BON Jovi’s lead guitarist Richie Sambora has been kicked out of the band after
reportedly falling out with band members over money.
According to Rumorfix.com, the rocker was booted off and replaced on lead
guitar by Philip ‘Phil X’ Xenidis.
The 54-year-old is taking the news badly. “Richie wants to go back on stage —
that’s his first love. He’s really upset over the news,” said a source.
He hasn’t performed with Bon Jovi since the spring, saying it was a “personal
matter”.
In July, Richie said he wouldn’t be playing in the band for their Hyde Park
shows in London.
“I am not going to be onstage at Hyde Park sadly. It’s just not happening
right now. I truly want to be there and I feel very sad for the fans that I
won’t be performing. I love the fans, I love the band.”
“Jon (Bon Jovi) and I have been tight for, like, 30 years, so all of this is
very sad.”
Apparently Sambora, who has been in the band for three decades, makes
£1.3million a month plus 20 per cent of the profits while on tour.
But the musician will still collect song-writing royalties and profits from
merchandise.
His replacement, Xenidis makes £6,400 a month, with no profit share.
In a recent interview, Jon Bon Jovi gave a rambling explanation for Richie
Sambora’s departure.”Life goes on, so if someone chooses not to be here.
“Unlike if this were, God forbid, The Edge, and he for some reason couldn’t
make a U2 show, [then] it would be very difficult to just step in.”
Richie has hit back at Jon, making a dig at his huge ego. “”My
opinion is Jon wants to see if he can pull off stadiums by himself. He is
making it very difficult for me to come back,” he told the MailOnline.
He added: “Jon needs to stop talking about me publicly.”
The next leg of Bon Jovi’s Because We Can tour starts in Mexico City on
September 10.