Richie Sambora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richie Sambora
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Richie Sambora at the Winter NAMM Show 2017
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Richard Stephen Sambora
July 11, 1959 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Woodbridge High School |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
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| Partner(s) | Orianthi (2014–2018) |
| Children | 1 |
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Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the rock band Bon Jovi. He played with the band from 1983 to 2013. Richie Sambora and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi wrote many of the band's songs together.
He has also released three solo albums: Stranger in This Town (1991), Undiscovered Soul (1998), and Aftermath of the Lowdown (2012). In 2018, Sambora became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Bon Jovi. He even performed with his old bandmates at the induction ceremony. That same year, he started a music duo called RSO with Orianthi. They released two EPs and then their first album, Radio Free America, in May 2018.
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Richie Sambora's Early Life
Richard Stephen Sambora was born on July 11, 1959, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His mother, Joan, was a secretary, and his father, Adam, was a factory foreman. Richie grew up in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. He finished high school at Woodbridge High School in 1977. He was good at basketball and his team won a state title in 1975.
How Richie Started Playing Music
Richie's first instrument was the accordion, which he started playing at age 6. He began playing the guitar when he was 12 years old. This was after the famous guitarist Jimi Hendrix passed away in 1970.
From a young age, Richie was very inspired by blues music and 1960s rock and roll. Some of his biggest influences were guitar legends like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He also loved Spanish classical music and the Spanish guitar. Singer Janis Joplin also influenced his musical style.
Richie can play many instruments, including drums, bass, saxophone, and piano. He first performed on stage at a dance when he was a teenager.
Richie Sambora's Music Career
Starting Out in Music
Before joining Bon Jovi, Richie was a guitarist for a band called "Message". They released an independent record called "Lessons" in 1982. He also played in other bands like Mercy and Duke Williams & the Extremes. Richie even owned his own independent record label, Dream Disc Records, when he was 19. His first professional tour was opening for Joe Cocker in the early 1980s.
Joining Bon Jovi
Richie Sambora joined Bon Jovi in 1983. He replaced the band's first lead guitarist, Dave Sabo. Richie was impressed after seeing Bon Jovi play live, calling them "magic." He met Jon Bon Jovi backstage and told him about his music experience.
A few days later, Jon invited Richie to practice with the band. Jon was so impressed that he hired Richie right away. That same night, Richie and Jon wrote two songs, "Come Back" and "Burning for Love." These songs appeared on Bon Jovi's first album in 1983.
Richie left Bon Jovi in 2013 before a concert. He later said he left to spend more time with his daughter. "She needed me and I needed her," he explained. Since then, Richie has only played with Bon Jovi once, at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018.
Richie's Solo Music and Other Projects
Richie's first solo album, Stranger in This Town, came out in 1991. It was influenced by blues music and did well on the music charts. The song "Ballad Of Youth" was a popular single from the album. Famous guitarist Eric Clapton even played on one of the songs, "Mr Bluesman."
His second solo album, Undiscovered Soul, was released in 1998. It also charted in the US and UK. Richie toured Japan, Australia, and Europe to support this album.
In 2012, Richie released his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown. This album also appeared on several music charts. The song "Every Road Leads Home to You" had a music video. Another song, "I'll Always Walk Beside You," was released to help raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
After leaving Bon Jovi, Richie released a solo song called "Come Back As Me" in 2013. In 2015, he started working on new music with his girlfriend and fellow musician, Orianthi. They formed a duo called RSO. They released two EPs in 2017, Rise and Making History. Their full album, Radio Free America, came out in 2018.
Other Music and TV Work
Richie Sambora has also worked on other projects. He wrote theme songs for TV shows like Entertainment Tonight. He also played guitar on songs for other artists, including LL Cool J and Bo Diddley.
He contributed songs to movie soundtracks. For example, he sang "Long Way Around" for the 1997 film Fire Down Below. He also covered Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" for the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.
In 2004, an album called Shark Frenzy – 1978 was released. It featured some of Richie's earliest recorded music from 1978. In 2012, Richie and his band performed as the house band on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson for a week.
Richie Sambora's Personal Life
Richie Sambora married actress Heather Locklear in Paris in 1994. They have one daughter, Ava Elizabeth Sambora, born in 1997. They divorced in 2007. Sadly, Richie's father, Adam, passed away from lung cancer in 2007.
Richie Sambora's Musical Style
Richie Sambora's music style is heavily influenced by blues and 1960s rock and roll. He was inspired by many famous guitarists. These include Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimmy Page. He also mentioned singer Janis Joplin as a big influence on his style.
Helping Others and Recognition
Richie Sambora has helped raise money for many charities over the years. He has supported groups like the Steve Young Forever Young Foundation and Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease charity. He has also given money to cancer charities in memory of his father.
In 2004, Kean University gave Richie an honorary doctorate degree. He had attended the university for a short time before becoming a professional musician. In 2009, Richie and Jon Bon Jovi were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This honored them for their songwriting work.
In 2009, Richie started a charity effort called You Can Go Home in his hometown. A street in Woodbridge Township was even renamed Richie Sambora Way. He also donated money to renovate his old high school, creating a new fitness center named after his father.
Richie Sambora's Guitars and Equipment
Richie Sambora is known for using many different types of guitars and equipment. He has a very large collection of guitars, with over 130 instruments. About a third of these are Fender Stratocaster models.
In the 1980s, he often played guitars from brands like Kramer, Jackson, and Hamer. He also used custom Gibson Les Paul models. Kramer even made a Richie Sambora signature guitar model in 1987. In the early 1990s, Fender released a Richie Sambora Stratocaster signature model.
In 2000, Taylor Guitars created a Richie Sambora signature acoustic guitar made of koa wood. Only 100 of these were made. Richie often uses double-neck acoustic guitars. These guitars have a six-string neck on top and a 12-string neck on the bottom.
He keeps his valuable vintage guitars at home for recording. When he tours, he brings less expensive guitars. His collection also includes guitars like the Kramer Jersey Star, Gibson SG Junior, and Gibson ES-335.
Richie Sambora's Music Albums
Studio Albums
- Stranger in This Town (1991)
- Undiscovered Soul (1998)
- Aftermath of the Lowdown (2012)
With Shark Frenzy (featuring Bruce Foster & Richie Sambora)
- Shark Frenzy – 1978 (2004)
- Volume 1 (2004)
- Volume 2 – 1980–81: Confessions of a Teenage Lycanthrope (2004)
With Message
- Lessons (1982)
- Message Live (2006)
With Bon Jovi
- Bon Jovi (1984)
- 7800° Fahrenheit (1985)
- Slippery When Wet (1986)
- New Jersey (1988)
- Keep the Faith (1992)
- These Days (1995)
- Crush (2000)
- Bounce (2002)
- Have a Nice Day (2005)
- Lost Highway (2007)
- The Circle (2009)
- What About Now (2013)
With Cher
- Cher (1987)
With Desmond Child
- Discipline (1991)
With RSO
- Rise (EP, 2017)
- Making History (EP, 2017)
- Radio Free America (2018)
Images for kids
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Sambora and Orianthi at the NAMM Show, January 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Richie Sambora para niños
