The 'Lowdown' on Richie Sambora: His Music, His Struggle, His Triumph
"Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora's Girlfriend Exposed As 'High-Class Prostitute'"
"Shot Through the Heart! Locklear, Sambora to Divorce"
"Guitarist Richie Sambora Goes To Rehab"
Richie Sambora has gotten used to seeing his life through tabloid
headlines. At any given moment these stories and much more about singer
and guitarist for Bon Jovi have helped sell papers around the world. But
what is the truth?
After losing his father to cancer, a divorce after 13 years of
marriage to actress Heather Locklear and struggles with substance abuse,
Sambora is revealing it on his first solo album in 14 years,
Aftermath of the Lowdown.
As the man, who has penned such anthems as "Livin' on a Prayer" and
"It's My Life," said, "The truth is the lowdown, and after you speak
that truth, there's always an aftermath."
While some artists may be reluctant to share their personal thoughts,
Sambora said it would have been a risk not to expose his emotions on
his third solo album.
"Authenticity is what I believe makes a great record, and let's face
it, I've been a guy who has been media fodder for a long time," Sambora
said. "I'm a man who has fallen down, and I've gotten up. This record is
a celebration of what's on the other side of it. I got through it, and
I'm better for it."
Growing up in New Jersey, Sambora can still remember watching the Beatles on
The Ed Sullivan Show
when he was 5 years old. It was at that moment he knew that making
music was something he wanted to do. At 14, he taught himself to play
the guitar and never looked back.
Next year Bon Jovi will celebrate their 30th anniversary of making
music together, and they are hotter than ever. In 2010 they were named
the top touring act in the world for the second time and played to over
35 million people around the world. As he once said about playing rock
'n' roll: "It's like having sex with your clothes on." In spite of their
popularity, Sambora, a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, remains
focused on his craft.
"Every time I step out on stage I try to compartmentalize the fame
and that media shit to the music," he said. "I don't let them meet. What
I do on a musical level is my passion and pleasure."
Even though Sambora has the opportunity to sing a lead vocal or two
during Bon Jovi concerts, people often don't think of his as a singer.
Yet, he was the lead singer for all of the previous bands he was a part
of. He hopes this album will help alter perceptions and realize his
vocal abilities.
"People are always asking me, 'What are you expecting out of this
record?' For me, as a songwriter, if people listen to this music and can
relate to it and it can keep them company and doesn't make them feel
alone, then that's great. That is what music has done for me throughout
my life."
How is this solo album different from your previous ones?
My life is in a different place. All of that contributes to what this
record is. For me, I don't know if three times is a charm or what, but
the authenticity that I got out of this record -- from the writing to
the recording to the actual end product -- I'm just thrilled. As an
artist, you make records sometimes and they don't live up to your
expectations. With this record, I covered the ground that I wanted to
cover, and it came out so spontaneously and energetically.
The first single is "Every Road Leads Home To You." What does the song mean to you?
I was really talking about coming home to my family, which is my
daughter. Everyone has a definition of what home is. It could be your
family, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your wife, husband, your house,
or even being lost within yourself. Metaphorically, it was a personal
thing I was writing about that transcends into a universal subject.
In the past you've said that "flowers grow in cow shit."
Obviously your issues over the past several years helped you put these
songs together.
I've dealt with addiction and different demons throughout the years.
For me to omit that, it wouldn't have been authentic. By no means is
this an addiction or rehab record, but I had to address that piece of my
life. If I can shed wisdom on it for the people who are having the same
problems that I have, that's really great. When I say this record is
about my stuff, the thing I really found is that my stuff is pretty
universal.
What I've learned scouring the Earth like I have is that music is the
most evocative and transformative language in humanity. The stuff I
wrote in my bedroom sold out stadiums in 52 countries across the world.
"Seven Years Gone" is another song on the album. In it you
sing: "You wake up and you're seven years gone." What does that song
mean to you?
It's about me. A lot of the stuff I'm citing on this record is stuff
that jolted me and made me look at my life and the choices I've made.
It's like, "Hey, man, you've really got to take life seriously and be
present because one day you wake up and it is seven years gone." I was
looking back, and it seems that in seven years I've learned so much, and
I've come so far as an adult. With the help of my daughter and help of
my friends, I've had great mirrors around me.
"You Can Only Get So High" was written when you came out of
rehab last year. It talks about how the tabloids tend to embellish the
real truth. What did they embellish?
Obviously they are going to glamorize anything they possibly can.
Hey, my baby pictures are in the tabloids. Not everybody, but a lot of
people, have gone through the trials and tribulations I have. I just
happen to be in one of the biggest bands in the world, and I also go out
with a lot of famous women and things like that. So, I live in the
glare of the spotlight of all that stuff. I try not to look at it as
anything I should be ashamed of. I actually came out of it. I think that
song was about me shedding my wisdom on what I've learned about
substance abuse, and it gets to a point where it doesn't work.
What have you learned about substance abuse?
It's a lie. Hey, I don't have regrets. Let's face it, man, I've had a
really good time. Socially and living a life that's very blessed and
very lucky. I've worked hard, obviously, to make that luck. It
[drinking] was part of my job. I grew up playing in bars. I started when
I was 16 and back then nobody ever heard of AA or anything like that. I
was hanging around with a bunch of musicians, and it was kind of what
we did. It wasn't even looked down upon at that point. If you're in a
bar and playing a song that people like, everybody is buying you a
drink. Then you get into a big rock 'n' roll band, and it just kind of
escalates. It never really got out of hand. We always took care of
business. When I found that was slipping a bit -- and it took 30 years
for that to actually happen -- I decided to pare that stuff down. Now
I've successfully done it. I think my life is better for it.
Were you ever scared about what was happening?
I wasn't scared for myself. I was scared for the people around me
because it always has a ripple effect. When I was seeing that ripple
effect happen, that's what really jolted me back to reality. Nothing was
waning in business, but it just wasn't working for me physically or
personally. That needed to change. I sought the help, and I got it. I'm
so much happier now.
You wrote the song "I'll Always Walk Beside You" for your 14-year-old daughter, Ava. What kind of father are you?
I'm a really good father. The biggest joy in my life is my daughter.
One of the biggest challenges when you become a single parent is how you
are going to take that detrimental situation and turn it into an
opportunity to get closer to your child. I did it quite pragmatically. I
went to a psychologist and learned where she was in her development. I
took it very seriously. I think we've done it correctly. We became
closer after the divorce.
How did the song come about?
I guess it was about two years ago. There was a picture of her and I
walking down the street in my hometown when she was little. It's a
picture that is shot from behind. I had it blown up and on the bottom of
the picture I had "Ava, I'll always walk beside you. Love, Daddy." I
put it in a frame and gave it to her for her birthday. This was the last
song I wrote for this record.
As you mentioned, you do go out with a lot of famous women.
Those relationships have had very public breakups. What have you learned
about love over the years?
Look, I love being in love, and there are so many different kinds of
love. Whether it's love with your family, romantic love, with friends,
and then there is love of life. I've been lucky to experience it all.
Obviously, because of my life and a lot of time on the road, love is
challenged. I had to create some kind of balance. I would love to get
into another relationship that had some promise. Romantic love can be
fleeting. It comes in and out of scope within your life. I've learned
not to have a tremendous amount of expectation about how long it's going
to last. So, when it does happen, it is very special. I would like to
have it hang around.
What's next for Bon Jovi?
The band's record is already done. Toward the end of my record, Jon
and I started writing the band's record, and we finished it a couple
months back. I was a very busy boy this year.
Whatever happened to Tommy and Gina from "Livin' on a Prayer?"
We brought them back in "It's My Life." That was the first time we
ever used characters in our songs. They were the quintessential New
Jersey, working-class couple. At that particular point in time, it
became everybody. Everyone saw a point in their life when they were
living as Tommy and Gina or they were living Tommy and Gina right now.
That was a magical song. I think it was my first realization that
songwriting is a very universal thing.
After everything you've accomplished, what are you the most proud of?
Obviously my daughter is number one. Then, any time you reach someone with a song is a proud moment.
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