From pop-metal and big ballads to new-country crossovers, the Jersey boys of Bon Jovi have managed for the past 25 years to please just about everyone who owns a radio and keeps it tuned to the hit-oriented stations. They're now on a tour singing "I Love Your Town” to fans in 36 North American cities, and Oklahoma City will feel the love on Tuesday when the band hits the Ford Center with show-opener Chris Daughtry.
Just prior to launching the tour in mid-February, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres phoned in for a teleconference chat with journalists from across the country, and talked about everything from their turn toward pop-infused heartland country anthems on the No. 1-selling, Nashville-inspired "Lost Highway” album to Sambora's tough year of personal turmoil, which included divorce from Heather Locklear, a breakup with actress Denise Richards, a stint in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and the death of his father from lung cancer.
Q:When you were writing and recording "Lost Highway,” did you think the people who grew up listening to Bon Jovi were as likely to be avid fans of modern country as they are of modern rock?
A:Richie Sambora: Country music is something that I actually kind of, you know, as I grew up a little more, I sort of came to. ... I think there's probably three generations of Bon Jovi fans. We've been around for three decades now, so there's the new kinds that think we're a new band. They've been following us for two or three records. And there's the people who have been with us since the inception of this organization.
But as far as the country thing, you know, I hope we turn people on to a new piece of country, because our piece is not that country.
Q:Do you think country might be a direction you'll continue to head in?
A:Tico Torres: You know, it's probably not. ... We've gone to Nashville on and off, individually and as a group, 17 to 18 years, and it rubs off. It was a nice venture for us to do that. And we kind of did it as performing an experiment, and it turned into a real record. Everyone seemed to like it, as well as ourselves. So maybe it was something that happened at the time. I don't think it's a genre that we're going to (continue to) follow. ... We always want to try new things.
Q:Were there ever any songs that you considered just OK as album tracks, and then they surprised you and became successful?
A:Sambora: Yes, well, "Who Says You Can't Go Home” (from "Have a Nice Day”) was one of them. We are the first rock band that ever had a No. 1 country hit for a couple of weeks. That was something that we all kind of scratched our heads (about). But we were happy it went down, you know? ... There's an evolution in the process. You see it, you go, "Ah, this song's pretty good.” You know, we didn't know if it was going to make a record at first.
Torres: "Livin' on a Prayer” almost didn't make it (onto "This Left Feels Right.”)
Sambora: Exactly. I mean, you know, Jon (Bon Jovi) — after we wrote that song — Jon and I were in a taxicab in New York, and it was a rainy day, just like it is here in New York City today, and just had finished, we completed the first verse and chorus. ... And he looked at me and said ... he'll probably give it away to a movie sound track, and I (said) "What, are you crazy?” ... So, I mean, you never know sometimes.
Q:What prompted the interest in country and this new venture?
A:Sambora: It really comes down to songwriting, and in Nashville there's a lot of great songwriters, and we kind of fancy ourselves as good songwriters also, because we get to people with our lyrics and our music. So (it was) like a natural progression and a natural "why not try that and see what happens.”
Q:How did you hook up with Jennifer Nettles when you were recording "Who Says You Can't Go Home”?
A:Sambora: It was just some advice from our label. We actually first did the duet with Keith Urban because Keith knows our body of work and then, you know, we really respected him and he came in. And it sounded great, but it wasn't good for a guy and a guy to sing that song.
And actually, (Mercury Nashville chairman and CEO) Luke Lewis at the label said, "Why don't you guys try Jennifer Nettles? She's a new and upcoming big star.” And she was sweet and her voice is fantastic and it's just, you know, a match made in heaven.
Q:How do you plan on balancing time on the new material with the older material when you're in concert?
A:David Bryan: The best promotion for a tour is a record, and the best promotion for a record is a tour. So we try to play a lot of new songs, songs from new records, so people can listen to them live. There's always a different take on it.
... And then we always put in the classic favorites. We have probably so many songs at this point, we (could) have a different set list every night. But we always have a strong amount of new songs and the songs that everybody loves — the hits.
Q:How did you come to pick Daughtry as your opening act?
A:Sambora: Chris is, you know, unbelievable. I mean, obviously he was a fan of Bon Jovi's when he was on "American Idol” there. He was doing a bunch of our songs and stuff like that. He had a lot of respect for what we did. And as far as musical style, he doesn't seem like he needs a lot of help, man. ... We gave him a test drive over in New Jersey ... and he went over really, really well with our audience. He got 'em warmed up real good.
Q:Richie, you had a pretty difficult year in 2007 with your divorce being finalized, your breakup with Denise Richards, death in your family and going through rehab. How did you overcome all of that?A:Sambora: Oh, well, you know, obviously just because you're, you know, a rock 'n' roll star doesn't make you exempt from any of life's tragedies that happen. I had a couple of them kind of mount up on me a bit. But, you know, the band is obviously a great, great aid in pulling me up and helping me out of all those situations.
Obviously, my mom and my friends and the band and also the fans and the work. You know, about a week after I got detoxed and stopped all that stuff, I went right back to work. And we just started, you know, touring and promotion on the "Lost Highway” album, and between the band and the fans in my face, they got me through it.
