Sadly it is much too late to help anything even if Jon and Richie got back together. They were together at the Hall of Fame and it still didn't sound good at all.

I went to a Q&A guitar workshop type of thing that Phil X done the night before Wembley and I'm 90% certain he said it was 'Amen.'

I remember him saying how the energy is nuts after 'Keep The Faith' and he gets to unleash and then 30 seconds later he's back to playing an acoustic guitar.

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You guys make J/R partnership look like a marriage. Rich left bc his role in the band changed so drastically he no longer wanted to be part of it. It's his will, you have one life only and you gotta choose what's best for you. 30 years together is a long run, so instead of *as many fans do!* bashing R for being "disloyal", maybe it's time to thank the guy for making the band the magic that it was? And I absolutely agree that J's pride/ego/stubbornness definitely gets in the way of mending their friendship *or rather what's left of it*

No one knocked the guy for leaving, they knocked him for how he did it, those are two very different things. God bless him for finding peace and happiness doing his own thing. I don't think anyone is saying the 30 years he spent were for nothing. Lord knows people want him back.

Yeah, I know, it's just it's been discussed to death. Jon promised the guys some time off after quite some time on the road, later changed his plans and made that horrific WAN album almost on his own. Then got the guys into that mammoth of a tour whether they liked it or not. Some say R could say no before the tour started but who knows, maybe he thought he'd make it again but then it turned out it was simply too much and he had to quit? I don't blame R for leaving, this circus was literally never-ending.
J slowed down only when he was no longer capable of abusing his vocal chords night after night. Speaking of, his own words about dying on stage every night somehow took a U-turn and hit him instead bc he's close to death in all those recent vids, out of breath and lifeless, stuck behind a mike and raising his arms from time to time as a substitute for his usual energy on stage.
And I know people want to see R back, just as a lot of them want to see J live no matter how poor his vocals are. Does it mean it's a good wish? The fans have little idea what's going on behind closed doors, maybe as sb pointed out a few posts earlier, they're better off on their own now? The RHOF performance was definitely emotional but you can tell there was so much tension and no so subtle digs in their speeches as well.

BTW. ”He's gone. No hard feelings. Being in a band isn't a life sentence.”

I wish he meant what he said here.

Agreed, it's been discussed to death. But neither side will spill the beans and if that's how they want to do it then fans only have so much to go on. Grasping at straws, making hypotheticals. But I also don't blame people for playing the card of Jon being controlling and Richie bolting unprofessionally, end of the day both are true regardless of what came before or after. Again, no one is blaming Richie for leaving.

I bet when he first started touring with the band it was any song that had the voice box in it!

I just watched Jon’s HoF speech – it’s interesting watching it back and putting it against all that’s been said on here.

We had 3 number 1 records – Lost Highway, The Circle and What About Now – it’s all going incredibly well, so if this was one of those Behind The Music Episodes, this is where the shit hits the fan. So during the BWC Tour, Richie’s no longer standing by my side. Once again Phil X has to answer his phone and answer the call. Tico has not one but two emergency surgeries and we have to have a replacement drummer sit in for 11 stadium shows. One night I have to look out at 80,000 faces at Rock in Rio and I turn to David and think “holy shit I’m in a cover band again”. Hugh, now Phil, eventually Tico, David and I play another 105 shows and still manage to have the highest grossing tour. But 2014, 2015 I’m dealing with record company turmoil as well as the unexpected departure of my creative partner and guitar player. Then it’s Jerry Elstein – my rock, my lawyer, my Godfather. He gets sick and needs to retire. There was so much loss during this time my voice had no interest in working for me any longer, I swear even my guitar gave me the finger. My wife reminded me there is better lesson than adversity. I sought help in anywhere I could find it. Professional as well as spiritual in form of my angels, Katie Agrestor, Mary Jo DuPrey, John Shanks, Steve Baxton, Dee Grillo, Steve Cohen, Luke Cox – they all helped put me back together again.

Calling What About Now and The Circle Number 1 albums absolutely makes my skin crawl.

But they were No.1 in Billboard, weren't they?