Canada looms large in the story of Bon Jovi.
Frontman Jon Bon Jovi recalled last week how his iconic rock band lost longtime guitarist Richie Sambora only hours before a concert in Calgary.
“The short of it is, Richie just didn’t show up at the show,” Bon Jovi told ABC News. “And we haven’t seen him in person since.”
At the Saddledome on April 2, 2013, Bon Jovi told fans: “I need you more than ever tonight.”
The singer said he learned that Sambora would be a no-show in a phone call at 3:30 that afternoon.
“We had two choices,” he said. “Pack up and go home or come up here and give you everything we got.”
Bon Jovi said Sambora “isn’t in jail or in the hospital or anything” but added “he won’t be playing anytime soon.”
In last week's ABC News interview, Bon Jovi shared a few more details.
“There was no fight. There was nothing, I swear, in my whole career, and he'll tell you the same thing," he explained. "So we went on.
“He had some things he’s got to deal with and so he just didn’t show up anymore.”
The Canadian connection doesn’t end there, though. Sambora was replaced in the live shows by Phil X, a Toronto-born musician. (He previously performed with Bon Jovi in 2011 when Sambora went into rehab.)
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The 50-year-old (whose surname is Xenidis) has toured with homegrown acts like Aldo Nova and Triumph and played guitar on recordings by artists like Avril Lavigne, Our Lady Peace and Kelly Clarkson.
Phil X is now officially a member of Bon Jovi and appears on the band’s new album This House Is Not For Sale. He will be back in his hometown, with the band, for a special show on Monday night.
That's right. One of the most successful rock bands in the world is one-fifth Canadian.