The personal demons and egos bigger than 80s hairdos keeping Bon Jovi fans from getting the tour they want

Fans have been livin’ on a prayer that Jon Bon Jovi and his band’s guitarist, Richie Sambora, would bury the hatchet for their 2026 tour.But they were once again left disappointed when the first Bon Jovi dates in years were announced and Sambora, who last played with the New Jersey icons in 2013, was still excluded.It seems the former bandmates’ 80s rock star egos are still clashing 12 years later.“Jon doesn’t want Richie with him,” an insider told The Post. “He’s jealous of Richie.He iced him out.

But these are all his songs.With Bon Jovi – 65% of Bon Jovi’s sound is Richie’s,” the insider claimed, pointing to mega hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer;” “You Give Love a Bad Name;” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” all co-written by Sambora. Die-hard fans started posting “Where’s Richie?!” in the comments section of the announcement for the seven-date, “Forever” tour which kicks off in July 2026 at Madison Square Garden before making its way to the UK.Sambora left the band hours before they were set to perform in Calgary, Canada, in 2013.His ex-wife Heather Locklear, 64, had recently been hospitalized following consumption of a mix of alcohol and prescription pills.

The ex-couple share a daughter, Ava, now 28.“Family had to come first – and that’s what happened,” Sambora told People in 2020, and the insider confirmed: “Richie left the band to take care of his daughter.”Bon Jovi has always been tight lipped over the fall out, telling Ultimate Classic Rock last March: “We’re not in contact because he’s not in the organization any longer.“He just didn’t show up anymore.And there were emotional issues that he was dealing with as a single dad, and there was substance abuse issues.”However, the insider claimed Jon had been battling his own steroid addiction around the same time.“Jon was sticking a needle in his neck for 20 years.

Even when he was burning out – he kept using it.He knew he had a problem i...