So.. does anyone think Richie's return is STILL possible ?

Of course there will be some form of reunion, are you kiddin' me?!? The whole thing isn't even one year old. Give it another one max two years and suddenly (well, not suddenly!) it will look very very likely.

I don't want them to say anything oficially. Because if they come back a few years later with Richie, they can say that he has solved his personal issues. If they released an oficial statement that he his out, it might have bad consequences.

I wish they all did their personal stuff whatever this might be and come back hungry in 2017. We all would be happy to have them back even though given their age, the quality of their performance would suffer a bit more.

I keep on repeating it, if Jon hadn't pushed WAN and made everyone participate, we wouldn't have this situation now. 2013 is the worst year in their history with 2014 coming second.

Without a doubt. We're just going through the break that should have happened instead of Jon insisting on WAN. Once they have rested and spent enough time doing what they want to do as individuals, i'm sure there will be an album and tour.

I'd imagine we'll see a couple more sporadic tours over the next decade before they call it quits as Bon Jovi. Their problem is these songs will look strange coming from a band of 70 year olds. I think that will force the retirement of the band more than anything.

As far as statements, sure it would have been the decent thing to do. But we all know why Richie left, he wanted this break they are on, earlier. Jon forced WAN and the tour , Richie started the tour, realised he really wasnt motivated enough to spend another portion of his life touring the world again behind a lazy and forced album, so bailed.

Give it two years or so, Jon will have the record label and promoters pushing for them to make a comeback, he'll call Richie (who'll need the cash) and boom, Bon Jovi will be back.

I don't think it's disrespect. I think they don't know what's going to happen yet, so they're leaving the door open.

Several potential reasons: It gives the impression that decisions are made as a band, promotes the brotherhood image, reinforces the idea that this is Richie vs. the band and that everyone else was on board with the tour, and avoids taking sole responsibility for what might have been seen as an unpopular decision.

Exactly.

I agree. I think that's exactly why they left it open.

I think so, too. Barring any unforeseen tragedy that would take one of them from us prematurely, I believe they'll be back!

Nah... they won't look any any stranger than we'll sound - singing along at the top of our lungs!!

richie imo deep down wants to come back in bj...thats why he wanted to come back during the tour as well, when jon decided he could do it without him...
richie as a personality wants someone beside him, at least it looks like this...when/if orianthi gets off the picture richie will need to come back, at the moment he feels nice with the current situation. if jon feels like they have sth more to say as a band he will put the wheels into motion for richie to come back, and i dont believe tico or david will have an opposite say ...
i hope jons next release isnt called bj though, because that would be serious blow to what theyu achieved as a band all these years...
i also hope richie gets his shit together cause his voice and playing have taken a serious downturn the last years.
if jons next record is a solo record then there will be hope imo. because it would prove they respect the band and havent moved on, bj cant exist without richie.

Isn't Jon the guy who always claims : no nostalgia, no come back tours, etc... If he sticks true to himself, he'll do no farewell tour. Interesting to see how he will tackle this when the money calls and when they can sell out arenas and stadiums again ( sell out in the bon jovi way - wembley : 40.000 tickets will be called a sell out)

Is it possible? Yes / Imaginable? Yes and No
So many band have gone before them. AC/DC original drummer returned after years of absence, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' original guitar player went away, came back and went again.

So it is most possible but it should be for the right reasons and it should come naturally. The guys know eachother as the back of their hands, they have each other's phone number, ... If both get back together with their guitars and start to share their musical ideas, then they get back on the horse in no time.

If it comes down to blocking time in the agenda for touring while in the months previous to touring Jon writes an album with his songwriter friends in order to have something to play live, then they really don't need to get back together i.m.o.


Wanted was written in Richie's parents house in the basement if i remember correctly. They don't need to go back to the basement but if they could get back to that spirit, only then i can see something interesting happen.


sidenote on the 'whose fault' and 'who should apologize to who' discussion : the best and largest companies in the world these days invest lots of money and energy in employee satisfaction cause they realize that motivated employees are THE strength of a company.

When Richie (one of your main employees) decides to leave the company on a working day, there must have been a huge issue in his employee satisfaction. Something tells me his boss and manager - Jon - should have seen that one coming and could have prevented it from happening if he had anticipated it. OK, this a strict business approach, but ain't that the way Jon sees Bon Jovi over the last 10 years?

I'm afraid Frusciante isn't RHCP's original guitarist though

some good points put forth here by you guys. Btw, I should have started this thread on the General Discussion part of the board, my bad.

It's funny DryCounty mentioning the Behind the music quote. It's the one that pops on my head every time I think of BJ nowadays.
I guess Johnny has a point too: it's better they don't make an official statement. In way, it kinda feels like it's Jon's insurance against possible future contradictions. In a way, they both know it's possible.

Richie won't necessarily need the cash IMO: he could lay on his back for the rest of his life, he'll never go bankrupt, unless he invests in the wrong assets and whatnot, or gets seriously ripped off by his management. In fact, I don't think Ava herself needs to work a single day of her life to get by, or even her future kids. I don't think money would ever be the nature of a reunion, again, unless Sambo burns it relentlessly.

Jon, weather or not it's all Richie's fault (again I agree with you guys, it HAS to be a two way street... ) had to a VERY pretentious egomaniac prick, beyond unimaginable, to consider a world tour without Richie. Even he could still pull it off and sell it out just like any other BJ tour, I don't think his heart would be in it 100%. I don't think he can pull out the old 'they pay to see me shake my ass bla bla bla' bullshit anymore.

They're finally taking the break they needed after 2011. WAN had its great moments but it was rushed in many ways and kinda felt like a JBJ's effort (apart from songs like BWC or WAN) but even if they'd still released it, they should have done what they planned on doing after the release of Lost Highway: NOT TOUR AT ALL - that's what killed the band.

Here's hoping for the best guys.

Some fans might revoke my Richie-girl card for saying it, but I think you are 100% correct. Except I'd say that Richie wants (needs) to be beside someone.

I love Richie's solo stuff. I love to hear him take the lead sometimes with the band. But IMO, the man was born to be a wing man - and there's absolutely no shame in that.


I appreciate the fact that he wants to express himself and say things he wants to say, without feeling limited to writing songs that Jon has to be able to give voice to. I see why he wants to sing some of the songs he and Jon co-wrote, but interpret them his way and give them his own spin. It's understandable to me that he wants to be recognized as an artist and singer/songwriter outside of Bon Jovi. Sidekicks are performers, too, with the same need for recognition that those who stand in the spotlight have. Given the way our society functions, it's difficult for any 'supporter' - band member, actor, admin assistant, crew member, whatever - to get a fair share of the credit for contributing to a performance or finished product. So I get the need to break away and be "the star" for a bit.

IMO, Richie has recorded some excellent solo music and has been known to handle the spotlight very well on his own. And I'd be willing to strike a bargain with Lucifer himself for the chance to attend a solo concert like the one he did at the NYC Academy in '91. But that doesn't alter the fact that what he does BEST is stand to the side, play 'second fiddle', and provide the harmonies that take Bon Jovi's music to a whole different level. That's an art, in and of itself, and it takes a special talent to do it well.

Slightly off-topic, but I knew a guy who was the power lead in one Southern gospel quartet after another his entire life and then one day decided he wanted to go solo. He was very good and even won some Dove awards right out of the gate. I enjoyed his solo work, because he's a phenomenal singer, no matter what he sings; but, man, when he got back with one of the quartets he'd sung with before, the difference in the quality of his performance was like night and day! And, in his case, there was even less transition between the roles, going from lead singer to solo artist. But he was just so much more comfortable, being part of a group, that it's like it freed him to really shine, simply because he was doing what he does best.

When they are both 'on', Jon is the best front man in the industry and Richie is as good as it gets for sidekicks. I've never seen two artists who complement each other as well as they do. And as far as I'm concerned, that's where Richie is in his element. That's where he shines.

( *blushing* Thank you for your indulgence. Apparently, this is something I've been needing to get off my chest for some time now, but never realized it!

Long-ass rant over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming...)