Rocker Richie Sambora has confirmed he'll be part of Bon Jovi's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction celebrations, even though he quit the band in 2013.
The guitarist and Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi didn't part on good terms four years ago, but Richie is confident he'll be welcomed back with open arms for a reunion at the Hall of Fame gala in Cleveland, Ohio next April (18).
"It's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; it'll be a joyous occasion," he tells Billboard. "I was there (in the band) for 31 years and we sold 150 million records or something and we put a lot of asses in seats in stadiums around the world and made a lot of people happy.
"I did so many different jobs in that band, so, yeah, I'm showing up for that. Everybody should have a smile on their face and a smile in their hearts and it should be a celebration of what we did."
Bon Jovi's induction was announced on Wednesday morning (13Dec17). The rockers will join The Cars, Dire Straits, the Moody Blues, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the Class of 2018.
Sambora's former bandmate, Bon Jovi, has confirmed Richie will be part of the induction process, telling the outlet, "He was my right hand for a long time, so there was never ill will, just like I told everybody. (He) just didn’t show up anymore. We went on, but he was there for three decades and he should be there to celebrate the moment. So he'll be invited to join the rest of the band in all of the festivities."
Sambora adds, "It's great to be recognised for anything you do. It's fabulous to be in line with the greats and your heroes that you grew up listening to and emulating. When you put me in line with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan and the Beatles and everyone else who's there, it's a big honour."
