Bon Jovi survived as long as it has because of its good music. But underneath the music is an image of everyday guys from New Jersey. Richie Sambora, even though he's talking on a cell phone in a stretch limo headed to the airport to embark on another leg of Bon Jovi's never-ending tour, couldn't project the "nice guy from New Jersey" image more if he tried.
"I just left my wife and my 5-year-old daughter," he says. "That's the hardest part. I feel like I'm missing some prime moments."
But for Sambora, Bon Jovi is a prime moment that never goes away. He talks about his band like they just got together last week. His bandmates are like brothers. This sounds like a cliché, but when Sambora says there's nothing more important to him - other than his wife and daughter - than making his fans happy, you believe him. Maybe that's why Bon Jovi has been around for 20 years.
Q: Richie, you're coming to Atlantic City for the first time, any thoughts on that?
A: Actually, this isn't the first time I was there. I actually played there with Cher a few years ago. But I'm glad we're playing there. We're all pretty excited about it. Whenever we play near home, it's more fun than usual, which is saying a lot. We'll probably have a lot of relatives showing up. It should be a blast.
Q: Does the touring thing wear on you after all of these years?
A: No. It's still a blast. We just got done touring Japan, and we were the first band to ever sell out all of the domes in a country. We're still doing remarkable things as a band. We're smart about how we do it. Family is important to all of us, and we pace the tours so that everyone spends plenty of time with their family, and our wives get flown out with our kids to join us and things like that. And we also encourage each other in our solo careers. This is all important for the evolution and longevity of a band.
Q: Why did Cinderella, The Scorpions and other 1980s hair metal bands disappear and Bon Jovi survived?
A: It's funny; I always tell Jon (Bon Jovi) that I will never allow us to go on the fat Elvis tour. When I see we're at that point, we'll call it quits. The great thing about what we've done is somehow the songs we wrote have caught the global public because we relate to the every man. New Jersey represents Americana to the world. They still look at us like we're New Jersey kids trying to make it, and meanwhile we're approaching 100 million records sold worldwide.
I think all of that happens because our songs are very small in scope. They're about people. We're not singing about saving the world. We're singing about Tommy and Gina, a couple of characters living on a prayer.
Q: You also seem to be ridiculously good businessmen. You played at the Super Bowl, you're always on Howard Stern, you're doing exclusive CD deals with Target.
A: I think it's more good luck than anything. This whole NFL thing has been unbelievable for us. After 9-11, (commissioner) Paul Tagliabue called and we opened up their season. Then he asked us to open this season, too. We also did two halftime shows and then the Super Bowl thing. I literally got on my knees and thanked him. What he's doing for us and affiliating a band with the NFL is unprecedented in the league.
Q: "It's My Life" came out of nowhere for you, becoming a sports anthem and a hit that you probably never thought would get that big.
A: It was crazy, an anomaly. It's a global song now. It's played in every arena. Its simplicity had a profound impact on people. My father-in-law, who's 72, Marine and dean of students at UCLA, said, "You're singing about me," when he heard the song. He said, "I'm 72. I have to live every minute I can." That's why the song works. Everyone relates. My 5-year-old sings it to me every day.
Q: Let's talk about your new album "Bounce." Although it's dong well, it didn't have the single like "It's My Life" to put it in the same sales stratosphere.
A: We write the best songs we can write. You have to be emotionally attached to your songs, and that's where we're coming from here. We approached things a little differently as far as styles go. We have a buddy song and a piano song like Billy Joel and Elton John would do. The only thing we can do is make the best music we can. And I think we did that. I'm proud of the album.
Q: You have a new single and video for "All About Loving You." Is that what you wanted to see released?
A: I like that song, but this won't be the last one released off this album. I would like to see "The Distance" get released. It's all about love and something people can relate to. It's what makes the world go round: relationships.
Q: You're up for a Grammy (Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Everyday") on the same night that you'll be in Atlantic City. After all of these years and other nominations, is it still a thrill?
A: Yeah, I just wish we would win one. It's always nice to be recognized, and I would love to be looking at that Grammy on my shelf. It would be another great part of a great career.
Q: "Bounce" definitely has some post 9-11 feelings, was that important to get across?
A: When we performed from the steps of the firehouse after 9-11, I felt like we were supposed to be there. People felt good about us being there, and that's moving for us. When we did the telethon and the concert in New York, it was a big honor to be sitting with Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Keith and Mick and the greats of the business, but it was much more than that for us. It was about the people we were helping.
Q: Do you ever get sick of playing the older hits every night?
A: Not at all. I really love them all. The thing that happens with the songs that make them not boring when I play them for 200,000th time is how I connect with the audience. When I look out and see all of these Japanese people singing along, it makes you feel great.
Q: What's your favorite Bon Jovi song?
A: "Livin' on a Prayer," but I also love "It's My Life," "Keep the Faith" and "I'll Be There For You," which I've been singing every night now.
Q: Will you be doing a lot of songs from "Bounce" on this tour?
A: Seven or eight, and they've gone over great so far. We change every night. We play requests if the people are loud enough so we could hear them. We have so much stuff to choose from, we can't play everything, so we make every night a little different. When we were in Japan, they were yelling for us to play "Living in Sin," which we haven't played in years. But we ripped right into it without a problem.
Q: Here's the question every guy wants to know: Is being married to Heather Locklear as great as it seems?
A: (Laughing) Absolutely. She looks great even when she wakes up in the morning. I feel like I'm still dating my wife after 10 years.
If you want to get a quick look at the best of Bon Jovi, you could pick up the band's greatest hits album "Cross Road," which came out in 1995. But you'll probably get a better feel by listening to three releases.
"Slippery When Wet" (1986)
Jon Bon Jovi has often described "Slippery When Wet" as being his band's "Born in the USA." This may be a stretch artistically, but the statement definitely holds some truth commercially.
Along with the help of professional songwriter Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora crafted some of the most memorable teen anthems of all time on "Slippery When Wet." "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" became No. 1 singles, while "Never Say Goodbye" became a perennial favorite at senior proms across America. "Wanted Dead or Alive," Bon Jovi's homage to life on the road, quickly became a fan favorite and has remained a classic among the band's live repertoire.
"New Jersey" (1988)
On Bon Jovi's fourth album, the band was faced with the daunting task of following up one of the most successful albums of the decade, "Slippery When Wet." Amazingly, the group succeeded in creating an album that was as equally satisfying as it was successful.
Rather than forge into unknown, experimental territory, Bon Jovi stuck with the formula that worked and continued to write hit songs such as "Bad Medicine," "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "I'll Be There For You." Although the title of the album suggests a hometown theme, the songs on "New Jersey" depict situations that occur in every town in America.
"Crush" (2000)
With "Crush," Bon Jovi staged one of the most successful comebacks in the rock world. Many left the band for dead following the relatively unsuccessful release "These Days" and Jon Bon Jovi's solo flop "Destination Anywhere". But thanks to the hit single "It's My Life," Bon Jovi was back on the charts and it seemed like they had never left. "Crush" is a finely crafted album full of catchy choruses, memorable riffs and interesting tales. "Two Story Town," "Say It Isn't So" and "One Wild Night" sound amazingly fresh, while "Mystery Train" and "She's a Mystery" illustrate artistic growth.
By Sean Loughlin
Did You Know?
Jon Bon Jovi turned down the lead role in the hit movie "Footloose" (played by Kevin Bacon) to concentrate on his music career.
The band's dramatic live performance of "Wanted Dead Or Alive" and "Livin' on a Prayer" at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards is credited with starting the MTV Unplugged series.
The band will conclude its current tour by headlining Tiger Jam VI on April 19 in Las Vegas. The concert is a benefit for the Tiger Woods Foundation and children's charities in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
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