Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013.

His most important influences were Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Brian May, George Harrison, Hank Marvin, Dave Davies, Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Manny Charlton, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and B.

Shortly before joining Bon Jovi in 1983, Sambora unsuccessfully[14] auditioned for Kiss, to be Ace Frehley's replacement.

Sambora joined Bon Jovi in 1983,[15][16] replacing the band's original lead guitarist Dave Sabo, who went on to form Skid Row.

Though Sambora initially believed Bon Jovi was not interested in him, he received a phone call several days later inviting him to rehearse with the band.

That night, the pair returned to Bon Jovi's mother's house and wrote the songs "Come Back" and "Burning for Love", both of which would appear on the band's 1983 debut album.

The Japanese version, with lyrics by B'z's Koshi Inaba, was recorded first in 1999 by Johnny & Associates's special unit called J-Friends as part of the relief efforts for the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

"[26] Sambora also released a solo EP with Orianthi, and performed alongside the RSO band member and his girlfriend on April 7, 2018.

Sambora did a short US tour in support of the album, featuring Tony Levin (bass), Dave Amato (guitar), Crystal Taliefero (percussion) and Bon Jovi bandmates Tico Torres (drums) and David Bryan (keyboards).

"Ballad of Youth" was released in the UK in summer 1991 and despite plugs from The Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1 the song barely skimmed the top 75.

All the profits from the sale of the special edition single goes to the ongoing recovery efforts of the Red Cross for the devastation from Hurricane Sandy.

[30] The track "Sugar Daddy" was released as a promo single and a music video was made for the song "Taking a Chance on the Wind".

[35][needs update] Sambora is featured on the track "Baby Rock Remix" from LL Cool J's 2008 album Exit 13.

[36] Sambora made a guest appearance[37] on Bo Diddley's 1996 album A Man Amongst Men, playing guitar on tracks "Can I Walk You Home" and "Oops!

Also in 1999, Sambora played the guitar solo on the track "Why Don't You Love Me" on the album Tuesday's Child, by Canadian singer Amanda Marshall.

[38] Sambora also recorded the song "One Last Goodbye" for movie The Banger Sisters, and covered Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" for the soundtrack of 1990 comedy The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.

The mix tapes had been damaged in a flood and band member Bruce Foster had remastered them for release many years later.

Sambora co-wrote several tracks and played guitar on Australian rock/pop artist Shannon Noll's third album Turn It Up.

[48] On June 7, 2007, it was announced that Sambora was entering an undisclosed rehab facility in Los Angeles for treatment related to alcoholism.

"[51] In the Bon Jovi documentary When We Were Beautiful, Sambora talks candidly about his addiction to painkillers following a fall in his bathroom.

[55] At his May 2008 arraignment, he pleaded no contest "to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher", was fined $390, placed on probation for three years, and was required to attend a driver's education course.

He was absent from the band for thirteen shows during the Bon Jovi Live tour, and his guitar and vocal duties were handled by session musician Theofilos "Phil X" Xenidis.

[60] Sambora returned to join the band in June 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia, for the start of the European leg of the tour.

His most important influences were Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Brian May, George Harrison, Hank Marvin, Dave Davies, Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Manny Charlton, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and B.

[63] Sambora's fundraising with the charity Stand Up For a Cure allowed for three mobile full service hospital units to be brought to the streets of New York, two of which were named after his parents, respectively.

[64] In May 2004, Sambora was bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Kean University[65] where he attended the awards ceremony and gave a speech of acceptance.

He attended Kean University as a freshman, but dropped out to pursue a career as a professional guitarist and session musician.

In early-mid 1987, Kramer put out a Richie Sambora signature model with three humbuckers, pointy headstock, gold hardware, star-shaped fingerboard inlays and a Floyd Rose Original locking tremolo.

[71] In 2000, Taylor started the production of a Richie Sambora signature model, a six-string acoustic made of koa wood, called the RSSM.

Sambora's guitar solo in the song "Bullet" from the 2009 album The Circle was played through a Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal.