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Tag: Bon Jovi

  • 911 Butt-Dial Features Robbery Details, Bon Jovi

    A couple of cowboys will likely be riding their steel horses all the way to the clink after accidentally butt-dialing 911 shortly after they allegedly stole a man’s TV.

    Aaron Burrell, 37, and Yvonne Thyberg, 35, of Roswell, New Mexico detailed their crime to no doubt incredibly amused dispatchers after accidentally dialing 911 during their getaway.

    Here are some of the gems that police picked up from the unintentional broadcast:

    “You basically robbed them, dude.”

    “That was an adrenaline rush for a minute. You know what, that’s the first thing I’ve stolen.”

    “Yeah, we picked up this f-cking TV set totally and we f-cking wheeled it out the house.”

    “We should have gotten a lot more, but you know what, I’m looking at it like this – we got away safe, clean.”

    At one point, the couple starts blasting Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” because of course they do. You really can’t make this up:

    In all, police have about 45 minutes of material from the butt-dial. Burrell even led police directly to the house, saying “we rolled over to Hervey Street and took it out of the f-cking house.”

    The funny thing about this – other than every single thing about this – is that this happens a lot more than you might think. A few years ago, a couple of idiots who had just stolen a bunch of video games from Target butt-dialed police, unknowingly detailing their crime to officers for over an hour. A couple of years ago a guy butt-dialed 911 during a drug deal. And just last year, Florida Man butt-dialed 911 and detailed a murder plot.

    Be careful, criminals. Your passcode won’t help you when it comes to making emergency calls.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Carrie Fisher: Richie Sambora and Orianthi Set to Help Honor the ‘Star Wars’ Actress

    Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in Star Wars episodes 4-6, is one of four who will be honored at the Midnight Mission‘s Golden Heart Gala, which will feature performances by Bon Jovi star Richie Sambora and acclaimed guitarist Orianthi.

    The event is scheduled to take place 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, in Los Angeles, California, with local radio station personality Gary Moore serving as the host for the evening.

    In addition to Fisher, who is currently filming Star Wars: Episode VII, Arlene Van Dyke, wife of the 2005 Golden Heart honoree Dick Van Dyke and a renowned make-up artist, and Denise Salazar, Sambora‘s longtime executive assistant, will receive a Golden Heart award for their noted contributions to the charity organization.

    Another unnamed honoree will also receive the Golden Heart award at the Sept. 15 gala.

    The Midnight Mission is celebrating its 100th year serving the needs of the homeless and needy in Los Angeles.

    According to the website, “Midnight Mission offers a path to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost everything. Our emergency services, 12-step recovery program, job training, education and work programs offer a compassionate bridge to productive lives. We remove obstacles to self-sufficiency and provide the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to rejoin their communities. Our conviction and commitment to their success define us.”

  • Richie Sambora Talks Drug Abuse in New Song ‘Lighthouse’

    Richie Sambora is sharing his past with the world.

    On Tuesday, May 27 the Bon Jovi guitarist opted to debut his new song “Lighthouse” at a public forum, which took place at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, New Jersey.

    The event was reportedly implemented to raise awareness about drug abuse, with an emphasis on the effects of heroin and improper use of prescription pain medications.

    According to Rolling Stone, Sambora debuted the song, as it was seemingly befitting for the occasion. The 54-year-old singer-songwriter felt the song would be a source of inspiration for those who may be battling and/or overcoming some form of addiction. He even opened up and shared details about his own “first-hand experience” with drug abuse.

    “I got firsthand experience,” Sambora explained to reporters before the event. “I never did heroin, but obviously I did other stuff.” He revealed that the song was initially titled, “Needles On The Shore.” However, based on the lyrics, he opted to change the title and went on to explain his reason for the adjustment.

    “I wanted to do something optimistic, a beacon of light and hope,” he said. “Everyone needs that light when they’re far off the shore.” He also shared his purpose with the audience from a different perspective; one that most guests could relate to. He explained that he was not only speaking from experience, but as a father.

    “I’m mostly here as the father of a 16-year-old girl,” Sambora said. “I’m scared. … But we can’t be scared silent. Together we can make a difference because this epidemic has to stop.”

    “Lighthouse” will be released as a single via iTunes. Sambora stated that a percentage of the proceeds from the song will go toward the establishment of a drug treatment facility.

    Image(s) via Richie Sambora, Facebook (1) (2)

  • Buffalo Bills: New Owner May Be Announced in July

    The Buffalo Bills may have a new owner. Although nothing will be announced until a few months from now, a deal is in the works with an interested party.

    Through an anonymous source, the Associated Press reported that the Buffalo Bills could be sold as soon as July. A major sales group has toured Buffalo, New York, for new stadium locations. Since the sale has not been finalized, anonymity has been preserved for the source and the potential buyer.

    Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has sped up the New York State government’s involvement with the sale. He plans to hire a consulting firm to advise owners to preserve the current location of the team or at least keep the team in New York State. “The governor wants to be prepared if there are any earlier offers to buy the team,” Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, “Our team is looking at sites now in Erie County, Buffalo, Niagara County. We’re just being prepared because we don’t know who the next owner will be. We’re not sure what the goals and the objectives of the next ownership team will be.”

    Lots of names have been passed around for the potential new owner of the Bills. Bon Jovi, the New Jersey rock and roll musician expressed an interest in November. The musician was a primary owner of an Arena Football League team, and he has been proactive in meeting with NFL leadership.

    Donald Trump has been in the mix too. He received an endorsement from retired player Herschel Walker. If Trump doesn’t decide to buy the Bills, he may run for New York State Governor instead.

    Since the death of long time Bills owner Ralph Wilson in March, many more names have come up as interested parties. The Wire published a list which included billionaire New York City real estate developer Howard Milstein, former Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, and NHL’s Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs.

    Image via Buffalo Bills, Twitter

  • Heather Locklear Vacations with Richie Sambora

    Actress Heather Locklear and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora were spotted walking the beach together in Kona, Hawaii on Sunday. After being married for 13 years, the two divorced in 2007, though have maintained an amicable relationship. The two have one daughter together, Ava, who is 16.

    The divorce made headlines after Sambora, 54, began dating Charlie Sheen ex Denise Richards, shortly after his separation from Locklear. Richards and Locklear were close friends at the time, which added insult to injury. Locklear, 52, went on to start a relationship with Melrose Place costar Jack Wagner, which lasted 4 years.

    Locklear is best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker, Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place and as Caitlin Moore on Spin City.

    Both Locklear and Sambora have seen substance abuse-related mishaps over the years, and both have been arrested for driving under the influence, as well as checking into rehab facilities. In March, 2008 Locklear’s doctor called 911 claiming that he thought his patient was suicidal, but emergency personnel deemed the actress to be fine upon arriving at her Westlake Village home.

    In January, 2012 Locklear’s sister called the authorities, believing the actress was in danger after ingesting alcohol along with prescription medication. Locklear spent some time at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California after the incident.

    Also in March, 2008 Sambora was arrested for driving under the influence in Laguna Beach. Daughter Ava, who was ten, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time.

    Locklear and Sambora were both able to recover. Locklear is now featured on TNT’s legal comedy-drama Franklin & Bash, and Sambora was allowed to bring his talkbox back on tour with Bon Jovi.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Richie Sambora On Why He Quit Bon Jovi

    Richie Sambora On Why He Quit Bon Jovi

    Richie Sambora has helped create some of the most popular rock music of the past thirty years, a lifetime when you consider how fickle many music fans are. But earlier this year, he realized his job was making him miss some very important things, and he did the unthinkable and left the band that made him a huge star.

    “We were the hardest working band in the world, man,” he said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “You’re talking 24/7, and you don’t get to come home. I missed so much of my child’s life. And you get to that place where you realize, ‘Oh, my god, this is really important.’”

    Bon Jovi fans are desperate to know if he’ll return, and he says it may be in the cards, but for right now, he needs a rest.

    “Yes, I would think about it for sure,” he says. “There’s no malice here. You get along for 30 years, that’s a damn good marriage. … I was coming out of something a little bit different with my solo record, Aftermath of the Lowdown, and it just didn’t go in the right direction for me artistically, which is not to say it’s a bad thing…I did 14 cycles for 30 years, so I missed a lot. A lot of life happened. And I also had three solo albums and tours, wrote songs for other people. … Burnt isn’t the right word, but I almost fell out of love with music and I needed to fall in love with it again.”

    Sambora says he’s happy with where he’s at right now, especially after receiving an invitation to play with his idol Stevie Wonder at the Hollywood Christmas Parade (which will be televised on December 20).

    “It is almost beyond words,” he said. “He was the guy that I emulated when I was a boy, and he taught me how to sing. It was an honor to meet your teacher. The first thing I did was whisper in his ear, ‘I’m sure you get this a lot, but you were my inspiration as a singer.’ The first thing he said is, ‘You do the first verse!’”

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Bon Jovi Invited Prince William Onstage…And He Went

    Bon Jovi was invited to the Winter Whites Gala this year, which benefits the charity Centrepoint (an organization that helps homeless young people). He attended along with Taylor Swift and they both took the stage in the first concert ever performed at the event, but that wasn’t the only first: JBJ invited Prince William up to help him sing “Livin’ On A Prayer”, and he TOTALLY DID.

    Bon Jovi was, of course, not fazed at all by meeting Prince Will, as he’s already tight with the rest of the royal fam.

    “I met his father and I met his grandfather. He’s still a young kid to me, but a nice young kid,” he said. “The baby’s next, its all good.”

    Swift was a little more excited, saying that she chatted with Will for a bit and that he was “really funny”.

    “I’m absolutely excited. I don’t think I’ve ever played at a palace before so it is really wonderful. It’s really wondrous, I think they’ve done an amazing job of putting this together,” she said.

    Luckily, the entire performance was caught on video and uploaded to YouTube for the rest of us lowly normal people to enjoy.

  • Bon Jovi Is Interested In Buying The Buffalo Bills

    Another musician is interested in owning a sports team. This time, it is aging rocker Bon Jovi, who is somehow managing to continue touring, and making a success out of a career that seemed to have ended years ago. Bon Jovi is interested in the Buffalo Bills, a team that is not far off from his home state of New Jersey.

    The Buffalo Bills certainly need something in order to turn around their franchise, but it is hard to know if an ownership by Bon Jovi would be the answer. It would be an interesting business decision for Bon Jovi certainly, who has spent his career making money off of his music, while also being involved with the NFL in various ways over the years.

    They have been struggling for several years now, and their rookie quarterback EJ Manuel was helping at first, but he is just not good enough to carry the team on his own. The Bills are currently 4-7, but Bon Jovi is not hurting for money by any means, and came in at third in the highest earning musical acts of the year from Forbes Magazine, earning $79 million.

    Bon Jovi is no stranger to the sport of football, and in fact, he was a primary owner and the founder of an Arena Football League team. The rock and roll star been very proactive in meeting NFL owners and general managers, and is seeking their input on all sort of issues related to football. He is aiming to become a primary owner of the team, but it remains to be seen if he has the type of immense capital necessary to meet that threshold of ownership.

    The Bills will be in the market for a new owner soon when Ralph Wilson, the current owner, who is 95-years-old, passes away. He has been the owner of the team since 1960, when it was created.

    Becoming the owner of a sports team has been a business venture for a variety of celebrities over the years, and recently hip hop artist Diddy also came out and said that he wanted to be owner of an NFL team, although he did not clarify which one. One of the other biggest business people in the sports industry to gain attention is Mark Cuban of course, who owns the Dallas Mavericks.

    Jon Bon Jovi is certainly no stranger to the sport, and has been a long time friend of Bill Belichick’s, attending several of the Patriots’ games. While he does not need the extra money, owning the team is a business venture that Bon Jovi seems to be set on, and may go through with the decision soon.

    Image via Facebook

  • Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres Undergoes Another Emergency Surgery

    Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres has undergone a second emergency surgery in as many weeks. On the heels of an appendectomy in Mexico City in mid-September, Torres found himself back in the hospital with severe abdominal pain. The result: emergency gall bladder surgery.

    The band published the news on their website on September 20. Torres is expected to return to the stage – and Bon Jovi’s Because We Can tour – “in the very near future.”

    “Tico Torres has been the heart and soul of our band since we started 30 years ago,” said Jon Bon Jovi. “He’s also one tough SOB and we look forward to him again pounding away brilliantly at the drums on remainder of this and future tours.”

    While Torres is sidelined, Rich Scannella will step in as drummer. Scannella, who currently plays with Jon Bon Jovi’s Kings of Suburbia, has performed with such big names as Bruce Springsteen, Lada Gaga, and Sammy Hagar (Van Halen.)

    The current leg of the Because We Can tour is taking place in Latin America. The band played Rio de Janeiro on Friday, and is set to perform in Sao Paulo on Sunday before moving on to Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City.

    The band played in Rio de Janeiro as part of Rock in Rio. They headlined day five of the massive weeklong concert event. Other bands performing that day were Nickelback, Matchbox 20, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Bon Jovi’s Rock in Rio performance was deemed a success as more than 90,000 fans sang along to classics such as You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin’ on a Prayer, and Always.

    A high point of the performance came when Jon Bon Jovi pulled a fan from the audience and kissed her on stage:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7BmS1Et37M

    Bon Jovi is currently touring to promote their new album What About Now. The album debuted at #1 in the US in March, 2013 and sold 101,000 copies in its first week.

    image credit

  • Richie Sambora Replaced as Lead Guitarist

    As first reported by RumorFix.com, Richie Sambora will be leaving the group Bon Jovi after spending 30 years as their lead guitarist.

    The 54-year-old from New Jersey, has been with the group since they began in 1983. Since their start, the group has released 12 studio albums, three compilations, and two live albums. Not only that, but they have also sold more than 130 million records throughout the world and they have performed in over 50 countries!

    Why the sudden change after 30 years? The answer: MONEY!

    It is reported that Sambora was making $2 million a month, along with 20 percent of the profits obtained by the group. His replacement, Philip ‘Phil X’ Xenidis, is only be making $10,000 a month with no share of the profits. Sambora will still receive checks from the profits of the group, seeing as how he co-wrote most of the songs.

    Sambora is not happy about the choice that has been made for him. “Richie wants to go back on stage – that’s his first love. He’s really upset over the news,” a source says. Sambora left the tour earlier this year for “personal reasons”, but now it seems as though he will not be returning.

    A source told US Weekly: “There were a lot of well-documented problems, so this was the best decision for now.”

    http://youtu.be/1ak2tSwnNXU

    Image via Twitter

  • Bon Jovi Keyboardist Wears Google Glass On Stage

    It appears we have a new use for Google Glass: making concert movies from the perspective of the band. Instead of having camera men run around while hunched down, trying to stay out of the picture, we can just slap a Google Glass headset on the band and let them film the entire thing, rehearsals included. Can you imagine how many Bieber acolytes would jump at the chance to buy footage taken from the eyebrow of the Bieber God himself? Although Google Glass is very much in its infancy, it is definitely making the rounds, showing up on the brows of porn stars, NFL punters, soon-to-be NBA Players, and British drivers. Oh, wait.

    While a drummer has already Google Glassed himself pounding away at a show at Glastonbury, the test drive with Bon Jovi is the first from a band of their size. Granted, this probably would’ve been more relevant when Slippery When Wet was owning the radio and MTV, the fact remains, Bon Jovi’s name still resonates, especially from Google’s perspective, a company hoping their new device crosses over to mainstream adaptation.

    Unfortunately, the public footage of Bon Jovi’s use of the Google Glass headset is limited to a video of the band’s keyboard player, David Bryan, as he prepares to take the stage for their show in New Jersey. It doesn’t really show much except for Bryan walking to the stage:

    Apparently, both Bryan and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi tried wearing Google Glass, but there’s no footage of that available. For those of you disappointed with the demonstration the band made available, you are not alone. The YouTube comments section is also disappointed with the video, calling it boring. As pointed out by the person who loaned his Google Glass headset to the band, Chris Barrett, the device does present a potentially new revenue stream for bands, provided they can find a way to monetize it, and improve the quality of the footage being streamed.

    The question becomes, would people be eager–that is, willing to pay–to watch a streaming concert of their favorite band presented from the Google Glass point of view?

    Lead image courtesy

  • Bon Jovi to Perform For Free in Spain

    Bon Jovi to Perform For Free in Spain

    The world’s economic troubles over the past few years seem to have done nothing to affect concert ticket prices, which have been rising now for decades. It’s a surprise, then, that a rock superstar this week decided to perform a show for free.

    According to an Associated Press report, Jon Bon Jovi and his backing band announced this week that they will be waiving their performance fee for a concert in Madrid, Spain. By dropping the fee, ticket prices to the concert have been cut in half, with the lowest-priced tickets selling for just €18.

    The AP quotes an El Mundo story as stating Bon Jovi had originally not scheduled dates in Spain, over fears that the cash-strapped population would not be able to pay for tickets. Spain, along with Greece, was one of the European countries worst-hit during the economic crisis that struck in 2008.

    Bon Jovi is currently on his European “Because We Can” tour, which wraps up at Hyde Park in London on July 5. Later in July, the tour will shift to North and South America, with scheduled concerts throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.