Richie Sambora

Raised in the humble, swampside locale of Woodbridge, New Jersey, Richie Sambora -- the gifted lead guitarist of the multi-million-selling rock act, <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a> -- was initially inspired by blues-based icons of the 1960s such as <a href="spotify:artist:776Uo845nYHJpNaStv1Ds4">Jimi Hendrix</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD">Eric Clapton</a>. Following a self-released eponymous 1980 hard rock album with an act called Message that he had co-founded with the late Dean Fasano, Sambora took a two-week trip to Los Angeles to audition for a place in <a href="spotify:artist:07XSN3sPlIlB2L2XNcTwJw">Kiss</a>. Although the audition was unsuccessful, on his return to New Jersey a reassuring friend suggested that he make contact with <a href="spotify:artist:6h2bWHWTJL38N8dqocVaif">Jon Bongiovi</a>, a local artist whose taste in music was perhaps more closely aligned with Sambora's than that of <a href="spotify:artist:5gAbCaW9OmfIqqZGLpKb3f">Gene Simmons</a> and company. By 1983, Sambora had replaced Dave Sabo as the guitarist in <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a> and the band was signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mercury+Records%22">Mercury Records</a>.

Selling over 28 million copies, <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a>'s third album, Slippery When Wet, became their most successful record, ushering hair metal into the mainstream. Sambora had a hand in composing nine of the ten tracks, enjoying not unsubstantial royalties from what became the highest-selling album of 1987 in the U.S. As a result of this success, Sambora found himself in the media spotlight more than ever and his relationship and subsequent breakup with <a href="spotify:artist:72OaDtakiy6yFqkt4TsiFt">Cher</a> were widely reported. Following an extensive promotional campaign for 1988’s New Jersey, <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a> went on a well-deserved hiatus. While Sambora's 1991 debut solo album didn't enjoy the same commercial success as <a href="spotify:artist:6h2bWHWTJL38N8dqocVaif">Jon Bon Jovi</a>'s Golden Globe-winning 1990 release Blaze of Glory, Stranger in this Town allowed him to return to his beloved blues roots. With his hero <a href="spotify:artist:6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD">Clapton</a> contributing a deft solo to "Mr. Bluesman," there was the implied sense that Sambora had achieved yet another lifelong ambition.

A full seven years passed before Sambora issued his sophomore solo album, Undiscovered Soul. In the interim, <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a> issued the successful studio albums Keep the Faith and These Days, and consolidated their global position with a world tour that visited 43 countries. Although 1998's Undiscovered Soul was considered to be a less strong set than his debut, most critics acknowledged that it was a more ambitious effort, showcasing a versatility of approach that found power ballads sitting next to arena rock material.

The June 2007 release of <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a>'s country-influenced tenth album, Lost Highway, coincided with a difficult period in Sambora's personal life. Following the breakdown of his marriage with actress Heather Locklear, his father passed away, and this turn of events led to a period of alcohol dependency and rehab. Building on the eclecticism of Undiscovered Soul, his third solo album -- 2012's Aftermath of the Lowdown -- found Sambora in determined mood when it eventually arrived. It was another opportunity for him to explore areas of music that <a href="spotify:artist:58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp">Bon Jovi</a> had neglected to visit, and included material that was comparable in style to artists as diverse as <a href="spotify:artist:4gzpq5DPGxSnKTe4SA8HAU">Coldplay</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">David Bowie</a>. ~ James Wilkinson, Rovi