It's not earth shatering news that Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora is one of music's most respected musicians. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, he has toured the world and collected more than 68 gold and platinum albums. Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and raised in Woodbridge, Sambora (who happens to be married to acress heather Locklear) got his first guitar in 1971 at age 12, and started playing in bands three years later. A diversified music listener, Sambora comes from a background of Beatles, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Led Zeppelin and "a lot of blues stuff." Sambora was given the opportunity to explore all of his musical avenues when he was afforded the making of his first solo album, Stranger In This Town. "Mr. Bluesman," a single on the album was inspired by Clapton; when he agreed to play lead guitar on the track, a longtime dream of Sambora's was fulfilled.
Besides his steady gig with Bon Jovi, Sambora has collaborated with writer Desmond Child and recorded the title track, "Guitar Man", for Les Paul's album, an unsurpassable honor for a guitarist. Sambora and his music were also featured in promos for FOX-TV's popular Wednesday night line-up during the 1997 February sweeps. In addition, Sambora has composed songs for the movie soundstracks of "Ford Fairlane," "Days of Thunder" and Zalman King's "Red Shoe Diaries." Currently Sambora is enjoying the release of his second solo album, Undiscovered Soul. The album was produced by Don Was, and features contributions by Chuck Leavell of the Rolling Stones, Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
The following is a revealing chat with one of rock-n-roll's greatest guitar legends, Richie Sambora.
I know most journalists usually wait till the end of the interview to ask you about Heather. But I can't wait that long. What went through your mind when Howard Stern molested your wife on national television at the Blockbuster Movie Awards?
[Laughs] I was totally cool with it! Both Heather and I are friends with Howard.
Did you have any advance warning that he would ravage her on stage?
Well we were on the show just a week before, so he ravaged me with words before he ravaged my wife with his hands. But no, I wasn't surprised. I think people expect that kind of thing out of Howard. Both of us have been on his show so many different times that we realize he's a pretty unpredictable cat. I really didn't care. Hey, they do worse things on Melrose Place. [Laughs] You know what I'm saying?
I'm glad we got that out of the way. How does it feel to be playing solo?
It's f--ing great!
You don't feel naked out there without Bon Jovi?
Not at all. Actually, going solo is probably the most liberating thing I could do. If you're a musician like myself it's really about evolution and learning new things. I'm a veteran who's already sold nearly 80 million records and this is only my second solo album [Undiscovered Soul]. Also, I've learned so much while making this record--not only about myself but also about music in general. I got to work with great people like Don Was and a bunch of other cats. See, a guy like me likes to play with a lot of musicians. I know that we're all going to sit there and give each other things. There's going to be a lot of musical conversation going on.
But doesn't there have to be chemistry between you and the other musicians for it to be enjoyable?
If you're a real musician--which I like to believe I am--these are the kinds of things that keep you ignited. First of all, when you work with a guy like Don [Was], right off the bat you're inspired because he wasn't a big Bon Jovi fan. Obviously if you see the kind of records that he makes you can tell that. Of course he knew of us but he didn't really know anything about me as a musician. When I came to him and played him a tape he stopped in the middle of the second song and said, "Hey, is that you?" He was very surprised, not only by my singing but also by some of my songwriting as well. After hearing the tape he said, "Listen, we got to tell the world about you. We got to get you out of the shadow of this big band" (referring to Bon Jovi).
Sounds like it was very liberating for you.
It was absolutely liberating! People think I'm going to be neurotic about not being in Bon Jovi but what people don't know is that I've been a singer for a lot of years and quite frankly I miss it. In the Bon Jovi organization I don't get a chance to sing any songs. Also, as a writer, I write differently for Jon than I would for myself. So those two things are both important to keep in mind when you consider what I'm able to do now as a solo performer.
When you perform as a member of Bon Jovi it's a no-lose situation. There's little risk involved in terms of crowd approval. However, by yourself don't you agree that the risk factor over whether or not the audience is going to like something is somewhat nerve racking?
Actually, if you look at it from my end, every time I make a record with Bon Jovi I have to go out there and try and sell over 10 million records on a worldwide level to be successful. Not to mention the fact that I have to play stadiums all over the world. But on my own records I don't have that hanging over my head. So you can look at it from two different ways. I mean I've been in bands long before I met Bon Jovi and I'll be in bands and be a lead singer long after the band is gone. That's how I look at it. It's not like I'm a guy who's going to go away. I'll be in this business for a long time.
Speaking of Bon Jovi, it would seem--judging by Jon's interest in Hollywood--that the band's days are numbered. What's going on and are you concerned that the end is near?
No, not a all. I think that the band is something that will be very hard for him to walk away from. The last tour we did 42 countries and 70 sold out stadiums.
I don't need to tell you that Bon Jovi didn't have that same success here in the United States.
America is a very difficult place to carry on. There is so much product that comes into the marketplace nowadays. Also the cycle turns so quickly. It's not an easy place to really do business anymore.
Here's some food for thought. Say Jon does a movie, which he has. And say the movie bombs as does his acting. Do you worry that negative press surrounding Jon's acting might spill over to the public's perception of the band?
I try not to think about it but I know that it's a possibility. But you can't tell somebody who wants to artistically express himself not to do anything. So it's a little hard. Jon obviously wanted to branch himself out a little bit. He wanted to try something to enhance his own creativity and there's nothing I can say about that. It is what it is. I'm not the kind of guy who goes around talking to people about that sort of stuff. I'm more interested in my own evolution as a musician.
Since you live with an actress have you ever had your own secret aspiration to act?
If the part was right. But it wouldn't be right now, put it that way. However, I look at everything because I'm interested in everything. I enjoy evolving my life. So I can't say that I'm not interested in acting but at this point I'm not amazingly interested.
Today we see so many actors trying their hand at music and so many musicians trying their hand at acting. What's going on?
It really seems that way these days.
Your new album's sound is hardly commercial. How would you describe it?
I think there's a good cross section of stuff on it but yet it has a good stylistic diversity. I'm the type of musician who likes to try different things and yet the album has a vein which is all my own style. Don Was and some of the other guys on this record helped me find that style. That's why I called it "Undiscovered Soul." Because every record an artist makes helps them discover who they are at that particular time. A record is really about a moment in time and how that musician is feeling. It gives the musician a chance to explore his or her soul. That's what this record did for me. It's got some rock-n-roll on it as well as some rhythm and blues. I think it's a pretty good cross section of music.
How much does it differ from the Bon Jovi genre?
I think this album reaches far beyond a Bon Jovi base. If people just give it a chance I think they'll really like it. Quite frankly my music is a big transition because people continue to pigeonhole me as a guitar player in a band. But the only thing I can do about that is to make people see that this is not some guitar masturbation album.
So you set out from the start to sound distinctly different from Bon Jovi?
No, I just don't sound like that. When you use different producers you're going to sound different. Like I said, the way I write for myself is not the same way I'm going to write for somebody else. [Laughs] This record doesn't sound like Bon Jovi because I don't sound like Bon Jovi. I mean if you listen to my first record, Stranger In This Town , it is a completely different sounding record from my current record because it was a completely different time in my life. To me my music is a mirror of what's going on in my life. That's why I don't have to even be conscious of sounding like Bon Jovi, because my identity as an artist is just not that.
You say the music comes from your soul. I take it then you don't start out by exploring what the current music trends and tastes are.
[Laughs] Right! If you listen to this record you can tell I haven't done that. This is just an artistic record from an artist. This is a record that is rootsy and underproduced. The songs stand up by themselves. I think that this was the best batch of songs that the creative gods would help me with. I mean I know that I'm always going to be compared to Bon Jovi because I'm a part of that. That's why we left it as clear and as rootsy as possible, so that people could see the wonderful spirit of the recording process. Because this record has great vibes between great musicians.
Speaking of great musicians, Steven Tyler also contributes on this album. How much of an influence was he?
He played some harp on a song called "If God Was A Woman." He was just in town while we were recording and I've known him for a long time so he came in and helped out. Between Don [Was] and myself we have a lot of friends who happen to be wonderful musicians. I'm talking about cats like Dino Paladino, Kenny Aronoff, Rami from the Wallflowers, Chuck LaVell from the Stones, Hutch Hutchinson and of course, Billy Preston. One day we were all in the studio and I thought, "Shoot, between all of us we must be accountable for a half a billion records."
With all those impressive names was there any trouble with egos or finding the kind of chemistry that usually only long-established bands seem to have?
No, we really came together as a band very quickly. It sounds like we've been together a long, long time. I was very happy about that.
Today rock stars vary in age from early teens to senior citizens. Are you at all fascinated with how rock-n-roll is no longer about youth?
Music is a language that breaks all those barriers. For some reason I've been able to sell records in 42 different countries and make a great living at it, thank God. But I do see that music breaks down language and age barriers. It is the one and only universal language and it's f--ing ageless. If you make soulful music that hits you right in the heart you're going to be able to continue as a musician, and that's what a musician's job is on this planet. We're here to make people happy and at times inform on the state of the world. It's just a great art form. I'm really proud to be a musician.
Plus it helps if you don't lose your hair.
[Laughs] Hey wear a hat man, that's all!
Can you recall the first time you picked up a guitar?
Let's see...I think it was an Enomey guitar back when I was a kid. When I was 5 years old I used to make believe I was the Beatles. It's strange because I'm a self-taught musician. I learned backwards. I used to just go through the motions like I knew what I was doing but then I went back later and learned the notes. That's how it started.
I understand you have an amazing collection of guitars.
It's not too amazing. It's not as extensive as some people's I know. But I guess it is quite substantial. I like vintage musical instruments. It's one of my passions. It's sort of an addiction.
New Jersey is known for producing some of rock's greatest legends, including yourself. What is it about the Garden State that makes it so rock-n-roll friendly?
The bar scene in New Jersey when I was just starting was amazing. I mean there was a bar to play everywhere. I was never out of work and if I couldn't play with the band that I was with at the time I would book myself acoustically by myself. Playing by yourself that way really separates the men from the boys. I owe a lot of my success to those days.
Before I let you go I have to ask about your high-profile marriage. Both you and Heather seem to be very happy. What's your secret?
[Pause] I think the secret is making room for it. Everybody has to make room for their priorities and my wife and family are a priority to me. It's the foundation of my whole life. That's the important thing. We just support each other. The entertainment business is a volatile business on both ends. You have to work hard all the time and you can never rest on your laurels. But both Heather and I are very happy and we feel very privileged because there are a lot of actors and musicians who are out of work and we don't take that stuff for granted. We are very determined to keep our heads on straight.
Final question. Who is the greatest guitar player who ever lived?
That's impossible to answer.
Let me ask it another way. Do you have a guitar mentor?
I have several mentors. I started wanting to play guitar by listening to other guitar players like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Johnny Winter and Jimi Hendrix. These were all guitar players who really had an emotional stake in their instrument. You can hear their heart coming through the speakers. Jimi Hendrix probably took it further than anyone has ever taken it.
You sound like you've got it all together.
Life is a wonderful thing.
(Typed up by Renee Pierce)
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