Richie Sambora recently shared a heartfelt message with his fans on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his gratitude and appreciation for their support. When a fan posted a video of one of his performances from 1990, the guitarist reposted it along with a touching message: “I want to wish everyone and my fans a joyful, hopeful Christmas. I want to thank you all, because your hearts and understanding are what drives my passion to continue to give my heart to you. All my gratitude, love, and courage are because of you. My fans are my lifeblood…”
After departing from Bon Jovi, Sambora continued his music career as a solo artist, despite initial speculation that his time in the industry was over. Reflecting on his post-Bon Jovi journey in a 2023 interview with Guitar World, he said, “People think I stopped working since I left Bon Jovi, but I went right back to work on solo records and the music I did with [ex-girlfriend] Orianthi. I look at myself as a new artist.”
He went on to acknowledge the impact of his time with Bon Jovi, but emphasized that he’s now focused on new creative directions. “Now, other people might not — they relate to me for what I’ve done, and I love what I did with Bon Jovi. I’m not ever saying anything bad about that because we did a bunch of damage in this world, and we had a great time. But right now, it’s a new game.”
This year, Sambora marked his return to music with the release of several new singles, his first since leaving Bon Jovi in 2013. These included tracks like “I Pray,” “Livin’ Alone,” “Songs That Wrote My Life,” “Believe (In Miracles),” and “We’ll Get By.” The new material came four years after Sambora sold his entire music catalog to Hipgnosis, which included not only his solo albums Stranger in This Town, Undiscovered Soul, and Aftermath of the Lowdown, but also the 12 studio albums he recorded with Bon Jovi.
Sambora’s heartfelt message and continued musical output demonstrate his deep connection with his fans and his ongoing passion for creating music.