Is guitarist Richie Sambora returning to Bon Jovi?
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Fans sure do think so. On Aug. 26, the band posted an unusual video on its social media pages. The grainy black-and-white clip featured a vintage Chevy Chevelle pulling up curbside. The New Jersey license plate reads: "RDWT JRZY".
"Welcome to Jersey" is the post's caption. Then frontman Jon Bon Jovi added the comment, "It's happening!!!"
What Does This Post From Bon Jovi Mean?
Not much else has been said about Sambora's possible return to Bon Jovi. However, that hasn't stopped fans in the comments from speculating about what the cryptic post means.
One commenter speculated, "Does that RDWT mean Richie Does World Tour?" while another interpreted it as "road world tour," showing how fans are debating the meaning behind the license plate.
Other fans expressed curiosity about the meaning of the post. One asked, "What is happening? Is this finally it?" Another wondered, "Ok... is this an Easter Egg?"
What Happened With Bon Jovi and Sambora, Anyway?
The guitarist suddenly left Bon Jovi in 2013 to spend more time with his daughter. Despite rumors of tension in the band, Sambora has made it clear that he chose to prioritize his role as a father.
He elaborated in the Hulu documentary about the band, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, that the reasons for his departure included "deep family problems."
"I spent so much time being on the road," he said. "At that time, unfortunately, my ex-wife [Heather Locklear] was having some mental health issues, and my daughter was coming to an age where she could understand."
Sambora did perform with the band when it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
While Sambora has discussed returning to the group under the right conditions (such as Jon Bon Jovi's recovery from throat surgery), the band leader has stated that he hasn't heard anything from Sambora about it.
"I've talked to him twice," said the singer in an interview with Classic Rock last year. "He. Quit. The. Band. I swear to Christ there was never a fight, nothing... He wasn't kicked out; he quit. And he hasn't made any great overtures about coming back."
Could All This Be Hype for a New Bon Jovi Album?
Earlier this week, the band announced on social media that a new edition of its album, Forever, will be coming out in September.
The record will feature collaborations with country stars Jelly Roll and The War and Treaty, as well as another New Jersey legend, Bruce Springsteen.
While we await further information, it's possible that all this chatter is simply a clever marketing ploy. Fingers crossed that it isn't.
