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Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock
guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themsel ...
, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwriting unit for the band. He has also released three solo albums: '' Stranger in This Town'' in 1991, ''
Undiscovered Soul ''Undiscovered Soul'' is the second solo studio album from Richie Sambora the guitarist from New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released on February 23, 1998 and is more experimental than his earlier release ''Stranger in This Town''. The al ...
'' in 1998, and ''
Aftermath of the Lowdown ''Aftermath of the Lowdown'' is the third solo studio album by Richie Sambora which was released in Japan on September 12, 2012, in the United Kingdom on September 17, and in the United States on September 18, 2012 as digital download and on Sept ...
'' released in September 2012. In 2018, Sambora was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
as a member of Bon Jovi, and reunited with his former bandmates for a performance at the induction ceremony. That year, he formed the duo RSO alongside Orianthi. After two EPs, the pair released their debut album '' Radio Free America'' in May.


Early life

Richard Stephen Sambora was born on July 11, 1959, in
Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...
, the son of Joan (née Sienila), a secretary, and Adam C. Sambora, a factory foreman. Sambora is of Polish descent and was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He grew up in
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a major bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area located within the ...
, and graduated from Woodbridge High School in 1977. He played basketball in high school; his sophomore team won the 1975 Group 4 State title. Sambora's first instrument was the accordion, which he began to play at the age of 6. He began playing the guitar at the age of 12, following the death of
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
in 1970. From his early days, Sambora was strongly influenced by
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
and 1960s
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
. His most important influences were
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a fo ...
, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter,
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
, Joe Perry,
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
, and
B. B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
. He was also influenced by Spanish
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...
and began a lifelong love of the Spanish guitar. He has also stated that psychedelic soul singer Janis Joplin had a big influence on his musical style during her career in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Classical music directly inspired several of his songs, such as ''The Answer'' which was originally written on piano. Sambora also plays many other instruments, such as drums, bass, saxophone, and piano. The first time he performed on stage was at a
Catholic Youth Organization Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is an international Catholic youth movement founded by Bishop Bernard Sheil in Chicago in 1930. It would become a major factor in the development of race relations in the US Catholic Church following World War ...
dance when he was a teenager.


Career


Early career

Sambora was a guitarist for the band " Message", and with that band put out an independent record titled "Lessons" which was copyrighted in 1982 and produced and arranged by Dean Fasano and Richie Sambora in Woodbridge, New Jersey. It was re-released in 1995 under the name ''Message'', and in 2000 as ''Lessons''. He was later in a band, Mercy, which was signed to
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
-owned record label Swan Song Records, and then Duke Williams & the Extremes, who were signed to Capricorn Records. Sambora was also in an improvisational club band called Richie Sambora & Friends. He was part-owner of a club in New Jersey, and at age 19 owned his own independent label Dream Disc Records. Sambora's first professional tour was as an opening act for
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
in the early 1980s. Shortly before joining Bon Jovi in 1983, Sambora unsuccessfully auditioned for
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, to be Ace Frehley's replacement.


Bon Jovi

Sambora joined Bon Jovi in 1983, replacing the band's original lead guitarist Dave Sabo, who went on to form Skid Row.
Alec John Such Alec John Such (November 14, 1951 – June 5, 2022) was an American musician. He was best known as a founding member of the rock band Bon Jovi. As their bass player from 1983 to 1994, he played on their first five albums. Such started his ...
had been playing in a band with Sambora and joined Bon Jovi while Sambora was away in Los Angeles auditioning for Kiss. When Sambora returned home, Such promptly invited him to see the band play. Sambora was impressed with Bon Jovi after seeing the band perform live, describing the band as "magic", and he subsequently approached Jon Bon Jovi backstage and "gave him a verbal
résumé A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively resumé), also called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of rea ...
". Though Sambora initially believed Bon Jovi wasn't interested in him, he received a phone call several days later inviting him to rehearse with the band. When Jon arrived and heard the band with Sambora, he hired him on the spot. That night, the pair returned to Bon Jovi's mother's house and wrote the songs "Come Back" and "Burning for Love", both of which would appear on the band's 1983 debut album. Sambora left the band in 2013 prior to a concert in Calgary during the band's Because We Can tour. Since his departure, Sambora has only played with Bon Jovi at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 2018. In 2016, Sambora stated that his reason for leaving the band was in order to give his family more of his attention. "I really needed to take some time to be with my daughter," he stated "She needed me and I needed her, actually." Sambora also released a solo EP with Orianthi, and performed alongside the RSO band member and his girlfriend on April 7, 2018.


Solo albums

Sambora's first solo album was 1991's '' Stranger in This Town'', a blues-influenced album that charted at No. 36 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...
and No. 20 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The lead single, "Ballad Of Youth", reached a high of No. 63 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 59 in the UK. "One Light Burning" was released as the second single and the album titled track, "Stranger In This Town" as the third which charted at No. 38 on the
Mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active ro ...
charts.
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
played the lead guitar on the promo single ''Mr Bluesman'', backed by Sambora on acoustic guitars. Sambora did a short US tour in support of the album, featuring Tony Levin (bass), Dave Amato (guitar),
Crystal Taliefero Crystal Taliefero-Pratt (née Taliefero) is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Taliefero grew up with a musical family, performing rhythm and blues with her brother in the Chicago metropolitan area. During her college years she was ...
(percussion) and Bon Jovi bandmates Tico Torres (drums) and David Bryan (keyboards). The track "Rosie" was co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and was initially intended for the fourth Bon Jovi album ''
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
''. It was also released as a promo single in Japan. " Ballad of Youth" was released in the UK in summer 1991 and despite plugs from ''
The Friday Rock Show The ''Friday Rock Show'' was a radio show in the United Kingdom that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights, from 17 November 1978 until 2 April 1993. For most of its existence, it was hosted by Tommy Vance. Vance ...
'' on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
the song barely skimmed the top 75. ''
Undiscovered Soul ''Undiscovered Soul'' is the second solo studio album from Richie Sambora the guitarist from New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released on February 23, 1998 and is more experimental than his earlier release ''Stranger in This Town''. The al ...
'' was Sambora's second solo album, released in 1998. The album was produced by Don Was. The album charted at No. 174 on The Billboard 200 and No. 24 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The lead single "Hard Times Come Easy" charted at No. 39 on the
Mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active ro ...
chart and No. 37 in the UK, the second single "In It For Love" charted at No. 58 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The title track "Undiscovered Soul" and "Made in America" were also released as singles. In support of ''Undiscovered Soul'', Sambora toured Japan, Australia and Europe in the summer of 1998. The band featured Richie Supa (guitar), Ron Wikso (drums), Kasim Sulton (bass), Tommy Mandel (keyboards), Everett Bradley (percussion; Japan only),
Gioia Bruno Gioia Bruno (born Carmen Gioia Bruno June 11, 1963, sometimes professionally credited as just Gioia) is an Italian-born American popular music singer, most noted as a member of the vocal group Exposé. In September 2006, Bruno temporarily stopp ...
(percussion; Australia only) and Crystal Taliefero (percussion; Europe only). In 2001, Sambora had a single for a movie soundtrack ''On The Line'' which was titled "Take Me On". Fourteen years after his previous solo album, Sambora announced via his Twitter page that recording of ''
Aftermath of the Lowdown ''Aftermath of the Lowdown'' is the third solo studio album by Richie Sambora which was released in Japan on September 12, 2012, in the United Kingdom on September 17, and in the United States on September 18, 2012 as digital download and on Sept ...
'' had been completed with hopes that the album would be released in July 2012. Photographs were published of Sambora working in a recording studio. The new album was produced by Luke Ebbin, who produced Bon Jovi's '' Crush'' and '' Bounce'' albums. ''
Aftermath of the Lowdown ''Aftermath of the Lowdown'' is the third solo studio album by Richie Sambora which was released in Japan on September 12, 2012, in the United Kingdom on September 17, and in the United States on September 18, 2012 as digital download and on Sept ...
'' was released in September 2012. The album charted at No. 10 on the "
Top Hard Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
", No. 34 on the Top Independent Albums, No. 149 on The Billboard 200 and No. 35 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The track "Every Road Leads Home to You" was released as a single for the album and features a music video. The song is also featured as one of the bonus tracks on
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
's 2013 album '' What About Now''. A special edition single, "I'll Always Walk Beside You'" featuring
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
was released as the second single of the album. All the profits from the sale of the special edition single goes to the ongoing recovery efforts of The Red Cross for the devastation from Hurricane Sandy. The track "Sugar Daddy" was released as a promo single and a music video was made for the song "Taking a Chance on the Wind". In 2013 following his departure from Bon Jovi, Sambora released the solo single "Come Back As Me". Sambora announced in early 2015 that he is working on a new album in collaboration with fellow musician and girlfriend Orianthi. In 2016, they performed as RSO together in Australia, South America, and England, where they opened for Bad Company. In September 2017, RSO released a five-song EP called ''
Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'' followed by another EP ''Making History'' which was also released in 2017. The duo released their debut album '' Radio Free America'' in May 2018.


Other work

Sambora composed television theme songs for ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aus ...
'' and '' The Insider''. Sambora (along with Jon Bon Jovi) is part of the ownership group of the Philadelphia Soul, an
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
football team. Sambora is featured on the track "Baby Rock Remix" from
LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
's 2008 album ''Exit 13''. Sambora made a guest appearance on Bo Diddley's 1996 album ''A Man Amongst Men'', playing guitar on tracks "Can I Walk You Home" and "Oops! Bo Diddley". In 1999, Sambora was a guest vocalist on the Stuart Smith album ''Stuart Smith's Heaven & Earth'', performing a cover of the
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...
song "
When a Blind Man Cries "When a Blind Man Cries" is a song by British rock band Deep Purple, originally only available as the B-side of the single " Never Before", released in 1972. It was recorded during the ''Machine Head'' sessions in December 1971. According to I ...
". Also in 1999, Sambora played the guitar solo on the track "Why Don't You Love Me" on the album ''Tuesday's Child'', by Canadian singer
Amanda Marshall Amanda Meta Marshall (born August 29, 1972) is a Canadian pop-rock singer. She has released three studio albums; the first was certified Diamond in Canada, with the latter two certified 3× Platinum and Platinum respectively. She is best known fo ...
. Sambora sang "Long Way Around" for the 1997 Steven Seagal action film '' Fire Down Below''. The song, written by Seagal and
David Pomeranz David Pomeranz (born February 9, 1951) is an American singer, composer, lyricist, and writer for musical theatre. He is also an ambassador for Operation Smile. Solo career Born and raised on Long Island, Pomeranz expressed interest in music from ...
, appears in the final scene. In a 1998 interview Sambora said his version is in the film itself but a different person's performance of the song is included on the film's soundtrack album, despite Sambora's name appearing on the album credits. Sambora also recorded the song "One Last Goodbye" for movie '' The Banger Sisters'', and covered Jimi Hendrix's " The Wind Cries Mary" for the soundtrack of 1990 comedy ''
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'' is a 1990 American action comedy mystery film directed by Renny Harlin and written by David Arnott, James Cappe, and Daniel Waters based on a story by Arnott and Cappe. The film stars comedian Andrew Di ...
''. Sambora's guitar work featured on the track "Misery" on
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's 2001 album ''
Missundaztood ''Missundaztood'' is the second studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on November 20, 2001, by Arista Records. After the success of ''Can't Take Me Home'', her 2000 debut album, Pink became dissatisfied with her lack of creati ...
'' with
Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...
. In 2004, Sanctuary Records released a self-titled album which had been recorded in 1978 by Shark Frenzy, documenting Sambora's first recorded material. The mix tapes had been damaged in a flood and band member Bruce Foster had remastered them for release many years later. Sambora co-wrote several tracks and played guitar on Australian rock/pop artist Shannon Noll's third album ''Turn It Up''. It was released in Australia in September 2007. To coincide with his solo album ''
Aftermath of the Lowdown ''Aftermath of the Lowdown'' is the third solo studio album by Richie Sambora which was released in Japan on September 12, 2012, in the United Kingdom on September 17, and in the United States on September 18, 2012 as digital download and on Sept ...
'', Sambora and friends performed as the house band on ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing ...
'' on CBS for one week (December 3–7, 2012). Several guests sang along with the band over the week, including Ferguson (singing Sugar Daddy), Denis Leary, Eddie Izzard and even Larry King, who sang the Late Late Show theme song.


Personal life

Sambora married actress Heather Locklear in Paris on December 17, 1994. Their daughter Ava Elizabeth Sambora, was born on October 4, 1997. Locklear filed for divorce in February 2006 citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized on April 11, 2007. On April 20, Sambora's father, Adam, died of lung cancer.


Alcohol problems

On June 7, 2007, it was announced that Sambora was entering an undisclosed rehab facility in Los Angeles for treatment related to alcoholism. Following his release, he told an interviewer, "I was just drinking too much and I needed to get my life together. I'm still in therapy and stuff like that, but it's good. I'm great. I feel fine." In the Bon Jovi documentary ''When We Were Beautiful'', Sambora talks candidly about his addiction to painkillers following a fall in his bathroom. He credited his bandmates and mother with helping him through the difficult time. On March 26, 2008, Sambora was arrested for
drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is i ...
in
Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, an ...
where he was a longtime resident.''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' Magazine article:
Richie Sambora Busted for DUI; Daughter Was in the Car
.
Both his ten-year-old daughter and her friend were in the vehicle. At his May 2008 arraignment, he pleaded
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant ne ...
"to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher", was fined $390, placed on probation for three years, and was required to attend a driver's education course. On April 28, 2011, it was announced that Sambora had made the decision to enter rehab again. He was absent from the band for thirteen shows during the
Bon Jovi Live Bon Jovi Live was the fourteenth concert tour by American band, Bon Jovi. Visiting several countries in North America and Europe, the tour supported the band's sixth compilation album, '' The Greatest Hits''. It follows The Circle Tour, which b ...
tour, and his guitar and vocal duties were handled by session musician Theofilos " Phil X" Xenidis. This was Sambora's second stint in rehab and was announced just a week after he finished probation for
drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is i ...
charges. Sambora returned to join the band in June 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia, for the start of the European leg of the tour.


Public service and recognition

Over the years, Sambora has raised money for many charities, such as Dream Street, the Steve Young Forever Young Foundation and Michael J. Fox's
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...
charity. He has donated money privately to various cancer charities since the death of his father, including both hospitals where his father was treated, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and M D Anderson. Sambora's fundraising with the charity Stand Up For a Cure allowed for three mobile full service hospital units to be brought to the streets of New York, two of which were named after his parents, respectively. In May 2004, Sambora was bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Kean University where he attended the awards ceremony and gave a speech of acceptance. He attended Kean University as a freshman, but dropped out to pursue a career as a professional guitarist and session musician. Sambora and his songwriting partner Jon Bon Jovi were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 18, 2009. On November 24, 2009, Sambora launched charitable effort You Can Go Home in his home town of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, which unveiled a street renamed Richie Sambora Way. He also donated funds to renovate part of his alma mater Woodbridge High School, which opened a new weight room, the Adam Sambora Fitness Center, dedicated to Sambora's father.


Instruments and equipment

Sambora has been known to use a wide variety of equipment throughout his career. He has an extensive guitar collection, featuring more than 130 instruments, about a third of which are various Fender Stratocaster models. In the 1980s, Sambora mostly played Kramer, Jackson,
Charvel Charvel is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Since 2002, Charvel has been under the ownership of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. ...
and Hamer
superstrat Superstrat is a name for an electric guitar design that resembles a Fender Stratocaster but with differences that clearly distinguish it from a standard Stratocaster, usually to cater to a different playing style. Differences typically include ...
s as well as modified and custom
Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typ ...
models, such as his Rod Schoepfer model. In early-mid 1987, Kramer put out a Richie Sambora signature model with three
humbucker A humbucking pickup, humbucker, or double coil, is a type of guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out the noisy interference picked up by coil pickups. In addition to electric guitar pickups, humbucking coils are sometimes used in ...
s, pointy headstock, gold hardware, star-shaped fingerboard inlays and a Floyd Rose Original locking tremolo. In the early 1990s, Fender put out a Richie Sambora Stratocaster signature model with Floyd Rose locking vibrato and three pickups: a DiMarzio humbucker at the bridge, and two single coil Texas Special pickups, one at the neck and one at center. In 2000, Taylor started the production of a Richie Sambora signature model, a six-string acoustic made of koa wood, called the RSSM. Only 100 were made. All of his double-neck acoustics feature a six-string neck on top and a 12-string neck on bottom, opposite of normal. Sambora's guitar solo in the song "Bullet" from the 2009 album ''The Circle'' was played through a Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal. In 2010 he said that he was keeping his vintage guitars at home for studio work, and bringing his less expensive guitars on the road to his concerts, including "some Strats, a few Teles, some Les Pauls and Les Paul Juniors" along with a number of Richie Sambora signature models made by ESP Guitars. Other notable guitars in Sambora's collection include the Kramer Jersey Star,
Gibson SG Junior The Gibson SG Junior is a solid-bodied electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. Like its earlier sister, the Gibson Les Paul Junior, it had been created for sale at a lower price. It is known for its single ...
, Gibson ES-335, Gibson Firebird, Gibson Flying V, Gibson Explorer, Ovation and Taylor acoustic double neck guitars,
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...
guitars and an
Ampeg Ampeg is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guitar Group. Although ...
Dan Armstrong Plexi.


Discography


Studio albums

*'' Stranger in This Town'' (1991) *''
Undiscovered Soul ''Undiscovered Soul'' is the second solo studio album from Richie Sambora the guitarist from New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released on February 23, 1998 and is more experimental than his earlier release ''Stranger in This Town''. The al ...
'' (1998) *''
Aftermath of the Lowdown ''Aftermath of the Lowdown'' is the third solo studio album by Richie Sambora which was released in Japan on September 12, 2012, in the United Kingdom on September 17, and in the United States on September 18, 2012 as digital download and on Sept ...
'' (2012)


with Shark Frenzy featuring Bruce Foster & Richie Sambora

*''Shark Frenzy - 1978'' (2004) *''Volume 1'' (2004) *''Volume 2 - 1980-81 : Confessions of a Teenage Lycanthrope'' (2004)


with Message

*''Lessons'' (1982) ** ''Message'' (1995 Reissue with bonus tracks) ** ''Lessons'' (2000 Reissue with bonus tracks) *''Message Live'' (2006, Recorded 1982)


with Bon Jovi

*''
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
'' (1984) *'' 7800° Fahrenheit'' (1985) *'' Slippery When Wet'' (1986) *''
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
'' (1988) *'' Keep the Faith'' (1992) *''
These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These D ...
'' (1995) *'' Crush'' (2000) *'' Bounce'' (2002) *'' Have a Nice Day'' (2005) *'' Lost Highway'' (2007) *'' The Circle'' (2009) *'' What About Now'' (2013)


with Cher

*''
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
'' (1987)


with Desmond Child

*''
Discipline Discipline refers to rule following behavior, to regulate, order, control and authority. It may also refer to punishment. Discipline is used to create habits, routines, and automatic mechanisms such as blind obedience. It may be inflicted on ot ...
'' (1991)


with RSO

*''
Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'' (2017) (EP) *''Making History'' (2017) (EP) *'' Radio Free America'' (2018)


References


External links


Richie Sambora Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sambora, Richie 1959 births Living people American people of Polish descent Arena Football League executives Blues rock musicians Bon Jovi members Glam metal musicians Jersey Shore musicians Lead guitarists Mercury Records artists Singer-songwriters from New Jersey People from Perth Amboy, New Jersey People from Tarzana, Los Angeles People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists Guitarists from New Jersey 20th-century American guitarists American male guitarists New Jersey Democrats Woodbridge High School (New Jersey) alumni Dangerbird Records artists Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul members