slurs, OK. But so does Jon. I still remember the long discussions about Jon's mouth and all crazy suggestions about his health as well, including a mini stroke and some syndrome disease I don't remember the name for now. And some posts are downright offensive.
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I seriously hope Richie doesn't read the fans' feedback too often. If I were him, I wouldn't at all. He's called a drunk and still blamed for leaving the band and/or being urged to come back. You don't leave without a reason, ffs! And I doubt the situation in BJ is better/different than it was 7 years ago.

No one is saying he's had a stroke after watching a 30 second clip. It's discussing reasons why his speech has been slurred in interview after interview past a certain year.

Saying Jon slurs too is just....what? What does that have to do with Richie's speech pattern changing? It has. It's not an attack on anyone's hero or saying he's a drunk or on drugs. People (well some people are) aren't saying that to accuse. Jon might have a reason he slurs sometimes do, and people talk about it but that isn't what this specific discussion is about.

Hell, people want to have a reasonable, adult debate about the guy without people acting like we're tearing him down and it's unjustified.

Sure about that, Cap'n? You, Thinny, and a couple others may have been having that discussion; but in the midst of your discussion, seems to me there's a fair amount of judgment, criticism, and/or arm-chair diagnosis going on, too. All apparently based on one short video.

"When I see Richie like this, there is no way in hell he is getting back into Bon Jovi for any type of reunion tour... I don't think Jon is that desperate to put that back in the band..."

"Since he finished with Orianthi he was in a very good shape,but the Richie on that last video is the RSO disaster Richie."

"He is doing this to himself - he has lost his way again. No one makes someone an alcoholic. if fans turned their back on him, he would have to do something to help himself and enter rehab again..."

"... everyone denies whats in front of us. he is intoxicated... untill he goes back into rehab to sort his life out nothing will change."

"Yeah it was my thoughts the second I saw the video, the face droop and slurring are some of the symptoms of stroke but anyone with him would have gotten him straight into the ER.. so yeah it looks like his back on the sauce..."

"So I guess Richie is now the New Ozzy! Just permanently burnt..."

"that last video was sad. i know thats not the richie we know & a wake up call he is far from healthy..."

I'm not saying people shouldn't share their opinions, because it's an open forum and that's why we're here; but it does seem that no matter what Richie does or says, some people are always gonna assume he's drunk or stoned. It's tiresome; but it is what it is.


Um... you mean kinda like any time I point out that Jon directly contradicts himself over and over in interviews; and you respond by saying that Richie has changed his story, too... Kinda like that?

I guess yeah, that's fair. I shouldn't be calling people out if I do it too.

But again, I'm not trying to arm-chair diagnose. It's a discussion board. If we say it's drinking or drugs, you call us out. If we say it could be a stroke you call us out. What are we allowed or not allowed to discuss potentials of if it leads down this road? Of course none of us know for sure, it's all merely subjective. It feels like you have such a tight grip on what people say about him sometimes.

There are definitely a few fan boys/girls on this thread so I'll just be Captain Obvious...

-We all know Richie partied with the best of them during his younger years...

-Who knows how much he partied in the 90s when he was married to Heather but we know she's a mess dealing with her own issues...

***We could even chalk that up to youth and start here.

- He left Bon Jovi twice for rehab, basically back to back tours.

- His 2012 solo album speaks all about it.

- Since his departure in 2013, Jon had mentioned numerous times that he has issues.

- During his Orianthi run, we've seen him publicly intoxicated and exhibit very odd behaviors.

- So based on that 30 second clip, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I'm going with the obvious.

Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I've made my choice.

I just want to see him get better.

Nah, not really. I think discussion is a good thing, especially when it's generated by an honest desire to figure out what's going on, or learn from other points of view, like the discussion you were having. Fair criticism is worthwhile, too, which Richie deserves, at times, just like anybody else.

Knee-jerk reactions every single time something about Richie shows up is another thing altogether, imo. And as said, I'm not even saying people shouldn't voice those opinions. But I still reserve the right to say I think they aren't giving him a fair-shake when they do, because that's my opinion. And, contrary to popular theory, that doesn't apply just when it's Richie who's being ragged on. I feel the same way when it's Jon, or Rolo, or Yovana, or you mods... it doesn't matter. Fair is fair, whoever it is. If someone thinks I'm being unfair in a post, I'm more than willing to be called out on it because I don't like it any better when I'm the one who does it. But sh!t happens, despite our best intentions.

I wasn't referring to you guys or your discussion when I said armchair diagnosis. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I was responding to the part of your comment where you said that no one was saying Richie had a stroke (true enough) or was attacking him or saying he was drunk based on a 30-sec video, when it seemed clear that some were doing just that, in the comments I quoted, which just happened to intertwine with the discussion you were having.

Thank you for highlighting my point exactly about how people have made up their minds regardless (in your case all based on things that happened years ago, none of which anyone is debating) and nothing will change that, on both sides of the coin.

Top and bottom, in my opinion, people do not have a full understanding of how long term substance abuse effects the body, especially as you get older, and some people here clearly are not able to tell the difference and/or do not have much experience being around people that are drinking or using.

I've made my choice too.

Again, if you are hoping that Richie will function like he did in his 30s/40s then you will always be hoping for this. The damage is done in my opinion.

But again...it's impossible to diagnose either way from a 30 second clip. So it's all just specualtion. It's people that try to push their opinion as fact that bothers me....

I think we should all move on from this now...

Gotcha, it was the timing more than anything. All good!

Apparently Richie's new record is already finished but pushed back because of Covid-19. Bob Rock talks about the making of the album and other records and artists he worked with, including Bon Jovi: https://t.co/nwt5o9Sdrm?amp=1

Wow, this is great news, now I hope both albums will come out in 2020.