Pierre Robert

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Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora (L) and singer Jon Bon Jovi perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena March 19, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

It’s the birthday of Richie Sambora, founding member and longtime guitarist of Bon Jovi. He’s 64 today, and although he’s not part of the band’s current lineup, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the group in 2019.

Pierre Robert has had many conversations with the band over the years, and it brought to mind this special MMaRchive Session that the station hosted in October of 2002.  During the interview, Pierre brought up to Richie how he was a self-described “sonic painter” and asked him to elaborate. Here’s what Richie had to say:

“Well, I think every guitar has a different sound, you know? And every amplifier has a different sound too. So I mean, if you wanted to say, okay, give me a sound that sounds silver, it’s gonna have a lot of high end, it’s gonna have a lot of cut. You know what I mean? If you’re looking for a brown sound, it’s gonna be a little bit more low end and not, not have as much as the high end. So that’s the way I look at it, as a sonic painting.”

When asked how many watercolors – or rather, guitars – Richie had to work with in his collection, he said, “110,” and that includes a ’63 Strat that’s signed by Eric Clapton. Wow! “I’m a complete guitar nut,” he admitted.

RELATED: Richie Sambora Revealed as Contestant on U.K’s ‘Masked Singer’

Bon Jovi performed a few songs in our studios during that session. Pierre played “Wanted Dead or Alive” in the Workforce Blocks today, and you can stream a flashback from the archives below.

Note: this episode originally aired in May 2018.

Will an on-stage reunion of Richie Sambora and Bon Jovi happen one day? We’d love to see it, although it’s unlikely – but never say never.

Bon Jovi: Their 35 Best Songs, Ranked

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