Originally Posted by JackieBlue

First of all, you make it sound like Richie quit the band just so he could work with Orianthi because she's more current. The timing is just a leetle bit off for that to be the case, wouldn't you say? Or did he just wait for 9 months and pretend to meet Ori on New Years Eve, so nobody would guess that it was his master plan from the start?

It's true that Richie saw Jon's star quality and wanted to be a part of where he was going. He's said as much, repeatedly. I think that what people sometimes seem to forget, though, is that Jon hand-picked the team he believed would get him where he wanted to be, too. So in reality, he hitched his wagon to their stars, just as much as they did to his.

Personal opinion (because without a time machine we'll never know for sure): none of those guys would be as well-known as they are without the others. It was the magic that existed among all of them (along with Alec, Desmond, Bob, Doc, and the planets) that took Bon Jovi to the top; not Jon Bon Jovi's personal magnetism. As essential as that was to the "magic", it wasn't the only factor by a long shot. Tico said in an interview that it wasn't until Richie joined the band that "it began clicking." So who's to say?

When it comes to the critical acclaim you think Richie will receive only after he dies, do you also think that that's when Bon Jovi will finally get the "critical acclaim" they deserve? They've never had wide-spread critical approval no matter how good they were or how hard they worked. At least Richie has received some critical acclaim as one of the great rock guitarists. When was the last time any of the critics pointed out how great Jon's voice is, or David's keyboards, or Tico's drumming, for that matter?

Also personal opinion: I think you overestimate Jon's "class". I'm not saying that he's not classy because, from what I've seen, I believe he is. But I'd bet my last dollar that if he had a case against Richie, he'd be suing his pants off right now (and may be doing so for all we know). And from some of the statements Richie's making, I wouldn't be too sure that THAT door doesn't swing both ways as well. As I said, JMO.