Songwriting Tips From Richie Sambora: Rare Interview - Bon Jovi | RSO | Songwriter's Hall of Fame

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Grammy Nominated artist and producer Tom Marolda speaks with legendary singer-songwriter and guitar player Richie Sambora, on the language of music and the hallmarks of great songwriting.

In our exclusive segment, Richie leads us through his journey to The Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the many layers of nuance that comes with being a successful artist.

For the RSO front man, and Legendary Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie’s musical journey has been nothing short of incredible. In the early days, Sambora was the guitar player for a band called Mercy. Mercy was signed to Led Zeppelin-owned record label Swan Song Records, and then Duke Williams & the Extremes, who were signed to Capricorn Records. He was part-owner of a club in New Jersey, and at age 19 owned his own independent label Dream Disc Records. Sambora’s first professional tour was as an opening act for Joe Cocker in the early 1980s.

Not long after, Sambora attended a live show of Bon Jovi, and after being impressed, approached Jon Bon Jovi and told him that he thought they should work together. They immediately hit it off as friends, and Sambora was invited to a rehearsal. The rest, as they say, is history!

Richie and Tom worked together on his first solo album, “Stranger in this Town”. The lead single, “Ballad Of Youth”, reached #63 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #59 in the UK. “One Light Burning” was released as the second single and the album titled track, “Stranger In This Town” as the third, which charted at #38 on the Mainstream rock charts. Eric Clapton played the lead guitar on the promo single Mr. Bluesman, backed by Sambora on acoustic guitars.

Now, alongside his beautiful and immensely talented girlfriend Orianthi, the lead guitarist for Micheal Jackson and composer of the hit song “According To You”, Richie fronts his new recording outfit RSO as a vocalist and guitar player. If anyone knows what it takes to achieve success as an artist it’s Richie.