Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora keeps rocking

There's a new interview of Richie in the Miami Herald:

Richie Sambora had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. After more than 30 years in the rock ’n’ roll business, the Bon Jovi guitarist is still grinding away, working on another solo effort and teaming up with band mate and longtime friend Jon Bon Jovi for a new album.

That’s why he tries to give back.

Sambora, 52, will team up with legendary singer/songwriter Richie Supa to host the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County 13th Annual “Bikers Bash” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Dec. 9.

"I’m the kind of guy who always tries to aim at helping children," says Sambora from Los Angeles. “Every time I get involved in charities it’s to help kids, whether they’re abusing drugs or runaways, or in trouble somehow."

The rest of the article mostly covers old ground with soundbites we've heard before but it's worth a read anyway. If only for this addition to the tried and true "rock concerts are like sex" analogy:

“Do I go back to my hotel room by myself and play Living on a Prayer, no. But I’ll probably pull it out if someone’s going to enjoy it."

Um, say what now? :P

New Year's Eve soundtrack

Not long until New Year's Eve hits cinemas and the soundtrack has been announced. Jon features in two songs. Here is the track listing:

1. Can’t Turn You Loose – Jon Bon Jovi with Lea Michele
2. 2012 (It Ain’t The End) – Jay Sean featuring Nicki Minaj
3. New Year – Kate York
4. Life Is A Bomb – Sophie B. Hawkins
5. Have A Little Faith In Me – Jon Bon Jovi
6. Light Up The Sky – Duncan
7. Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls
8. Auld Lang Syne – Lea Michele
9. Raise Your Glass – P!nk
10. Best Day Of Your Life – Katie Herzig
11. Whattaya Say – Jacob Saylor
12. Bringing In A Brand New Year – Charles Brown

There are some 30-second snippets floating around:

• Can't Turn You Loose (Otis Redding cover)
• Have a Little Faith in Me (John Hiatt cover)

Bon Jovi founder invites ‘mishpachah’ to his play

Nice article about David Bryan and Memphis in the Canadian Jewish News. Dave talks about how he drew on his experiences of antisemitism when writing the music for the musical. A few quotes:

“The show is entertainment with a meaning,” Bryan said in a phone interview from his New Jersey home studio last week. “While I’m a white Jewish kid from New Jersey, where there wasn’t a lot of us, there was hate. And I know what that feels like, how ugly that is and how wrong it is.”
...
“People would say they hated me because I’m a Jew, to which I responded: ‘You have to get to know me to hate me first.’ I just saw how much this affected me and how much I didn’t like it.

“I had a rabbi who told me no one walks ahead or behind anyone else. And I take that message to heart.”

Memphis debuts at the Toronto Centre for the Arts on December 6. Read the full article here.

Corey Taylor covers Wanted Dead or Alive

Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour is currently on a solo acoustic tour. Here he is taking on Bon Jovi's national anthem Wanted Dead or Alive.



Perhaps a few slightly unnecessary expletives, haha, but I thought that was pretty cool.

How would you rate it?

So Nikki Sixx thinks JBJ is an A-hole...

A pompous one, to be precise. It was in response to Jon's quote that didn't just want to be a rockstar; he aspired to be on the cover of Time:

@NikkiSixx Nikki Sixx

What a pompous asshole. pic.twitter.com/MVvGtIq0

powered by Photobucket

11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

Guess that means all that "I always dug Jon" stuff in The Heroin Diaries is dead and buried these days? ;)

I know some Bon Jovi fans got a bit upset by the tweet but to be honest, I found it stupidly funny more than anything.

I'll leave the final word to "Future Jon Bon Jovi":

futurebonjovi Future Jon Bon Jovi

Note to Past Me: @NikkiSixx called you/me a "pompous asshole." Just read "The Dirt." Lots of asshole-like behavior in there. Picked up tips.

11 hours ago

Yup, Twitter is so much fun. :P

In other news, I'm also thinking of getting some guest bloggers on Blame It On The Love, so if you're interested in contributing a post, just shoot me an email.

NikkiRich performance

This is Richie Sambora and Nikki Lund performing How to Love and Do You Like My Ass in These Pants? from last month's Nikki Rich fashion launch.



Not too keen on the music (unless it's MEANT to be funny, lol)... but Richie's voice sounds alright.

Reece Mastin sings Always

Earlier this week on The X Factor Australia, 16-year-old Reece Mastin found himself in the bottom two "Sing for You Life". He sang Bon Jovi's Always and avoided elimination.



What do you think of the performance?

A note from Jon Bon Jovi + a very short note about Richie/Denise

This open letter from Jon about the JBJ Soul Kitchen was published on the Soul Foundation and Bon Jovi websites this week:

Dear all,

Sorry it has taken a minute to write this note, but we've all been very busy in the Kitchen.

The JBJ Soul Kitchen officially opened its doors in Red Bank, NJ on October 19th. The response has been even better than we could have hoped for. We at the JBJ Soul Kitchen are a Community Restaurant where there are no prices on our menus. As you may have heard you can either donate at least the minimum donation of $10.00 for your meal or donate your time to earn your meal. We have met many people from across the economic spectrum who are all ready, willing, and able to engage in our community.

At a time when 1 in 5 families are living at or below the poverty line and 1 in 6 children in NJ are food insecure, this is a restaurant whose time has come. The JBJ Soul Kitchen is also a model that can be replicated in your town.

I want to thank everyone who made this vision a reality, all of the staff, volunteers, contractors, those who have donated money, time and words of encouragement, those who have come to eat or just to check us out on the web.

If you are in the Red Bank area, come down and check us out, lend a hand, make a friend or two, and by the way, eat!

See you soon...JBJ

Photos from the Soul Kitchen's grand opening are available on the Foundation website.

Meanwhile, various gossip sites (including RadarOnline which broke the Richie Sambora rehab story) arereporting that Richie and Denise Richards are back together.