I'm thinking that too. Look at the quote from Jon. His not in hospital, not in jail but they love and support him. The more I read that, the more I see that as Jon saying that they love and support him, no matter what he wants to do. He has his support 100%. They wrote this leg of the tour, maybe to give him time to think it through and see what he really wants to do. Maybe this break made Richie think, he didn't want to continue with the tour.

The only thing that stops me completely thinking that is, Richie wouldn't leave in a middle of the tour. They were having a good time on stage lately and Jon would be lost on tht stage without him, he will work himself to the bone, it will kill him. Also to end 30 years of legacy and brotherhood like this? just up and leave. I don't want Bon Jovi to end like this and it will ruin the rest of the tour for the band. Either through people say that the band will go on, it won't be the same.

What an atrocious cunt. Matt not you.

Anyway I look up personal in the dictionary. It said.

Person who has fallen off the wagon while deciding that he does not want to carry on working in his current organization as his family is ill.

So by that definition, Richie is missing because of all the reasons

I've read all of your comments and feel like I need to say what I think of the situation, though nobody here probably gives a ****.

First of all I want to say that to me Richie Sambora is, at least in studio, something that you can't take off Bon Jovi. As Such once said, Richie makes Jon Bon Jovi songs sound like Bon Jovi.

Now, in 2011 we can understand, the guy was a mess, and they continued with the tour... and it was great! Really, Phil X was a great addition to the band, and the I'll Be There For You of Nassau Colliseum and the Lay Your Hands On Me of the Jazz Festival in New Orleans (I don't know if I'm writing well the names of the venues or festivals, but well, can't remember everything) were amazing, probably the bests in the whole tour.

The situation is different now, second time in two tours that this happens and there're people in the USA that are getting a "Bon Jovi" show without Richie. This time, they should cancel the remaining dates of the North-american tour. Yesterday it was too late to cancel the gig, and maybe is late to cancel the one for today, but just call it a day and come back for the European tour.

Also, I don't know what's the deal with Richie this time. But in any other band he would have been kicked out a long time ago

About him leaving the band, I'd totally suck. I can't imagine the band without him. But I'd still buy the albums, I like Jon's solo effrots, I like his voice and I really love how David plays so I would still have a reason to follow the band.

And maybe it wouldn't be as catastrophic as everyone's saying, maybe Jon would start listening to David and stop being a dictator with what's left of the band. Also, it could mean that he doesn't have another strong member there and he could do with Bon Jovi whatever he wants, but I totally see David and Tico leaving the band (specially Tico) if that happens and they would just disband.

What we need is an explanation, there's people that payed for something and aren't getting it for the second time in a row.

Oh, and I've read people saying that Richie should take lead vocals in Bon Jovi as Jon can't sing anymore, but now Richie is intouchable? You're no different of the "Jon lovers". And like it or not, the voice is the only thing IMO that can't be replaced as is something unique, also, Jon is the frontman. Like it or not, he's the only one that is extremelly essential to the band. And if Richie leaves in the middle of the tour he's the most unprofessional musician ever, you can't do that, is a lack of respect to every single fan.

There doesn't seem to be any tour dates listed for the near future on the Drills website and if you read the Phil X twitter page it sounds like he's been at home taking it easy. IMO, if there's going to be a replacement while Richie is "away", it should be Phil if at all possible. He already has the experience playing Bon Jovi music and did a decent job filling in last tour. I cringe at the thought of them continuing on with just Jon and Bobby trying to cover the guitar parts.

Not an option so don't worry.

If Phil X replaces Richie for the tour, I think we should all go to the gigs in a Drills t-shirt :)

You are trying to have a very semantic argument with me about something I was not trying to debate. My original point was that substance abuse is not a disease.

I have not attempted to shame you or to make anyone think anything about you at all. In my experience of alcoholism I do not find that calling it a disease is an appropriate term. As I said previously some people are predisposed to addiction and that is a scientific fact. That does not make alcoholism a disease. What I said was not ignorant in the slightest.

Alcoholism is a very complex condition and you should be a lot more careful about how you address it. You are a extremely rude, aggressive and ignorant.

I agree with everything man!

Can I stress how we still don't know what the cause is? All this talk and discussion is all well and good BUT its not confirmed that its the reason. Personally, I don't think it is, certainly not at the short notice that was given, and all Richies tweets and attitude in the run up were not of someone who was planning to do anything other than turn up and play. The demeanour doesn't seem to point to that. Ditto with the "leaving and going solo" nonsense- it could happen for Richie to go his own way and tour in Europe/Asia (where he was much better received) but he wouldn't do that on the afternoon of the show, sticking two fingers up to the hand that feeds you is not a good idea.

But we just don't know, and the Bon Jovi camp are really not helping themselves by clamming up. Matt is a dreadful mouthpiece for the band and the silence from BJ just allows the rumour mill and gutter press to spiral out of control when they could quash this without giving too much away if they choose.

Even reports like this: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/ne...t-of-tour.html whilst not saying anything other than the sparse facts that are about, the wording is so poor that it reads as Richie has quit the whole tour. Just simply poor wording on a very popular entertainment site and the story is ramped up again.

Can I put my mod hat on also and remind everyone that thanks to the lack of concrete info from the BJ camp, people will be looking to here for any info on Richie they can get and to remind everyone to be sensible and not make up any silly stories, bash or inflame or quote from deliberately unreliable sources. Any shit like that can get quoted on social networks and spiral out of control and we don't want that happening with this situation. We're all behaving like adults thus far, lets not give JT a bad rap again with some people.

That was rude and your original comment
"... and addiction is classified as a disease... Fact. Your ignorance is a choice" was also rude.

Both comments were completely uncalled for. Its people like you that stop me from bothering to post on forums.